Advocates tell Vermont lawmakers to pause plans for larger locked juvenile facility, seek study and data

Advocates at a joint hearing of the Vermont House Judiciary Committee and House Human Services urged legislators on Friday to pause plans for a larger locked juvenile facility and instead require a study of the state's residential-care system and clearer data from the Department for Children and Families (DCF).

The discussion centered on Red Clover, a four‑bed locked facility that opened in October 2024. "We have right now Red Clover, which is our 4 bed locked" facility, said Matthew Bernstein, child, youth and family advocate for the state of Vermont, noting the new site provides an opportunity to gather evidence before committing to a larger, costlier build. Bernstein said federal reimbursement changes under the Families First Prevention and Services Act mean federal funds generally cannot be used to pay for secure, locked settings beyond a 14‑day window, and that Vermont needs a clearer accounting of how much the state is spending on residential care.

The advocates told the committees that Vermont lacks comprehensive, readily accessible regulatory and incident‑reporting data from DCF. "DCF cannot track the allegations at specific facilities given the inadequacies of their database system," said Lauren, a former worker in DCF's residential licensing special investigations unit, describing limits on the agency's ability to pull up a facility's investigative history from a central screen.

Why it matters: advocates…