RAPID and Building Bright Futures partnership

Community served

Building Bright Futures (BBF) is Vermont’s Early Childhood State Advisory Council Network, serving children from the prenatal period through age 8 and their families across the state. BBF maintains a statewide network of 12 Regional Councils and strategic planning committees that bring together families, providers, and leaders to address local and statewide early childhood needs.

Priorities and goals

BBF stewards Vermont’s Early Childhood Strategic Plan and advises the governor and legislature on policies that support young children and families. RAPID data will help BBF and state leaders monitor the state’s new 5-year Early Childhood Strategic Plan, evaluate the impact of historic investments in child care, and support data-driven policy and program decisions to improve outcomes for Vermont’s youngest children and their families.

Engaging families

In 2025, BBF began collaborating with the RAPID Survey Project to activate its statewide network to share the RAPID survey with parents and caregivers. Regional councils, BBF’s Families and Communities Committee, statewide partners (including Reach Up, WIC, Head Start, and the Agency of Education), and other parent advocacy organizations worked together to promote and share the survey opportunity with families. BBF launched the project with a dedicated family-focused session and embedded clear messages about why family perspectives matter for improving programs and services.

Data and insights

The goal of this project is to provide actionable insights to inform policies and programs that support Vermont’s youngest children and their families. Vermont families shared their experiences through RAPID’s national household survey. These families reported how services and supports could better meet their needs and how they were experiencing hardship affording essentials such as utilities.