Vermont DCF Phone Number: District Office Contact Directory

If you have been trying to reach someone at Vermont DCF about foster care and ended up cycling through automated phone menus or leaving voicemails that never get returned, you are experiencing the most common frustration in the state's foster care system. Vermont DCF does not have a single centralized number for foster care inquiries. Instead, you need to contact the specific Family Services Division (FSD) district office that covers your town — and knowing which one that is can save you days of wasted calls.

How Vermont DCF Is Organized

Vermont's Department for Children and Families operates through the Family Services Division (FSD), which handles all foster care licensing, placement, and child protective services. Unlike states that run child welfare through county agencies, Vermont's system is entirely state-administered. The FSD divides the state into 12 district offices, each with a defined geographic catchment area.

For foster care specifically, you want to ask for the Resource Coordinator at your district office. This is the social worker who handles foster home licensing, recruitment, and placement coordination. They are your primary contact from first inquiry through licensing and beyond.

The FSD central administrative office is located in Waterbury, but it handles policy and oversight — not individual licensing inquiries. Always start with your local district office.

Complete District Office Directory

Barre District Office

Serves: Adamant, Barre City, Barre Town, Berlin, Braintree, Brookfield, Cabot, Calais, Montpelier, Northfield, Orange, Plainfield, and surrounding communities.

Bennington District Office

Serves: Arlington, Bennington, Dorset, Manchester, Peru, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, Stamford, Woodford, and surrounding communities.

Brattleboro District Office

Serves: Athens, Brattleboro, Brookline, Dover, Dummerston, Grafton, Guilford, Jamaica, Newfane, Putney, Townshend, Vernon, and surrounding communities.

Burlington District Office

Serves: Bolton, Burlington, Charlotte, Colchester, Essex, Hinesburg, Milton, Richmond, Shelburne, South Burlington, Winooski, and surrounding communities.

Hartford District Office

Serves: Barnard, Bethel, Bradford, Chelsea, Corinth, Fairlee, Hartford, Norwich, Randolph, Rochester, Royalton, Woodstock, and surrounding communities.

Middlebury District Office

Serves: Addison, Bridport, Bristol, Cornwall, Ferrisburg, Goshen, Hancock, Leicester, Middlebury, Monkton, New Haven, Orwell, and surrounding communities.

Morrisville District Office

Serves: Belvidere, Cambridge, Eden, Elmore, Hardwick, Hyde Park, Johnson, Morristown, Stowe, Waterville, Wolcott, Woodbury, and surrounding communities.

Newport District Office

Serves: Albany, Barton, Canaan, Charleston, Coventry, Derby, Glover, Holland, Irasburg, Jay, Lowell, Morgan, Newport City, Newport Town, and surrounding communities.

Rutland District Office

Serves: Brandon, Castleton, Chittenden, Clarendon, Fair Haven, Killington, Ludlow, Mendon, Pawlet, Poultney, Proctor, Rutland City, Rutland Town, and surrounding communities.

Springfield District Office

Serves: Andover, Bellows Falls, Cavendish, Chester, Londonderry, Ludlow, Plymouth, Reading, Springfield, Weathersfield, Windsor, and surrounding communities.

St. Albans District Office

Serves: Alburg, Bakersfield, Berkshire, Enosburg, Fairfax, Fairfield, Franklin, Georgia, Grand Isle, Highgate, Richford, St. Albans, and surrounding communities.

St. Johnsbury District Office

Serves: Barnet, Burke, Concord, Danville, Groton, Guildhall, Lyndon, Newbury, Peacham, Ryegate, St. Johnsbury, Walden, Waterford, and surrounding communities.

Finding Your District Office

If your town is not listed above, visit the FSD District Offices page on the DCF website (dcf.vermont.gov/fsd/contact/districts) for the complete catchment area map. Towns on the boundary between districts sometimes create confusion — if you are unsure, call either office and they will redirect you.

Other Important DCF Numbers

FSD Centralized Intake (child abuse/neglect reports): 1-800-649-5285. This is the 24-hour hotline for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect. If you are a licensed foster parent, you are a mandated reporter under 33 V.S.A. Section 4913 and legally required to call this number within 24 hours of any reasonable suspicion.

DCF Commissioner's Office (Waterbury): The central office handles administrative and policy matters but does not process individual licensing inquiries.

Tips for Getting Through

Vermont DCF workers are consistently described as overworked and difficult to reach, particularly in rural districts. This is not unique to Vermont, but the small-state dynamic means there may be only one or two Resource Coordinators covering an entire district. A few practical approaches:

Call in the morning. District offices are typically most responsive between 8:30 and 10:30 AM on weekdays. Afternoons often get consumed by home visits, court appearances, and emergency calls.

Leave a specific message. Instead of "I'm interested in foster care, please call me back," try: "My name is [name], I live in [town], and I want to know when the next Foundations training cohort starts in your district and what I need to submit to begin the application process." Specific questions get callbacks faster than general inquiries.

Follow up in writing. If you do not hear back within a week, send an email to the district office (addresses are listed on the DCF website) referencing your voicemail and date of call. Having a paper trail can be helpful later in the process.

Ask about private agencies. If your district office is unresponsive, ask whether Lund Family Center (Burlington-based, runs Project Family with FSD), Northeastern Family Institute (NFI Vermont, therapeutic foster care), or Families First in Southern Vermont (Windham County) handle licensing in your area. These Licensed Child-Placing Agencies work alongside DCF and may offer a more responsive initial contact point.

What to Ask in Your First Call

When you reach a Resource Coordinator, have these questions ready:

1. When does the next Foundations training cohort start in this district?
2. What application forms should I submit now to begin the process?
3. Where do I schedule Livescan fingerprinting, and what identification do I need to bring?
4. Are there any known inspection requirements specific to my area (well water testing, wood stove barriers, etc.)?
5. What is the typical licensing timeline in this district right now?

Our Vermont Foster Care Licensing Guide includes the complete district office contact directory, a first-call script, and the application checklist so you have everything organized before you pick up the phone. It also covers what to do when calls go unreturned and how to keep your application moving through the system.

The hardest part of fostering in Vermont is often just getting someone on the phone for the first time. Once you do, the state's small-scale, relationship-driven system works in your favor. Get the guide and make that first call with your paperwork ready.

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