If you’re interested in early childhood education in Vermont, here’s a podcast you might enjoy. “Carpools, Commutes and Child Care” is hosted by Erin Roche, Vermont director of First Children’s Finance, a nonprofit that provides technical assistance and support to childcare programs. Roche talks with an eclectic group of guests who explore “topics in between the personal and the professional,” as she says in the intro to every show.
Roche’s own desire to keep herself inspired spurred her to get behind the mic. Her target audience is “busy people who are interested in authentic conversation without an agenda,” she said.
The biweekly program kicked off this spring with a conversation with Aly Richards, former CEO of Let’s Grow Kids and former Democratic candidate for governor. Other guests have included Vermont Department for Children and Families deputy commissioner Janet McLaughlin; Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation executive director Erika Hoffman-Kiess; and Kassim Ibrahim, a Champlain College student originally from Somalia who speaks about navigating care for a young child.
Episodes run between 20 and 30 minutes — the perfect length for listening to on a car ride home.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Listen and Learn”
This article appears in Kids VT Back to School • 2026.
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