The Mill School is built on the foundation that high quality early education and child care are vital for our community. Our core values are: respect, inclusiveness, safety, and fun.
Our mission is to:
pay staff more
make our center affordable for all
make everyone (staff, students, and families) feel welcome in our community
Our education is play-based to encourage exploration and independence. We believe children should spend as much time as possible in nature, which is why we spend time outside daily, rain or shine!
Our teachers are important and deserve a livable wage. According to Let’s Grow Kids (a non-profit working to improve child care in Vermont), the median pay for Vermont child care teachers is $39,315 without benefits (the equivalent of $16.80 per hour). Our daily rates are higher than other local child care centers (~$1 per hour more) because our starting pay for all teachers is $20 per hour. Increasing pay for teachers is one of our top priorities. When we treat our teachers well (both financially and emotionally), our teachers will show up happy and excited to help our children thrive.
We understand that families are in varying financial positions. In addition to state child care financial assistance, we are allocating donations to our non-profit towards a financial aid program to cover any financial gaps experienced by our families (i.e. tuition the state does not cover because our tuition is higher than the state average). We are committed to an enrollment of at least 20% of children at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). If you want to learn more about state child care financial assistance, please click here for more information. If you want to apply for our internal financial aid, please fill out our form here.
Interested in enrolling or being added to our waitlist? Please fill out our form here. If pregnant, input your due date for birthday. Priority will be given to families needing care 5 days a week. Please note: children will not be removed from our care when they turn 3 but we will encourage families to transition children to pre-k when they are eligible / ready.
The Mill School welcomes and accommodates all children. We do not discriminate or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Food allergies are disabilities under the ADA. We take food allergies very seriously and accommodate all children with food allergies. Creating a safe space for your child is our top priority.
If your child needs special care, please contact us below to learn more about how we can accommodate your child. The Mill School is a place where your child will feel respected, included, and safe. And of course, your child will have a ton of fun!
Contact
Please contact us with any questions.
Email
info@themillschool.com
Phone
802.738.0819