Trine Bech: Making the child protection system work
Published in Vermont Digger. Editor’s note: This commentary is by Trine Bech, who is executive director of the Vermont Parent Representation Center Inc.
Vermont Parent Representation Center (VPRC) is a parent advocacy and support organization for families at risk of losing their children to state custody. For over five years we have been hearing the voices of parents and families and bringing these voices to the decision-making tables.
Most often at these tables are DCF Family Services, in charge of our child protection system; DCF Economic Services, in charge of ...
WCAX: Will a new law aimed at protecting Vermont’s vulnerable kids work?
WCAX Posted: Jun 15, 2015 12:34 PM EDT
MONTPELIER, Vt. - Gov. Peter Shumlin, D-Vermont, signed a new state law designed to improve Vermont's child protection system Monday.
Shumlin called the child protection bill the result of a lot of collective thinking.
"We put more resource into social workers, and training of the other people who are doing the work, second, we have said let's break down the silos that sometimes precluded the people who knew about the tragedies from communicating with each other about whats going on," said Shumlin.
Countless community ...
Minor Guardianship Information
Minor Guardianship in Vermont Slideshow Created - What Every Family Should Know About the Probate Court Process
Vermont Parent Representation Center, Inc. and KIN-KAN Vermont have created a Minor Guardianship informational slideshow to educate Vermont families about the minor guardianship process.
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. - Mahatma Gandhi
WCAX, Kristen Kelly: Honoring Vermont Families That Reunite
Honoring Vt. families that reunite
Posted: Aug 16, 2013 6:08 PM EDT Updated: Aug 19, 2013 5:00 PM EDT
By Kristin Kelly
http://www.wcax.com/story/23159642/honoring-vt-families-that-reunite
BURLINGTON, Vt. - "Families work really hard to gain their children back," Sarah Lowell said.
Lowell knows about that hard work. She is a proud mom. But for a while, she couldn't care for her son and he was put in state custody. They've been happily back together for almost four years.
"It takes a lot, it takes a lot to be able to get your kids back and ...
American Bar Association: VPRC’s Executive Director, Trine Bech, honored in conjunction with June’s National Reunification Month
In conjunction with June’s National Reunification Month, the American Bar Association identified several individuals as heroes "for demonstrating the compassion and perseverance, despite the challenges, to keep families together.” VPRC’s Executive Director, Trine Bech, is among those honored.
Trine Bech, Esq.
Trine Bech has touched countless lives through the work she has done for families for over 40 years. Over that time she has served as a front line social worker, an attorney for children and parents, with the Vermont Supreme Court, as the Deputy Director ...
Hon. George K. Belcher: Custodial Kinship Guardianships for Minors: A Response to Julia Zalenski
In the Spring 2012 issue of the Vermont Bar Journal, Hon. George K. Belcher, a recently retired Probate Judge for the City of Montpelier in Washington County, responded to Julia Zalenski’s December 2011 article (below).
"Although I welcome discussion of probate issues in the bar journal, I fear that some of the article's errant themes require a response."
To read Judge Belcher’s response, click here.
Julia Zalenski: Minor Guardianships Created by the Probate Court When the Department for Children and Families is Involved: Problems with Possible Solutions
VPRC was fortunate to have a legal intern last summer to help identify the difficulties our families were having with minor guardianships in the Probate Court. Julia Zalenski, a second year law student at the University of Iowa Law School, authored a position paper which was published by the Vermont Bar Journal in December 2011.
New policy and practice must work within the framework of the constitutional right of parents and children to maintain their family life free of government interference.
The challenging issue of minor guardianships when families are involved ...
Common Good Vermont: Trine Bech on Results Based Accountability
Today, on Channel 17/Town Meeting Television (on Comcast Cable and Burlington Telecom), VPRC’s Trine Bech talked about Results Based Accountability.