Carpools, Commutes and Child Care

In this episode of Carpools, Commutes, and Childcare , Erin chats with Brenda Schramm of Vermont AEYC about her 35-year career in early childhood, from family child care owner to mentor, educator, and leader. Brenda shares stories about her journey, the lessons she learned from her family’s businesses, finding inspiration in everyday life, and the importance of treating people well in business and...

Hosted by Erin Roche, this is our monthly newsletter episode, full of twists and turns and also some great resources for our early childhood educators in Vermont. You don't want to miss out on all of the good stuff we share. Have some fun learning about what's going on in the Vermont ECE world this month with some reflections, announcements/opportunities and friendly debates!

In this episode of Carpools, Commutes, and Childcare , Erin talks with Dr. Kendra LaRoche of the Special Needs Support Center about her journey from teacher and school administrator to nonprofit leader. Kendra shares why belonging matters, how communities can better support people with disabilities, and why creating lasting change means bringing people together to solve problems.

Erin talks with well-known ECE journalist Rebecca Gale. They discuss the realities of child care, paid family leave and workplace flexibility. Gale draws from her own experiences as a parent and years of reporting, shares how policy, geography and workplace culture shapes the support families received—and why so much still depends on luck. You don't want to miss this one!

Learn about what's going on in the Vermont ECE world, First Children’s Finance Vermont and our partners around the state. Tess & Erin break it down for you and of course have some fun with it. Make sure you tune in so you don’t miss what’s coming up and relevant for your business!

In this episode, we are excited to introduce you to Heidi Hagel Braid, President and CEO of First Children’s Finance. Heidi has spent more than a decade working to strengthen childcare businesses and find creative solutions to some of the challenges facing the field. Erin and Heidi talk about how she found her way into early childhood, the two grandmothers who continue to inspire her, and what she...

In this episode, Erin chats with Chris Nelson, a legend in the ECE field with a no-nonsense, intelligent and caring approach to her child care business, board service and all of her state and national advocacy for the field of early childhood in Vermont. Founder of Mountain View Child Care, Chris gives an especially important voice to rural child care where she takes time to consult and advocate i...

Dr. Kaitlin Northey, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at UVM, joins the podcast to share her path into early childhood education and discuss how research, teacher preparation, and policy can work together to strengthen Vermont's child care system. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, advocacy, and supporting the early childhood workforce.

Do you want to know what is going on in the ECE world in Vermont? Or learn more about business sustainability that first children’s finance has to offer? Maybe you don’t have time to sit down and read the FCF VT newsletter-well here is your chance to listen in to our FCF VT monthly newsletter. All things, business sustainability, access to capital, partner updates and more. Listen to Tess and Erin...

Growing up on a Vermont dairy farm shaped Ashley Bessette's passion for early childhood education and lifelong learning. In this episode, Ashley shares her journey from the classroom to becoming Addison County's Universal Pre-K Coordinator, the importance of supporting children through key transitions, and why strong connections between families, educators, and schools matter. Tune in for an inspi...

Erika chats with Erin and reflects on her journey from a demanding corporate career to building a more balanced and meaningful life centered around family, community, and helping organizations thrive. Inspired by her experiences as a working parent, Erika shares insights on leadership, optimism, and the importance of leading with both heart and purpose.

Ellen Drolette, former family child care business owner for 30 years turned author upon retiring. In this conversation, Ellen shares her journey from running a family child care program to now supporting early educators in new ways after retirement. Through her work with Positive Spin and Seed and Sew, she focuses on building growth mindsets and strength-based practices for children, families, and...

Erin has an insightful conversation with co-founder and former CEO of Global Z International, a data management company providing data quality assessment and improvement for business clients of all sizes. Passionate about his southwestern Vermont community, things come full circle when you hear about Dimitri's origin story and how it relates to child care. With numerous ventures related to small b...

Join Tess and Erin from FCF VT to get all the latest from the ECE world in Vermont, what's happening with the team, reflections on the month of July and looking ahead to August and the fall. Of course, there is always rapid fire and fun, so come along for the ride!

Erika Hoffman-Kiess, current executive director of the Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation delves into conversation with your host, Erin, about origin stories, best business advice, housing challenges, the systems that support children and the symbolism of the bald eagle for Hoffman-Kiess. Insightful, honest, and another great time. Tune in now for this wonderful conversation.

A jack of all trades, this episode features Chance, a theatre-guru, mountain-dreaming, youth mentor who is as comfortable backstage as he is outdoors. From running a childhood backyard theatre camp to supporting students on the autism spectrum, Chance shares thoughtful insights about meeting people where they are and celebrating how everyone learns differently.

This episode, we are pleased to introduce Jeff O’Hara, who has a dedicated career in education, has entrepreneurial roots from starting the Homestead Schools, Part 2 Afterschool Programs and similar to our host Erin, is launching his child into adulthood. Tune in to hear more about Jeff’s connection to early childhood education, reflections on career trajectory and the importance of finding the jo...

Join Tess and Erin from FCF VT as they look ahead to what's happening in July and reflect on highlights from June. Catch the latest early childhood education news from around Vermont in a fun, lighthearted conversation!

Come along for the ride as we introduce you to Andrew Van Leuven, Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics. With degrees from The Ohio State University, and institutions in Pennsylvania and Utah, Erin & Andrew talk about the forces that shape local economic vitality and community well-being in rural and small town America...

At Hula in Burlington, Lucia Campriello is helping shape the future of Vermont’s entrepreneurial and innovation economy. As CEO of one of the region’s most vibrant hubs for founders, creatives, investors, remote workers and community leaders, Lucia is a driving force behind the connections and collaborations fueling regional momentum. Known for her visionary leadership and community-first approach...

Join Erin and Tess once again for the June edition of the newsletter! In this spirited conversation, they reflect on the month of May while sharing exciting updates, upcoming events, and all things relevant for June and the summer ahead. We had plenty of smiles recording this one, and we hope it brings a smile to your face too!

Champlain College student Kassim joins Erin for a thoughtful conversation about the challenges of child care, and the importance of staying calm, grounded, and confident through them. Kassim shares his personal journey from Somalia to the United States, reflecting on culture, identity, and what it has meant to navigate child care while raising a young child. He opens up about moments of feeling di...

Janet McLaughlin, the eyes and ears of the Vermont Department of Children and Families. Making big time decisions in the best interest of littlest Vermonters and their families. A leader who is not afraid to take a stand for what matters, she does what she does out of a commitment to public service. Join Erin and Janet as they chat about all things child care, memorable commuting and carpool stori...

Join FCF's Erin Roche for a neighborly, on-the-road conversation with her neighbor and former colleague, Zoe Kaslow. Deeply rooted in her community, Zoe has served on numerous civic and nonprofit boards and brings both personal and professional connections to the world of child care. Together, Erin and Zoe catch up on all things child care, swap business insights, share carpool and commute stories...

Is your inbox swamped with emails and newsletters? Would you rather listen to what First Children's Finance Vermont has been up to? Use this episode to catch up on all of the happenings in Vermont's ECE world from April and a look into what’s to come for May. From business sustainability to updates from the field, your hosts Erin & Tess have a lot to say and reflect on this month. Tune in to t...