Sponsor Spotlight: Pat Siergiey with Capstone Community Action
Sponsor of Family Child Care Homes
September 22, 2026
For nearly three decades, Pat Siergiey has dedicated her career to supporting child care providers and ensuring children across Vermont have access to nutritious meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). She recently celebrated her 28th anniversary with Capstone Community Action, a milestone that reflects both her commitment to the program and the families it serves. Today, as director of Capstone’s CACFP program, Pat oversees a network of 116 family child care homes spanning 10 Vermont counties, reaching approximately 1,500 children.
Pat's connection to CACFP began long before she became a Sponsor. After the birth of her son, she opened a family child care home, expecting it to be a temporary chapter in her life while she pursued legal studies. Instead, what was intended to be a short-term solution became a rewarding seven-year career in child care. During that time, she participated in the food program herself and experienced, firsthand, the impact the CACFP can have on providers and the children in their care.
When an opportunity opened at Capstone, Pat was encouraged to apply. She joined the organization in a split position, spending part of her time supporting CACFP and part of her time assisting another program. As staff retired, she gradually assumed greater responsibilities, eventually transitioning into a full-time role with the food program and later becoming its director over 22 years ago.
Today, Capstone Community Action serves communities through a wide range of programs, including Head Start, weatherization, housing assistance, food shelves, tax preparation services, business support programs, and heating assistance. Pat focuses on supporting family child care homes who operate the CACFP, helping them navigate program requirements while maintaining their focus on caring for children. To support the needs of their community, Capstone also operates two Head Start centers with eight classrooms.
As Vermont's sponsorship landscape has changed, Pat's role has become increasingly important. Years ago, seven CACFP Sponsors operated across the state. Today, only three remain. Capstone is the largest Vermont Sponsor, with a service area stretching from central Vermont to the Canadian border, connecting rural providers and those serving low-income children with the resources and support they need to succeed in the program.
Pat believes much of Capstone’s success comes from understanding providers' experiences. Having been family child care providers themselves, they know the challenges of balancing program requirements, caring for children and managing daily responsibilities.
“My co-worker and I were child care providers previously, so we have a better understanding of what providers are going through. You have to have patience when you’re working with providers. We all have a lot going on in our lives. The providers don’t see a lot of adults, so sometimes they do open up to us about their personal lives. I always say ‘we’re not here to find fault with you, we’re here to support you in any way we can.’”
Pat is also proud of the support Vermont has provided to strengthen CACFP participation. For the past three years, the state has supplemented reimbursement rates, so Tier II providers receive payments equivalent to Tier I providers. Vermont also provides additional funding to support Sponsors, helping organizations like Capstone expand staffing and strengthen services. Those investments have allowed Pat to quickly onboard new staff, attend professional development opportunities such as the National Child Nutrition Conference and continue serving providers across the state.
Still, Pat sees opportunities for improvement. Like many advocates across the country, she believes tiering remains one of the biggest barriers of the program. She is actively involved in conversations about policy change and works with other Vermont advocates to strengthen support for family child care providers.
Pat remains as committed as ever to the mission that first inspired her as a child care provider. Whether she's advocating with state legislators, supporting providers, or working toward long-term policy improvements, her focus remains on ensuring children have access to healthy meals and the care they need to succeed. That commitment continues to make a difference for providers, families and children throughout Vermont.
"After all these years, I still think it's a great program. Some of our children are from low-income households, some are from very rural areas. I hear a lot from providers that they serve children more than is required because the kids are not getting enough at home. That's what this program is all about: feeding the children."
"Learning is natural. It allows children to feel accomplished and be full of pride when it comes from their own desires."
As they watch each other taste new foods, the children are more inclined to do the same. They help with meal times and in food preparation as they are developmentally ready. Even nutrition education can come organically. Like in Linda's home, it does not have to be a formal process.
In Vermont, Pat Siergiey has been with Capstone Community Action since 1998.