Vermont Senate Appropriations Committee urged to fully fund health and child services

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee convened on April 11, 2025, to discuss critical funding requests and budget allocations for health and welfare services in Vermont. The meeting focused on several key areas, including supervised visitation services, long-term care funding, early childhood services, and the Reach Up program.

The session began with a request for $1.2 million in base funds to support core services, alongside a plea for $123,000 in one-time funds to the Department for Children and Families. This funding aims to prevent cuts to supervised visitation services, which are essential for ensuring safe parental contact in sensitive situations. The Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services recently announced it could not provide expected funding for FY26, prompting this urgent request.

Helen Maiden, executive director of the Revant Healthcare Association, expressed support for the House's budget recommendations, particularly regarding nursing home payments and funding for home and community-based services. She emphasized the importance of maintaining access to long-term care facilities, which serve as homes for many residents, and highlighted the demographic trends indicating a growing need for such services.

Matt Levitt, representing the Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance, addressed the need for increased funding for children's integrated services. He noted a significant gap between the current reimbursement rate and the actual cost of care, advocating for an increase to ensure compliance with federally required services.

Amy Rose, policy director with Voices for Vermont's Children, presented several budget requests related to the Reach Up program, which aims to alleviate child poverty. She urged the committee to eliminate the ratable reduction and make the Reach Ahead pilot program permanent, emphasizing the necessity of meeting basic needs for program participants.

Beverly Bogat spoke on behalf of Elizabeth Gelman from the United Way of Vermont, highlighting the importance of the Vermont 2-1-1 system. She thanked the committee for additional funding that supports 24/7 operations, crucial for connecting Vermonters to health and human services, especially during emergencies.

The meeting concluded with a consensus on the importance of these funding requests to maintain essential services across Vermont. The committee will continue to review these proposals as they finalize the budget, ensuring that the needs of vulnerable populations are met effectively.