Vermont’s Department for Children and Families is facing criticism for its inability to accurately track critical violations at child care facilities, a situation exacerbated by persistent problems with its computer systems, as detailed in a recent state auditor’s report. The findings indicate significant concerns regarding child safety, particularly as the agency has documented 131 serious violations within child care programs from 2022 to 2025, of which 14 were confirmed instances of child abuse.

The State Auditor’s Office estimates that nearly 28% of child care centers do not classify violations as serious, suggesting that the actual figures may be underreported due to ongoing technical issues. The auditor has emphasized the need for the Child Development Division to establish a uniform method for recording and reporting violations, as the current approach appears flawed.

The issues with DCF’s outdated technology have previously resulted in severe errors, including an incident in 2017 where a child was mistakenly removed from her mother. Furthermore, a malfunction earlier this year left DCF unable to monitor children in its custody, highlighting the ongoing nature of these problems. An investigation into the Bright Futures information system revealed additional failures related to missing or inaccurately categorized serious violation reports.

Deputy State Auditor Tim Ashe pointed out that child care facilities risk allowing new employees to begin work before their background checks are finalized. In August, when 83 background check requests were submitted to Vermont’s Crime Information Center, over half remained unresolved by October, raising alarms about potential risks to child safety.

The failure to conduct timely background checks not only jeopardizes the well-being of children but also poses a financial threat to the state’s funding. A warning from a U.S. Treasury Department division indicates that Vermont could risk forfeiting half a million dollars annually in federal funds due to non-compliance with regulations. The report highlighted that out of 40 regulations reviewed, the Child Development Division was found potentially non-compliant with 10.

In response to these findings, the auditor’s office has called for immediate actions, urging the Crime Information Center to enhance its efficiency in processing background checks and recommending a standardized protocol for evaluating and documenting violations. The need for DCF to modernize its computer systems was also underscored.

While DCF is currently searching for a vendor to address these technological issues, they acknowledge that complete remediation may take several years. Ashe expressed a commitment from DCF to implement the auditor’s recommendations to improve child safety and ensure proper funding is maintained.