Department for Children and Families

Vermont has a new law that allows former foster care children to see their records — which were previously locked to them and only available to some state employees, and birth and foster parents. Vermont is one of few states in the U.S. to allow this access.

Vermont hasn’t had a locked facility for youth since shuttering Woodside in 2020. The new temporary facility in Middlesex will accommodate up to four youth.

The number of calls to Vermont's child abuse and neglect hotline rose above the pre-pandemic level for the first time last year, according to the annual report from the Vermont Department for Children and Families.

The conservative Christian law firm that helped orchestrate the downfall of Roe v. Wade is suing Vermont — again.

Legislation that's up for a final vote in the Statehouse this week would allow children as young as 16 to be charged as adults for drug trafficking.

Town officials and residents strongly opposed the proposed facility, and the project was caught in a lengthy legal battle. DCF Commissioner Chris Winters said that the department is pursuing other options for where to build a secure facility to house justice-involved youth.

The shelters would only be open for a matter of days to allow people staying in motels to apply for a new waiver to remain in the program.

The Department for Children and Families, citing staffing shortages and a lack of facilities, wants lawmakers to delay implementation of a law that would bring 19-year-olds into the juvenile justice system. But recently published research found the system wasn’t overwhelmed when Vermont brought 18-year-olds into family court.

In addition to standing up a congregate shelter in Waterbury, the Department for Children and Families is moving forward with plans for a family shelter at the former Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro and three “emergency shelter apartments” in central Vermont.

After originally opting out of the program due to administrative costs, the Department for Children and Families is now trying to secure a waiver from USDA that would allow the state to draw down benefits without labor-intensive data collection.