Put Vermont Kids First

#VTKidsFirst

Parents & Youth Demanding Common Sense Public Safety Measures

We, the undersigned parents, youth, and concerned Vermonters are sounding the alarm. Governor Scott’s slow, wait-and-see approach is having devastating consequences on children, families, and our state. 

September was the second deadliest month thus far in the pandemic, as of October 13 340 Vermonters have succumbed to COVID, and the 13th was another record high case count, and Vermont is the only state in New England with continuously climbing cases. In our schools, cases continue to rise with 827 positive COVID-19 cases reported from Vermont schools this academic year, and there are currently Vermont children hospitalized with COVID-19. Every positive case in our schools has a cascading effect on other children and families, causing anxiety waiting for tests, lost time and wages to keep a child at home, and instability in our learning environments. 

We are seeking the following leadership and action from our government in this time of crisis for children and families:

ADOPT 

A statewide data driving masking policy in line with CDC guidelines - to 

decrease community transmission and reduce the impacts on schools, health systems, 

and businesses.

ALIGN 

School guidance and policy with CDC/American Academy of Pediatrics 

recommendations for masking, contact tracing, testing and quarantine. 

PROVIDE

Significant and adequate staffing and support to K-12 schools to conduct testing, 

contact tracing and other mitigation strategies. 

Governor Scott, we need you to act now to protect our children and communities. You believed the science and listened to the CDC before, and it’s time to do so again. Everyday we skirt public health recommendations, we put our children and vulnerable populations at greater risk. You have the power to restore the cooperative spirit that was the hallmark of Vermont’s early response.