Governor Signs Child Protection Bill -- New Law Enhances State's Child Abuse and Neglect Statutes

Press Release

SUBJECT: Governor Signs Child Protection Bill -- New Law Enhances State's Child Abuse and Neglect Statutes

Governor Jim Douglas today signed into law a bill that enhances the State's ability to respond to reports of child abuse and neglect, strengthening protections for the most vulnerable children and youth.

Proposed by the Douglas administration, H.635, An Act Relating to Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect, gives the Agency of Human Services' Department for Children and Families (DCF) the authority to develop a system of differentiated responses to child abuse and neglect reports and to create a classification system for entries into the child abuse and neglect registry, and other enhancements which will enable the department to better serve vulnerable children and their families.

"We take great pride in the fact that Vermont has been ranked the #1 state in the country for overall child well-being. The provisions in H.635 will support our efforts to ensure all Vermont's children are able to live in a safe, secure, and loving environment," said Governor Douglas.

"One child suffering from abuse in our state is one child too many," added Agency of Human Services Secretary Cynthia D. LaWare. "This bill strengthens the Agency's and the department's ability to revitalize and reform how we deliver services to our youngest and most vulnerable residents by giving us the flexibility to focus on the needs of individual families, and by offering us greater opportunity to prevent occurrences of abuse and neglect."

The new option for responding to certain reports of abuse or neglect, known as "differential response", allows for greater flexibility in responding to individual reports of suspected abuse or neglect. This creative approach focuses resources on assessment of child safety and family need, builds upon family strengths, and provides needed services. In cases where the department has determined there is low risk of harm to involved children, services can be provided without the alienating effects of a full investigation and the potential barriers to employment that may result from a registry listing.

"This legislation is a key component of our ongoing effort to rethink how we deliver services to these children and families in need," said DCF Commissioner Steve Dale.

Dale also noted that DCF is undertaking other measures to enhance its service-delivery model. "This fall, DCF will implement a centralized intake system for reports of abuse or neglect, and we will be providing all of our caseworkers with laptops. These measures will allow social workers to spend more time providing direct services to our clients, thus enhancing our child protection efforts."

More information about centralized intake and other efforts DCF is undertaking to protect Vermont's children and youth will be made available in the coming months.

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