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House panel reviews DCF budget adjustments as shelters, transport and crisis-care costs rise
Summary
Department for Children and Families officials told the appropriations committee they face rising transportation and subsidized-adoption costs, requested $2 million for shelter operations and sought funds to sustain crisis-stabilization and secure youth-treatment capacity.
Department for Children and Families officials told the House Appropriations Committee on Dec. 17 that caseload shifts and contract pressures require targeted budget adjustments for FY26.
DCF interim commissioner Sandy Hopplin and staff outlined requests that include a roughly $2 million investment to maintain and expand shelter capacity, a $127,000 reallocation to support permanent supportive housing transition services, funding to sustain a crisis-stabilization program, and a transportation-cost increase driven by contracted secure and nonsecure transports.
Why it matters: DCF said it serves about 200,000 Vermonters annually and must balance caseload trends, federal funding opportunities and rising contract costs. Members probed cost drivers and asked for breakouts to understand how increases will be allocated across family services, secure transport and school-of-origin obligations.
Details: DCF staff said some federal systems (an…
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