Adoption
Child Abuse
Child Care
Child Development
Child Protection
Children's Integrated Services
Child Support
DCF - General
Domestic Violence
Early Intervention and Prevention
Family Services Division
Foster Care
Fuel Assistance
Kinship Caregivers
Licensing Regulations
Parents of Children in DCF Custody
Reporting Child Abuse
Adoption
Adopting A Waiting Child
This fact sheet describes how you can give a waiting child what we all want: a sense of belonging; a safe place to call home; someone to depend on; and people who love us unconditionally.
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Adoption Assistance for Children in Vermont Foster Care
If you are thinking about adopting a child in Vermont foster care, this brochure explains the adoption assistance that might be available to help you, the eligibility criteria, and the application process. Adoption assistance is a financial assistance program for people who adopt children with special needs.
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Vermont Adoption Handbook 2006/2007
Published by the Vermont Adoption Consortium, the handbook is a valuable resource for people who are thinking about building their families through adoption as well as those who already have.
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Vermont Adoption Registry: Finding Your Roots
This brochure explains how adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth family members can access the information they are entitled to about adoptions that have taken place in Vermont.
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Child Abuse
How to Report Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect
This brochure includes information about who must report child abuse, how to make a report, what happens to the reports received, what happens to accepted reports, and more.
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Vermont Child Abuse and Neglect Report
This report includes information about the department’s responsibilities for keeping children safe, how DCF responds to reports of child abuse and neglect, statewide trends, and statistics that illustrate the challenges involved in protecting our children.
2008 | 2007 | 2006
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Child Care
Child Care Consumer Line Brochure
This brochure gives information about Vermont’s child care hotline, where anyone can get information about child care and can make a complaint about a child care program.
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Using Regulated Child Care in Vermont: A Booklet for Parents
Vermont has basic health and safety regulations for child care. This booklet provides a brief overview of some of the expectations of child care provided in family child care homes; and center-based programs, such as early childhood, preschool, and afterschool programs.
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Emergency Response Planning Guide for Child Care
This Guide provides basic preparedness and planning information that can be customized to fit the size of your program. All programs must have a written emergency response plan.
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Guiding Your Child’s Learning: A Parent’s Guide to the Vermont Early Learning Standards
Parents often want to know what they can do to help prepare their child for a successful kindergarten experience. This guide explains the different areas of development and learning contained in Vermont’s Early Learning Standards and offers suggestions for activities that can be done at home.
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Quality Child Care for Infants and Toddlers pamphlet
This pamphlet has information about looking for child care for an infant or toddler in Vermont.
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Quality Child Care for Preschoolers pamphlet
This pamphlet has information about looking for child care for preschoolers in Vermont.
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Selecting Quality School Age Care in Vermont
This pamphlet has information about looking for child care for a school age child.
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Specialized Child Care Handbook
This booklet is designed to help child care providers understand how to become a resource for families by becoming a specialized provider. The booklet also helps parents understand their role in finding and using child care. It explains the child care specialist’s and social worker’s role in supporting child care programs and parents.
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STep Ahead Recognition System (STARS) Brochure for Parents
This brochure includes an overview of Vermont's STep Ahead Recognition System (STARS) as well as basic information about how a child care, preschool, or afterschool program can earn stars.
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Vermont Core Standards & Self-Assessment Tool for Center-Based Early Childhood Programs
These Core Standards for Early Childhood Programs are presented in a simple format that makes it a straightforward task for center staff and parents to see how well their program is meeting the standards, and to develop a plan for continuous improvement. The purpose of working through this Self-Assessment Tool is not to make a perfect score. It is to help each program build a clear profile of its strengths and weaknesses, and to sort out the most pressing and promising ways that administrators and staff can improve their services to children.
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Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS)
The Vermont Early Learning Standards identifies eight domains of learning for 3-5 year olds: Approaches to Learning; Social & Emotional Development; Language, Literacy & Communication; Mathematics: Science; Social Studies; Creative Expression; and Physical Health & Development. The VELS provide guidance for families, teachers and administrators on what children should know and be able to do as they enter kindergarten.
