The Family Services Division (FSD) is Vermont's child welfare agency. We are responsible for making sure children and youth:
- Are safe from abuse
- Have their basic needs met
- Live in safe, supportive, and healthy environments
What We Do
- Respond to reports of suspected child abuse and neglect
- Evaluate children’s safety through investigations and assessments
- Help parents get the services and supports they need to keep their children at home safely
- Place children in temporary out-of-home care when necessary
- Work with parents and relatives toward children's safe return home
- Find permanent homes for children who can't return home safely
Our Practice Model
Our work is guided by the Family Services Practice Model, which:
- Describes the values and practices we use in the work we do with children, youth and families
- Provides a framework for staff to think about the work we do
- Guides the development of policy and practice guidance.
The Values & Principles That Guide Us
- Children have the right to be safe
- Families have both strengths and challenges (safety & risk factors)
- Everyone can grow and change with support and adequate resources
- Families know their situations best
- Children should only be separated from their parents (or guardians) when it’s necessary to keep them or their communities safe
- When children need out-of-home care, we first consider extended family members and friends
- Success is more likely when we involve extended family members & friends in the process, early on
- For real change to occur, we must work cooperatively with families, share responsibility, and hold each other accountable
- Each family’s cultural, ethnic, and spiritual diversity deserves respect
The Outcomes We Want To Achieve:
Safety: Children are safe from abuse, neglect, and risk of harm
Permanence: Children have nurturing relationships that sustain them throughout their lives
Well-Being: Children do well in their families, schools, & communities
Law Abidance: Youth are free from delinquent behavior