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Town officials and residents strongly opposed the proposed facility, and the project was caught in a lengthy legal battle. DCF Commissioner Chris Winters said that the department is pursuing other options for where to build a secure facility to house justice-involved youth.

The shelters would only be open for a matter of days to allow people staying in motels to apply for a new waiver to remain in the program.

The Department for Children and Families, citing staffing shortages and a lack of facilities, wants lawmakers to delay implementation of a law that would bring 19-year-olds into the juvenile justice system. But recently published research found the system wasn’t overwhelmed when Vermont brought 18-year-olds into family court.

In addition to standing up a congregate shelter in Waterbury, the Department for Children and Families is moving forward with plans for a family shelter at the former Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro and three “emergency shelter apartments� in central Vermont.

After originally opting out of the program due to administrative costs, the Department for Children and Families is now trying to secure a waiver from USDA that would allow the state to draw down benefits without labor-intensive data collection.

The town of Newbury and a group of citizens have asked the state’s highest court to reconsider a recent ruling that paved the way for the state to build a locked juvenile facility in Newbury.

The state’s highest court ruled on Dec. 21 that a proposed facility for youth involved in the criminal justice system could move forward. Town officials and residents in Newbury have opposed the plan.

Host Mikaela Lefrak talks with a foster parent about her experiences, plus the foster kin manager and guardian ad litem program manager on caring for kids in Vermont.

The Vermont Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that will decide the fate of a facility in Newport intended to house youth involved in the criminal justice system.

Since the 2020 closure of Woodside � the only juvenile detention center in Vermont � the fight over where to build a new facility to house youth in the criminal justice system has gotten heated. One possible location � Newbury. Local residents there got a chance to weigh in on that proposal during this year’s town meeting.