Committee refines House Bill 219 language to set up Kids Apart visitation and reentry supports

Lawmakers and program staff revised language for House Bill 219 on Thursday as they work to establish a Kids Apart program to support children of incarcerated parents, focusing on individualized services, child-friendly visitation and reentry coordination.

The discussion centered on what the program would actually provide and how those services would be delivered and funded. Committee members and program staff agreed to draft new bill language reflecting a phased rollout and clarified that the Department of Corrections (DOC) will supply physical visitation space while Kids Apart would help create a child-friendly atmosphere within that space.

The bill text under review lists six program elements: individualized services and programming; resources to help incarcerated parents plan and communicate with their children and caregivers; child-friendly visitation spaces; outreach and coordination with community services; reentry support and preparation; and cross-system coordination. Committee members suggested inserting the words "individualized" and "intended to provide" to make clear supports are tailored and optional, not mandatory, for every participant.

Jess Tello, coordinator of the Kids Apart program, described how supports are tailored to parents’ needs. "We provide materials based on the individual needs of the parents," Tello said, adding that staff give written information and one-on-one guidance where appropriate. Program staff and committee members used the example of autism to show how individualized planning can change recommended visitation formats — for instance, recommending one-on-one visits instead of group Saturday visits when a child’s needs make group settings unsuitable.

A DOC representative clarified agency responsibilities: "DOC certainly provides the space," the staff member said, while Kids Apart would collaborate with DOC on the room’s layout and atmosphere.

Committee members debated wording such as "enhanced capacity," with some saying it is redundant and others arguing it captures the program’s aim to strengthen parents’ ability to support their children. Members also discussed whether to say the department would "provide" visitation spaces or work "in consultation with DOC," and ultimately favored phrasing that recognizes DOC supplies the physical space and Kids Apart outfits or adapts it.

Funding and procurement were also discussed. Committee members cited two budget figures mentioned during the meeting: $11,515,000 and $268,000 for a "new place," and agreed on a phased approach to implementation. The bill language would authorize the department to support operations "through grants, financial assistance, or contracts for services with nonprofit entities," though staff flagged procurement questions such as whether sole-source contracting or a competitive RFP process would be required.

Participants said annual reporting and coordination with Joint Justice would guide rollout across facilities. Staff described differences among facilities: Chittenden, for example, has a reentry team and multiple service providers on site, while another facility (referred to in the discussion as the mill facility) lacks a similar reentry structure; committee members said reentry supports may therefore need to be available on a case-by-case basis.

The meeting closed with a drafting next step rather than a formal vote: a committee member asked to meet with drafting staff to produce revised bill language. "So the next step, Troy, you and I should sit down with Ben and work through drafting a new bill, new new language," one committee member said, and participants agreed to follow up.

What remains unresolved in the draft are precise appropriation details and procurement approach; staff said they would meet with the bill drafter to clarify intent and clean up appropriation language. The meeting record includes the decision to phase in the program and several suggested text edits; no formal legislative vote was taken on Thursday.

For readers tracking the bill: House Bill 219 is under active revision; committee members and Kids Apart staff focused this session on clarifying program scope, ensuring individualized services are explicit in the bill, and aligning responsibilities among Kids Apart, DOC and community providers.