Vermont Guides
General Resources
These guides work no matter where you live:
Articles for Vermont
How to Become a Foster Parent in Vermont: Requirements, Training, and Regulations
Step-by-step guide to becoming a foster parent in Vermont — DCF requirements, Foundations training, background checks, home study, and licensing regul…
How to Pass the Vermont Foster Care Home Inspection
Room-by-room preparation guide for Vermont's DCF foster home inspection. Covers smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, water temp, firearms, wood stoves…
How to Navigate Vermont Adoption Without a Local Agency
Vermont has only four licensed adoption agencies. Here is how families pursuing infant adoption actually do it — using out-of-state agencies, ICPC, an…
Best Vermont Adoption Resource for LGBTQ+ Families Using the H.98 Confirmatory Pathway
Which adoption resource best serves LGBTQ+ Vermont families pursuing confirmatory adoption under the 2025 H.98 law? A direct comparison of your option…
Best Vermont Adoption Resource for First-Time Adoptive Parents With No Agency Connection
Which resource best serves first-time Vermont adoptive parents who haven't hired an agency yet? A direct comparison of starting points and what each d…
Vermont Adoption Guide vs. Attorney: Which Do You Need First?
Comparing a Vermont adoption process guide to an adoption attorney — what each delivers, what each costs, and the right order to use both.
Vermont Foster Care Licensing Guide vs. the DCF Website
Honest comparison of using a Vermont-specific foster care guide versus relying on dcf.vermont.gov alone. What the state site covers and what it leaves…
Alternatives to Lund for Vermont Adoption: Your Full Set of Options
Lund Family Center is Vermont's primary adoption agency, but it is not your only option. Here are the alternatives for every Vermont adoption pathway …
How to Prepare for Vermont Foundations Training
Vermont's mandatory Foundations training runs 3x/year and is the biggest bottleneck in foster care licensing. How to register, what to expect, and how…
Best Kinship Foster Care Guide for Vermont
If you just took in a grandchild or relative's child in Vermont, you need to understand Policy 221, the Suitability Assessment, and Reach Up grants fa…