Department for Children and Families

“On short notice and for a temporary timeframe… you’re going to have to pay a premium for that,” said Department for Children and Families Commissioner Chris Winters.

Families will need to contact the state in order to get access to the Williston and Waterbury shelters, which will remain open until April 1.

In May, the Department for Children and Families unveiled a plan to build a new secure youth facility in Vergennes — partially on land that once housed the Weeks School, a former youth detention center with a troubled history. Some advocates say it’s a physical reminder that the state hasn't done enough to reckon with the past.

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.