DON'T Cut Reach Up Funding in FY28!
Parents receiving Reach Up benefits share goals that maybe all parents have for their children– “A place where my kids can safely play outside,” and “The ability to save up for a safe car or for my kid’s college tuition.” These goals continue to feel far out of reach. Yet the Scott administration once again directed agency and department heads to create austerity budgets for fiscal year 2028, allowing for cost of living adjustments only as required by law.
The Governor’s pay increase is enshrined in law, while only two minuscule Reach Up benefit adjustments have happened in the last 20 years as a result of coordinated advocacy and legislative leadership. Gov. Scott is one of the highest paid governors in the nation, with a scheduled January 2027 raise that will bring his salary to $248,390. Since Reach Up benefits were last adjusted in 2021, the governor’s pay has grown by almost 30%.
Year after year, the Scott administration has made their position on this clear: low income children receiving Reach Up are not a priority. Enough is enough! It’s time for Vermonters to stand in solidarity with our most economically marginalized neighbors and demand that Governor Scott give Reach Up the raise he’s given himself. Increasing the appropriation to Reach Up is a powerful step toward centering the wellbeing of our kids and ending child poverty in Vermont. Take Action Today!
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Montpelier, VT