South Burlington – Lund is proud to announce the launch of First Steps, an early childhood workforce development program designed to train and support the next generation of early childhood educators. Originally created by the City of Burlington’s Early Learning Initiative (ELI), the program will now expand under Lund’s leadership to serve residents across all of Chittenden County, with the potential for statewide growth.
Vermont is facing a critical shortage of early childhood educators—an issue made more urgent by Act 76’s expansion of childcare access, which is increasing demand for qualified early childhood professionals across the state. First Steps helps address this challenge by offering tuition-free, culturally responsive training, individualized advising, and career support to help participants earn credentials and secure employment in early childhood settings.
Over the past two years, First Steps has demonstrated strong outcomes and meaningful community impact, including:
- 60 participants trained
- 78% program completion rate
- 68% placed in early childhood jobs
- 50% BIPOC participation
- 7 languages supported
“First Steps has already proven its ability to open doors into meaningful careers while strengthening the early childhood workforce,” said Liz Gamache, President and CEO of Lund. “Lund is uniquely positioned to carry this work forward as a long-time leader in early childhood education through our Parent Child Center services and our deep commitment to supporting families and the professionals who serve them. We are honored to build on the strong foundation created by ELI and excited to expand this opportunity to more residents across Chittenden County.”
This program expansion is made possible through the support of The Curtis Fund, whose mission is to offer scholarship support for postsecondary college and career training for Vermonters in need.
“The Curtis Fund is proud to invest in Lund’s First Steps program because it directly advances our mission to expand access to education and strengthen Vermont’s workforce,” said Lauren Philie, Executive Director of The Curtis Fund. “This project removes barriers to opportunity by providing tuition-free, culturally responsive training and the advising support participants need to succeed—helping more Vermonters earn credentials, secure meaningful employment, and build a stronger future for children, families, and communities across our state.”
Applications for the Spring cohort are now open. Learn more and apply here.
About Lund
Lund helps children thrive by empowering families to break cycles of poverty, addiction, and abuse. Lund offers hope and opportunity to families through education, treatment, family support and adoption. Lund is a member agency of the United Way of Northwest Vermont. For more information, please connect at lundvt.org.
About The Curtis Fund
The Curtis Fund’s mission is to offer scholarship support for postsecondary college and career training for Vermonters in need. To learn more visit thecurtisfund.org
