After the debacle of two toddlers in DCF care dying after being reunited with abusive parents, the Vermont legislature is poised to enact legislation mandating that a child's best interests will always govern decision making by state agencies dealing with the well-being of minors. The state will also likely adopt a version of the Massachusetts system which allows for placement with relatives, friends and teachers if a responsible parent is not available to assume custody of the child. Privacy rules for Vermont agencies like DCF and the police will also likely be relaxed to allow agencies to share information about children to insure there are no problems being hidden by one agency from another. Kudos to State Senator Dick Sears, D-Bennington, for spearheading the legislative changes.
And a big, wet raspberry to DCF Commissioner Ken Schatz for failing to grasp the priority of the BIC standard and make it the cultural norm at DCF.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/25/lawmakers-prepare-child-protection-ideas/70099034/
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