2021 Legislative Review
When it comes to supporting the lives of children and youth in Vermont, there are real reasons to celebrate the 2021 session. The legislation that passed did so under extraordinary pressures and often reflected genuine effort to bring in impacted people, address systemic issues and acknowledge and repair harm. The progress toward bringing Reach Up base grants in line with the standard of need for families was some of the most impactful we’ve seen in years. And there were meaningful steps taken to increase equity in education and childcare, and lift up the voices and lived experiences of impacted communities in the legislative process. For the sake of Vermont’s children and youth, we hope that this year’s progress can be sustained and expanded on all levels – individual, institutional, systemic – even when things once again begin to appear more 'normal.’
Although the session has come to an end, the opening to build on this progress and commit to making transformative decisions for equity in Vermont still exists. As a state, we can lean in to the opportunity to listen and to learn- to truly center impacted communities in our process and in our policy, and to orient ourselves, our resources, and our systems toward a future in which every child has what they need to thrive. We can dedicate ourselves to elevating transparency and accountability, and commit as fully to the implementation of new laws as we do to their creation. We can approach our work through a relational lens and shun transactional ways of doing.
What follows is a rundown of policy priorities and emergent issues for Voices advocacy that either passed or made some amount of meaningful progress during the 2021 legislative session. However, it is not a complete accounting of all of the meaningful legislation that took place on behalf of children and youth in Vermont. In addition, along with our legislative advocacy, coalition support, and community organizing, Voices has embarked upon a process of deep internal engagement in order to better reconcile our efforts with our commitment to racial justice and equity. In the off-session, we’ll spend some time sharing some of the issues that we’ve been grappling with learning from, and look forward to more opportunities to continue to learn from and with our members as well.
Legislative Updates
Office of Child, Youth, and Family Advocate: Passed the House
We were incredibly excited that H.265 passed the House this session. Unfortunately, the bill did not have time to progress through the necessary Senate Committees this year. While we are deeply disappointed that this means that the OCYFA does not have the opportunity to be established on its original timetable, we see this as an opportunity to further work through the nuances of the legislation. Voices plans to continue our work outside of the session and will advocate for this bill to be prioritized in January. If this bill is taken up quickly, we are hopeful that the Office will experience only a short delay in implementation.
In the meantime, we will continue to advocate for transparency, accountability, and support for our child protection system. We are happy to see that the Child Protection Oversight Committee will meet this summer and plan to continue our work with impacted people and the Senate to keep the momentum strong throughout the summer months. We see this Office as one step towards a more just family support system.
Voices will also continue to advocate for the state to prioritize a new data system for DCF. We are leaning into our national partners and our other states to prioritize advocacy that will have the biggest impact on our systems going forward.
Statute of Limitations for Civil Actions Based on Childhood Physical Abuse (Act 26): Signed by the Governor
S.99 was signed into law by the Governor on May 12th. Voices would like to commend the legislature for listening to impacted people and creating space for justice and healing. Read our testimony here.
The bill adds an important piece to the conversations about accountability and justice. Moving forward, it will be essential for the legislature and the state to continue conversations with impacted people, the service sector, and the broader community to learn from and expand opportunities for healing and reform. Read more about the legislation and issues surrounding it here.
Community Schools: Passed the House and Senate
H.106, An act relating to equitable access to high-quality education through community schools was one of Voices’ top education policy priorities this session. H.106 creates a community school framework that centers student success, well-being, and equity.
Across time and place, community schools in the U.S. have emerged as a strategy to tackle inequities that disadvantage children inside and outside of school and build on the unique assets of their students, families, and communities. Because there is no one definition of community schools, a set of principles or pillars guide the design and implementation of a community school that centers equity and supports flexibility.
According to the Coalition for Community Schools, “a community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities.”
H.106 reflects this approach to community schools by specifying five community school pillars(1), requiring site-based school and community leadership teams and community and school needs and assets assessments; and incorporating a focus on educational equity.
Voices strongly supports H.106 and appreciates the hard work the House and Senate Education committees did on this important legislation and their responsiveness to input on the bill. We consider this a strong first step in the necessary work of moving toward more equitable schools and communities. The bill was delivered to the Governor on June 2nd and we urge him to sign it.
(1) The five pillars that define community schools in H.106 are: integrated student supports; expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities; active family and community engagement; collaborative leadership and practices; and safe, inclusive and equitable learning environments (school climate).
S.16 Task Force on Equitable and Inclusive School Environments (Act 35): Signed by the Governor
S.16 bans most suspensions and expulsions of students under age eight and creates the Task Force on Equitable and Inclusive School Environments. The Task Force membership includes designees of Vermont education associations such as the NEA and School Boards, two high school students, a teacher and a school counselor, and representatives from a cross section of restorative practice programs and advocacy organizations (see pages 4-5 of the bill for a full accounting of the represented groups).
The work of the Task Force will include:
making recommendations to end most suspensions and expulsions;
defining “the most serious behaviors that, after considering all other alternatives and supports, should remain eligible for suspension or expulsion”;
compiling school discipline data;
reviewing school professional development programs and making recommendations on how educator practices, such as positive behavioral interventions and support, trauma informed practices, and restorative practices, and related training for these practices can increase educators’ awareness of students’ needs in a manner to reduce behaviors that lead to possible out-of-school disciplinary measures”;
reviewing statewide and local school discipline policies and practices and identifying best practices.
The first meeting of the task force will be on or before August 1, 2021.
Reach Up: Passed the House and Senate
Voices was pleased that the final legislative budget (H.439) included an agreement to eliminate the $77/month deduction that was charged against Reach Up grants when an adult in the home receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The budget also includes a critically-needed increase to the Reach Up base grant, bringing grants to families to at least the 2019/2021 standard of need (from 2008), before the 49.6% “ratable reduction” multiplier is applied. Voices has advocated to eliminate the SSI penalty since it was instated and we are pleased with this resolution.
According to the budget highlight document prepared by the Legislative Joint Fiscal Office, the $2.77 million increase in base grants roughly translates to an increase of $111 in the average basic needs grant Vermont’s most economically disadvantaged families and children. A family of three outside of Chittenden County will see their maximum grant increase from $700 to $811. Notably, for the first time the budget instructs DCF to retain any unspent funds from the Reach Up budget at FY22 year end and distribute in a one-time benefit to program participants. Voices and our partners have long advocated that until the ratable reduction is eliminated and family supports meet the full standard of need, any remaining funds in the program should be kept in the budget base calculation and distributed to participants.
In addition, we have learned that the emergency rental housing assistance program the DCF/Economic Services Division (ESD) designed to connect RU participants with housing assistance has already served more than 1000 families and is far more effective than the program established for the general population. ESD’s work to remove barriers to housing for the most disadvantaged families seems to be working! The goal for this fall and winter will be to assess the impact of housing security on RU families and advocate for a permanent rental subsidy for this population.
Voices also recently received confirmation that the Strengthening Families and Child Poverty Council will be assigned for the summer. In the meantime, we have been connecting with impacted people to broaden our knowledge of barriers to economic justice/security in the coming months.