Vermont Foster Care Adoption: The Foster-to-Adopt Pathway and Support Resources

Adopting a child from Vermont's foster care system is one of the most emotionally complex experiences a family can take on. You are not starting from a blank slate — you are committing to a child who has already been through removal from their birth family, possible multiple placements, and a legal process that may stretch on for a year or more before anyone can tell you with certainty whether the adoption will happen. Families who enter this path without understanding how Vermont structures foster-to-adopt cases often end up blindsided by the legal timeline, the emotional toll of "concurrent planning," and the two-court process that makes Vermont slightly different from most other states.

How Concurrent Planning Works in Vermont

Vermont does not ask foster families to choose between fostering and adopting at the outset. Instead, the state uses a "concurrent planning" model, which means two plans run simultaneously from the moment a child is placed. Plan A is always reunification with the birth family. Plan B is a permanent alternative — often adoption by the foster family — in case reunification fails.

If you are willing to adopt, you are considered a "concurrent home." This means you provide daily care and stability while DCF works with the birth parents on their case plan. Under the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), Vermont must work toward reunification for at least 12 to 15 months before the state can seek to terminate parental rights. During that period, you may be facilitating phone calls and visits between the child and their birth parents, transporting the child to supervised visitation at a DCF office, and sharing milestones (school reports, photos, health updates) with the birth family.

This is where the emotional difficulty lives. You are building a bond with a child while supporting the process that might return them to someone else. Vermont DCF uses the term "collaborative partner" to describe the foster parent's role, and it is accurate — you are partnering with the state, the courts, and the birth family, even when those relationships feel adversarial.

Not every concurrent placement ends in adoption. Roughly 50% of children who enter Vermont's foster care system are eventually reunified with their birth parents. Families who do well in this system are the ones who understand that outcome going in and are prepared for either result.

The Legal Process: Two Courts, Two Steps

Vermont's foster-to-adopt pathway involves two separate court proceedings, which is a detail that surprises families accustomed to thinking of adoption as a single event.

Step 1: Termination of Parental Rights (Family Court)

When reunification efforts fail — typically after the 12-to-15-month ASFA timeline — DCF files a petition to terminate the birth parents' parental rights (TPR). This hearing takes place in Family Court. It is an adversarial proceeding where DCF must prove that the birth parents are "unfit" and cannot resume parenting within a reasonable timeframe. The birth parents have the right to legal representation and can contest the termination.

A "legal risk" placement occurs when a child is placed with a family that wishes to adopt before the TPR is finalized. This means you are caring for a child whose legal status is still unresolved. If the court denies the TPR petition, the child may be returned to their birth parents. Legal risk placements require a clear-eyed assessment of your own emotional capacity.

Step 2: Adoption Finalization (Probate Court)

Once parental rights are terminated, you file a Petition for Adoption. While the TPR happened in Family Court, the finalization moves to the Probate Division of the Superior Court. Vermont requires a mandatory six-month trial period where the child must live in your home before the adoption can be finalized. This is a waiting period the court uses to confirm that the placement is stable and in the child's best interest.

At the final hearing, the judge signs the Decree of Adoption. A new birth certificate is issued listing you as the legal parents. The child's legal relationship to the birth family is permanently severed.

The total timeline from initial foster placement to finalized adoption typically runs 18 to 36 months, depending on how long reunification efforts continue and whether the TPR is contested.

Adoption Assistance: Financial Support After Finalization

Many children adopted from Vermont foster care qualify for "Adoption Assistance," a program that recognizes the ongoing costs of parenting a child who has experienced trauma and may have significant medical, behavioral, or educational needs.

Adoption assistance is negotiated before finalization and can include:

• Monthly subsidy: A negotiated payment that continues after the adoption is finalized. The amount is based on the child's needs and the family's circumstances, and it can be renegotiated as needs change.
• Continued Medicaid coverage: The child retains Vermont Medicaid (Green Mountain Care) eligibility, ensuring comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and mental health coverage without co-pays or premiums.
• Special services: For children with disabilities or significant trauma histories, additional supports may be negotiated, including therapy, tutoring, or specialized medical equipment.

Adoption assistance is not means-tested against the adoptive family's income — it is based on the child's needs. Families should negotiate the assistance agreement carefully before signing the adoption petition, since it is much harder to add supports after finalization than before.

Adoptive families are also eligible for the federal Adoption Tax Credit, which can offset qualified adoption expenses. Consult a tax professional familiar with foster care adoption for the specific rules.

The Vermont Foster and Adoptive Family Association (VFAFA)

The Vermont Foster and Adoptive Family Association is a nonprofit, member-led organization that serves as the primary peer support network for foster and adoptive families across the state. If you are navigating the foster-to-adopt pathway, VFAFA is one of the most valuable resources available — and it is free for licensed families.

VFAFA provides:

• Peer support and mentorship: Experienced foster and adoptive parents who have been through the concurrent planning process and can share practical advice about managing the emotional uncertainty.
• Annual educational conference: A statewide event that is free for licensed families, covering topics like attachment, trauma-informed parenting, navigating the court process, and working with birth families.
• State House advocacy: VFAFA represents foster and adoptive families in legislative discussions about foster care rates, licensing standards, and child welfare policy.
• District representatives: VFAFA maintains local representatives in each of Vermont's 12 DCF districts, though some positions are currently vacant. Where representatives are active, they serve as an informal bridge between foster families and the district office.
• Children's Activity Fund: Up to $100 per year per child for extracurricular activities, helping children maintain normalcy during the transition from foster care to adoption.

VFAFA's website (vfafa.org) also maintains a resource directory and information about local support groups. For families in the foster-to-adopt pipeline, connecting with VFAFA early provides access to people who understand the specific dynamics of Vermont's system — the small-town relationships with Resource Coordinators, the rural logistics of court appearances across districts, and the emotional weight of concurrent planning.

Other Key Organizations

Beyond VFAFA, several organizations provide specialized support for families on the foster-to-adopt pathway:

• Lund Family Center (Burlington): Through "Project Family," a joint initiative with FSD, Lund focuses on recruitment, training, and placement of children in permanent adoptive homes. Lund is one of the primary adoption partners for DCF.
• Vermont Kinship Navigator Program / Vermont Kin As Parents (VKAP): Helps relatives — grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends — who are fostering with the goal of adoption understand their legal rights and access financial supports.
• Vermont Parent Child Center Network: A network of 15 centers statewide providing wrap-around services including parenting classes, playgroups, and emergency assistance.
• Vermont Family Network: Specialized support and training for families of children with special health and educational needs, which is relevant for many children adopted from foster care.

Preparing for the Journey

The foster-to-adopt pathway in Vermont rewards patience, emotional resilience, and organizational discipline. You will manage a relationship with the birth family while bonding with the child. You will attend court hearings where the outcome is uncertain. You will navigate two different court systems. And through all of it, you will be the person providing daily stability to a child who needs it.

Our Vermont Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the full licensing process that is the first step toward any foster-to-adopt placement — including the concurrent planning framework, what to expect during TPR proceedings, and how to prepare for adoption finalization. It also includes the document checklists and home safety requirements you need to get licensed and ready for placement.

If you are considering this path, start with the guide and begin the licensing process. The children who are eventually available for adoption are already in the system, and the sooner you are licensed, the sooner you can become the stable home they need.

See more United States guides →