Got questions about your legal rights? The Vermont Commission on Women's handbook, The Legal Rights of Women in Vermont might provide answers. Chapters include: Adoption, Guardianship & Emancipated Minors ; Consumer Protection and Fair Credit; Domestic Relations; Education; Employment Rights; Housing and Property Rights; Immigration; Insurance; Name & Gender Marker Changes; Public Accommodations; Public Assistance and Government Benefits; Reproductive Rights; Violence Against Women and Children; Wills, Probate Court, & Advanced Directives.
ADOPTION
Adoption Advocates Inc.
521 Webster Road
Shelburne, VT 05482
(802) 985-8289
Bethany Christian Services
PO Box 233
Barre Vermont 05641-0233
802-877-5600
www.bethany.org/vermont
Bethany Christian Services serves families through birthparent counseling, domestic and international adoption, infant adoption, and foster care.
Easter Seals Vermont
641 Comstock Road, Suite 1
Berlin, VT 05602
(802) 223-4744
vt.easterseals.com
Easter Seals Vermont provides respite and advocacy services for adoptive families when school issues arise, along with resources and programs for children with physical/mental disabilities. As the lead organization in the Vermont Adoption Consortium, Easter Seals provides permanency services for families with VT Medicaid Insurance.
Family Services Division of the Vermont Department for Children and Families
280 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671-1030
(802) 241-2131
dcf.vermont.gov/fsd/
Services include child abuse and neglect intake, child abuse and neglect investigation and assessment, ongoing services to families at risk, care and treatment of children in state custody, permanency planning for children in state custody, probation and other restorative justice services for delinquent youth, post-adoption supports and subsidy for children adopted through foster care, transition services for youth, and the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center.
Friends in Adoption
212 Main Street
P.O. Box 238
Poultney, VT 05764
(800) 982-3678
friendsinadoption.org
Friends in Adoption is a non-profit, non-traditional, licensed agency whose goal is to help people make informed decisions concerning adoption. FIA works with both those interested in adopting and with pregnant women/couples considering placing their children with adoptive families.
The Lund Family Center
50 Joy Drive
South Burlington, VT
P.O. Box 4009
Burlington, VT 05406-4009
(802) 864-7467 / 800-639-1741 / (800) 746-7000
(800) 253-0191 (TDD/TTY)
info@lundvt.org
lundvt.org
The Lund Family Center is Vermont’s oldest and largest private non-profit adoption agency. It offers Vermont’s only residential treatment program for pregnant and parenting young women and their children.
Vermont Adoption Consortium
DCF/Family Services Division
280 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671-2401
(802) 241-0901
info@vtadoption.org
vtadoption.org
Comprised of agencies and organizations around the state, the Vermont Adoption Consortium meets regularly to share information about and improve Vermont's adoption processes, and offer resources for prospective and adoptive families.
Vermont Adoption Registry
280 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671-1030
(802) 241-0906
dcf.vermont.gov/vt-adoption-registry
The Vermont Adoption Registry is an informative record that offers information about past adoptions, created to allow all parties involved in the adoption process—adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth families—to see public records of adoptions that have taken place within the state of Vermont. The site also shows the user what is and is not readily accessible to the public in regards to adoption records.
Vermont Kin as Parents
Vermont Kin As Parents
33 Blair Park Rd 100B
Williston, Vermont 05495
(802) 871-5104
vermontkinasparents.org
Vermont Kin as Parents is committed to support relatives who are raising children and to educate the public and community partners about the joys and difficulties these families experience.
Vermont Foster and Adoptive Family Association
The Vermont Foster and Adoptive Family Association’s (VFAFA) mission is to empower, support, and unify foster and adoptive families by strengthening the systems that care for Vermont's children. The VFAFA provides a community of like-minded individuals who come together with the sole purpose of offering resources and services to adoptive/foster families and their children, such as scholarships, youth programs, and guides to help parents/guardians understand the legal aspects of adoption/foster care.
Wide Horizons for Children
230 College Street
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 453-2581
(781) 894-5330
whfc.org
Wide Horizons for Children (WHFC) facilitates both international and domestic adoptions for families in the United States, working in several countries in Africa, Latin America, and South/East Asia with children in need of homes. Along with providing the means to adopt children domestically and internationally, WHFC provides a wide array of resources for prospective parents, such as a step-by-step adoption guide, financial aid, detailed information regarding all the different facets of the adoption process, and post-adoption support.
VERMONT PROBATE COURTS
The Probate Division has jurisdiction over administration and settlement of estates, trust estate administration and settlement, adoptions and emancipation of minors, guardianship of persons unable to manage their own affairs, custody of minors to someone other than either parent, and vital record corrections and establishments, including change of name. Litigants in cases heard in the Probate Division may hire attorneys to act on their behalf during court proceedings or may choose to represent themselves. There are no jury trials. All VT courts are listed on the Vermont Judiciary website:
vermontjudiciary.org/GTC/probate/default.aspx
Addison Probate Division
7 Mahady Court
Middlebury, VT 05753
(802) 388-7741
Bennington Probate Division
P.O. Box 65
207 South St.
Bennington, VT 05201-0065
(802) 447-2705
Caledonia Probate Division
1126 Main St, Suite 1
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819-0406
(802) 748-6600
Chittenden Probate Division
P.O. Box 511
175 Main St
Burlington, VT 05402-0511
(802) 651-1518
Essex Probate Division
P.O. Box 75
Guildhall, VT 05905
(802)-676-3910
Franklin Probate Division
17 Church St
St. Albans, VT 05478
(802)-524-7948
Grand Isle Probate Division
P.O. Box 7
No. Hero, VT 05474-0007
(802) 372-8350
Lamoille Probate Division
PO Box 570
Hyde Park, VT 05655
(802) 888-3887
Orange Probate Division
5 Court Street
Chelsea, VT 05038-9746
(802) 685-4610
Orleans Probate Division
247 Main St.
Newport, VT 05855
(802) 334-3305
Rutland Probate Division
83 Center St.
Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 775-0114
Washington Probate Division
65 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 828-2091
Windham Probate Division
30 Putney Rd (2nd floor)
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802)-257-2800
Windsor Probate Division
12 The Green
Woodstock, VT 05091
(802)-457-1503