Welcome to the Department for Children and Families Programs and Services page. Below you'll find links with a brief description of each program or service to help you find what's right for you.

3SquaresVT

Vermont's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 3SquaresVT (formerly food stamps) helps Vermonters to stretch their food budgets so they can buy more and better food and put three square meals on their tables.

Business Start Up

The Micro Business Development Program offers counseling, education, and support services to low-to-moderate income Vermonters who want to start, expand, or enhance a small business.

Child Care Financial Assistance

Child care expenses are an issue to families within a wide range of income levels. Here you'll find information the child care financial assistance program. 

Child Support Services

Child support services for parents and employers.

Community Services

Five Community Action Agencies provide direct services to Vermonters with lower incomes, including emergency food shelves, emergency housing assistance, utility assistance, free tax preparation, help applying for benefits, job counseling, health and nutrition education, housing placement and retention, advocacy, and other assistance.

Disability Determination Services

The Vermont Disability Determination Services (DDS) determines the eligibility of Vermonters who apply for disability benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicaid.

Domestic Violence Unit

Specialized unit that assists staff and communities around safety issues for domestic violence and child abuse.

Early Intervention and Prevention Services

A program to help families with their questions or concerns about their child or pregnancy. The program is called Children’s Integrated Services.

Emergency / General Assistance

The Emergency / General Assistance Program helps individuals and families with their emergency basic needs, including housing (e.g., back rent, temporary housing, security deposit), utilities, food, and burial costs.

Essential Person

This program helps people who are blind, have a disability, or are 65 and older to stay in their homes.

Families Affected by Military Deployment

Information about programs and services your family may need.

Farm to Family

Farm To Family coupons help you to buy locally-grown fresh vegetables and fruits.

Food Stamps

See 3SquaresVT.

Health Insurance

The State of Vermont offers no and low-cost health insurance programs to Vermonters.

Home Heating Assistance

Home heating assistance, also known as Fuel Assistance, is a federally-funded program available to eligible Vermonters. Benefits vary from household to household, depending on a variety of factors such as household size, income, type of heating fuel, type of housing and size, number of eligible households, and level of federal funding.

Housing Assistance - Emergency / General Assistance

The Emergency / General Assistance Program helps individuals and families with their emergency basic needs, including housing (e.g., back rent, temporary housing, security deposit), utilities, food, and burial costs.

Housing Assistance - Shelter and Services

DCF's Office of Economic Opportunity supports housing assistance programs and emergency homeless shelters and services throughout the state.

Phone Assistance

Vermont has two programs to help make phone service more affordable for households with low income: 1) the Lifeline Telephone Service Credit helps with the ongoing cost of maintaining phone service; and 2) Link-Up Vermont helps with the initial cost of getting phone service connected.

Reach Up

Reach Up helps families with children by providing services that support work and career, cash assistance for basic necessities, and health insurance.

Savings Assistance

A savings program, called an Individual Development Account (IDA), that helps lower-income Vermonters to save money for a home, education, or a small business.

Weatherization Program

The purpose of the Weatherization Program is to reduce the energy costs for low-income families, particularly for elderly persons, people with disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency and comfort of their homes while ensuring their health and safety.