In 2007, the state of Vermont established a goal of cutting the child poverty rate in half over a 10-year span. The Vermont Child Poverty Council was formed to study and recommend policies to succeed in this effort — but when the deadline was reached this June, the state had not met the goal it set a decade ago.
Paul Heintz, political editor at Seven Days, recently reported on this issue and found some top political leaders in the state didn't realize that the goal existed.
"I spoke with Gov. Phil Scott, with [House] Speaker Mitzi Johnson and Senate President Tim Ashe, and actually none of the three were familiar with the fact that the state had set this goal of cutting child poverty in half," Heintz told VPR.
"They were all aware of the council and knew of much of the work that's been done over the years, but they didn't know about that initial goal. And in fairness, I think we've all forgotten about this."
Listen above to the conversation with Heintz about his reporting.