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Child Development
Path to Parenthood
The Path to Parenthood book will help you at each stage of your pregnancy, delivery and postpartum
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Growing Up Healthy
A workbook and information resource for you to use as you follow the development of your child from birth to five years of age.
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Growing Up Healthy newsletters
These newsletters have information about ages and stages. They also have health and safety information for each age group.
Prenatal
Birth to 4 months
4 to 8 months
8 to 12 months
18 to 24 months
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 years
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Child Protection
A Guide For Vermont's Child Protection Teams
Vermont law authorizes the Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families (formerly SRS) to empanel multi-disciplinary Child Protection Teams throughout Vermont to help our Family Services district offices to identify and treat cases of child abuse and neglect. This guide outlines the roles and responsbilities of the teams.
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Baby Safe Haven Brochure
Tri-fold, full color brochure that answers the most frequently asked questions about the law.
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What Parents Need To Know About Child Sexual Abuse
This publication helps parents understand what child sexual abuse is, who the victims are, who the abusers are, what the warning signs are, how they can help prevent it from happening to their children, and what to do if their child discloses sexual abuse.
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Children's Integrated Services Technical Assistance Guide (TAG)
Serves as your guide to developing and operating regional and statewide Children's Integrated Services (CIS) work.
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Finding Help for Young Children with Social- Emotional-Behavioral Challenges and Their Families: The Vermont Children's UPstream Services (CUPS) Handbook
In 2001, the Vermont Children's UPstream Services (CUPS) published Knowledge and Practices to Promote the Emotional and Social Development of Young Children. Based on an extensive two-year collaborative process, this guide brought together the perspectives of early childhood care and education, mental health, health and family- centered practices.
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Early Childhood and Family Mental Health Competencies
These professional competencies are intended to guide the preparation and ongoing professional development of service providers in various fields who have a role in supporting families with young children. The skills and knowledge necessary for promoting the social and emotional development of children and for recognizing and addressing mental health issues are not the purview of any one discipline.
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Child Support
Child Support in Vermont: A Handbook for Parents
This handbook answers the most-frequently-asked questions about child support laws and procedures in the State of Vermont. It it your first source of information whenever you have a question about your child support.
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Vermont Office of Child Support: A Handbook for Employers
This handbook contains information that will help employers to fulfill their responsibilities under state and federal laws to 1) withhold wages for child support payments and 2) provide health insurance coverage for minor children.
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DCF - General
DCF Mission Poster
This poster states DCF's mission, vision and commitments.
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DCF's Five-Year Strategic Plan (2007 - 2012)
This strategic plan spells out DCF's vision for the future and our strategic directions for the next five years.
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Domestic Violence
Advisory Board Final Report
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Children and Youth Advocacy Directory
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Healthy VS Unhealthy Relationships: What You Need to Know
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Parental Contact in Domestic Violence Cases:Considerations for Decision Makers
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Vermont Statewide Standards for Domestic Abuse Intervention
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Vermont Teacher Handbook on Domestic Violence
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Vermont's Model Protocol: Law Enforcement Response to Children at the Scene of a Domestic Violence Incident
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Vermont's Partnership Between Domestic Violence Programs and Child Protective Services - Publication #1.
Vermont's Coordinated Approach to Increase Safety for Women, Children, and Youth who Experience Domestic Violence.
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Vermont's Partnership Between Domestic Violence Programs and Child Protective Services - Publication #2:
Civil and Criminal Responses to Children and Youth Who Experience Domestic Violence: A Model Policy Response for Vermont.
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Vermont's Partnership Between Domestic Violence Programs and Child Protective Services - Publication #7:
Understanding the Current Mental Health Needs of Children Experiencing Domestic Violence in Vermont: Recommendations for Enhancing and Improving Responses.
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Early Intervention and Prevention
Finding Help for Young Children with Social-Emotional-Behavioral Challenges and Their Families:
The Vermont Children’s Upstream Services (CUPS) Handbook
Based on an extensive two-year collaborative process, this guide brought together the perspectives of early childhood care and education, mental health, health and family- centered practices. Through many meetings, discussions, drafts, reviews and revisions, a practical guide to specific knowledge and practices emerged that highlights the interconnectedness of young children's social and emotional development across developmental domains.
