§ 4701. Legislative findings and purpose

(a) The General Assembly finds that early intervention and family support services offers the chance for children at risk of school failure to enter school better prepared to learn. Children who succeed in school are more likely to fulfill their potential as adults. An early investment in a child's learning potential may lessen the need for remedial services. The role of parents as their child's first teachers should be strengthened through a community-based system of early childhood services which provide the earliest opportunity to identify and serve children at risk of school failure. The State shall provide, or assist parents in the provision of such aid through community-based public or private early childhood development services for as long as the parents are eligible and continue to desire such services for themselves and their children. However, parents may refuse aid or services or may discontinue these services at any time without incurring any record or presumption of neglect or abuse based solely on their decision to reject these services.

(b) The General Assembly finds that early education contributes to the health of our society just as importantly as does good nutrition and proper immunization. Children's healthy intellectual development is greatly enhanced by their early and consistent exposure to books and other educational materials and experiences. The General Assembly also finds that opportunity for school success may be enhanced for children at risk of school failure by providing parents of such children with information on a variety of approaches to child development.

(c) The General Assembly finds that currently available early child development services are provided by many State departments and community agencies, but they are not uniformly available or coordinated or sufficiently well known by parents.

(d) Therefore, it is the policy of the State of Vermont and this chapter to offer all families assistance in the preparation of their children for school, from the time of birth onward, through a community-based education and human services system with the capability to identify preschool children at risk of school failure and to reduce this number through health, education, and family support programs. It is the goal of this chapter that few children enter school at risk of school failure, and that those who do have been previously identified where possible and have received appropriate early education, child care, and health care services on a voluntary basis. A goal of this chapter is to widely disseminate public information about State laws related to child abuse and neglect. (Added 1989, No. 266 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1993, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)