Lt. Governor Zuckerman Outlines Plan to Improve Wellbeing of Vermont Children
PRESS RELEASE: September 17, 2020
Lt. Governor Zuckerman Outlines Plan to Improve Wellbeing of Vermont Children
MONTPELIER: Lt. Governor Zuckerman held a press conference today outlining the need for a fundamental shift in path that the current administration has taken on helping our most vulnerable Vermonters, our children.
Lt Governor Zuckerman said: “Let me be blunt - we are failing those who need us the most. In the last four years, under the leadership of Phil Scott, the economic well-being of our kids has plummeted from 9th nationally in 2017 and we are currently ranked 18th. Our infant mortality rate was nationally at 12th best in 2017 and fell to 35th in the nation in 2018. Poverty remains persistent in Vermont. We are witnessing an increase in child obesity. And we see a continuing achievement gap between low-income students and their peers. This is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.”
Lt. Governor Zuckerman outlined four concrete steps he would implement to improve how the state delivers services to children and families. He stated that, as Governor, he would immediately make services and support for children and families easier to access by:
Improving accessibility by using schools as access points,
Working across the Agency to coordinate services and provide one point of access for support,
Updating the archaic technology for both Vermont state employees and the Vermonters using this system, and
Renaming the Agency of Human Services to the Agency of Human Opportunity to align all our partners and the services we provide with a vision and goal.
Lt. Governor Zuckerman said: “These four changes will have a profound impact on future opportunities for our children and their families. As Governor I will be focused on reducing poverty and its devastating impacts on our kids This is the vision, leadership and management focus I will bring to Vermont as Governor.”
Lt. Governor Zuckerman was joined by Kashka Orlow, a single mother who highlighted some of the challenges she faced as she worked to provide a safe and secure future for her children.
Former Secretary of the Agency of Human Services and Lt. Governor Doug Racine addressed the urgent need to improve the systems our children and families rely on.
Vermont must not be satisfied to simply return to the old normal, a state that was failing too many of our children,” said Racine. “David Zuckerman aims higher. He has the vision of a stronger and better Vermont emerging from this pandemic. He has the passion and the practical know-how to use the vast resources of state government and our communities to guarantee that all our children have the opportunity to be happy, healthy, and successful.”
You can watch the full press conference on our Facebook page. For Lt. Governor Zuckerman’s full remarks please email Kelt Wilska: kelt@zuckermanforvt.com.
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