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Knowledge and Practices to Promote the Emotional and Social Development of Young Children
This document provides a comprehensive overview of the many kinds of information, skills, and practices needed to promote the emotional health of young children in our communities.
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Children’s Integrated Services Technical Assistance Guide
This document is designed to serve as your guide to developing and operating the Child Development Division's (CDD) regional and statewide Children's Integrated Services (CIS) work.
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Family Services Division
Core Practice Principles: Our Foundation For Effective Child Welfare Practice
The core practice principles that guide the work of the Family Services Division.
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Family Services Transformation Plan: 2008
A plan for transforming services for families. Family Services is committed to carrying out this plan over the next three to five years. It represents our best thinking at this time, and will be adjusted as necessary.
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Your Guide To Voicing Your Concerns
This brochure explains 1) how to request a formal review of a decision that affects the of a child in DCF custody; and 2) how to express your concerns about a decision we've made, an action we've taken, a lack of action on our part, or the way you've been treated.
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Foster Care
A Foster Parent's Guide To Investigations
This brochure describes the two types of investigations that involve foster homes: the alleged abuse/neglect of a child and alleged licensing violations.
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Licensing Regulations For Foster Care
This publication describes the regulations that prospective foster parent(s) and their homes must meet in order to become licensed to provide foster care.
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Project Family
This brochure explains the many ways that people can help children in foster care, including respite care, foster care, and adoption.
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Providing Foster Care
This fact sheet describes how you can help a family in your community by opening your home and heart to a child in need and supporting the parents through a difficult time.
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Providing Respite Care
This fact sheet describes how you can have a major, positive impact on the life of a child in your community just by spending some quality time with them, on a regular basis.
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Fuel Assistance
Buying Wood
This fact sheet desribes how to buy wood if you are found eligible for fuel assistance and your primary heating source is wood.
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Home Heating Fuel Assistance
This brochure describes Seasonal Fuel Assistance, Crisis Fuel Assistance, other energy programs, and where to get help applying.
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Kinship Caregivers
A Guide For Relatives of Children in DCF Custody
This guide is for relatives and close family friends of children in DCF custody. It describes the child welfare system in Vermont, what challenges you might face if you decide to care for a relative child in DCF custody, and what support might be available to help you. It also includes tools that can help you make the decision.
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H.615 - What About Kin?
A copy of a PowerPoint presentation about what Bill H.615 says about the roles of relatives in CHINS proceedings.
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Resource Guide for Kinship Care Providers
This guide will help you find the resources that may be available to help you provide the best possible care for the child you are caring for.
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Licensing Regulations
Licensing Regulations For Child-Placing Agencies
The Department for Children and Families is the government agency authorized and responsible for regulating child-placing agencies, which are organizations that provide or arrange placement for children in foster homes, residential childcare facilities, or adoptive homes. This publication describes the regulations that organizations must meet in order to be licensed as a child-placing agency in Vermont.
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Licensing Regulations For Commissioner-Designated Shelter Programs
The Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families is authorized to designate facilities as qualified to house and assist children who have run away from their parents, guardians, or legal custodian for the purpose of reuniting them with their families. This publication describes the regulations a facility must meet in order to receive the commissioner's designation.
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Licensing Regulations For Foster Care
This publication describes the regulations that prospective foster parent(s) and their homes must meet in order to become licensed to provide foster care.
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Parents/Kin of Children in Custody
A Guide For Parents with Children in DCF Custody
This guide was produced to help parents of children in DCF custody understand what is happening to them and to answer their most commonly-asked questions, including: Where will my child live? How often can I visit? When can my child come home?
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A Guide For Relatives of Children in DCF Custody
This guide is for relatives and close family friends of children in DCF custody. It describes the child welfare system in Vermont, what challenges you might face if you decide to care for a relative child in DCF custody, and what support might be available to help you. It also includes tools that can help you make the decision.
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Reporting Child Abuse
How to Report Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect
This brochure includes information about who must report child abuse, how to make a report, what happens to the reports received, what happens to accepted reports, and more.
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Publications
