Commissioner: DCF workforce improving; telework suspended for many Economic Services jobs to reduce backlogs

Chris Winters, Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families, told the Human Services Committee the department has focused the past two years on workforce stability, safety and recruitment across divisions, and described both programmatic fixes for family services and a controversial removal of telework for many Economic Services Division positions.

Winters said DCF has been working to lower vacancies, increase retention and improve psychological safety, and he described several concrete changes in family services and in the high‑end system of care intended to reduce staff strain. "The DCF workforce carries out some of the most important and most difficult work in all of the state government," he told the committee.

Why this matters: Workforce policies directly affect service delivery to Vermonters and the safety and retention of staff who work with complex and sometimes dangerous client situations. Committee members asked whether short notice on telework changes, and inconsistent communication about expectations, harmed morale or violated labor agreements.

Family services: staffing, caseloads and system changes

Officials described multiple family services initiatives and outcomes:

- Vacancy and turnover: DCF reported about 17 current vacancies in Family Services (roughly a 10% in‑time vacancy rate) and said its goal is an 8% annual vacancy rate. Annual turnover was reported near 16% with a departmental goal of 13%; DCF said…