Welcome back, Vermonters! We’re excited to share the second edition of the Vermont State Youth Council Newsletter! Since our inaugural edition, the council has continued its work advocating for children across the state, submitting recommendations to and engaging in important conversations with the Governor and his Cabinet and the Legislature, analyzing legislation, and ensuring young voices remain part of Vermont’s policymaking. With the 2026 legislative session concluded, this edition highlights key legislation and policy discussions that impacted youth during the past several months. We will also share updates on the council's work and opportunities for young people to stay involved. As we look ahead, we want to thank you for engaging with us.

Image of Vermont State House. Text: Legislation Impacting Youth

We are thrilled to announce that H.657 was signed into law at the end of the 2026 legislative session. This is a bill the Vermont State Youth Council endorsed and for which State Youth Council Member Rafaela Botti provided testimony. H.657, now known as Act 136, is a huge win for all Vermonters and is important for young Vermonters because it further extends the rights of youth, specifically unhoused youth, by formally recognizing unaccompanied youth, granting them the legal ability to meet their own basic needs, reducing their reliance on absent adults, and removing barriers to essential services.

Youth who are unaccompanied (absent parent or guardian) can now obtain Vermont’s first-ever Unaccompanied Youth Certificate (UYC), which expands access to essential services for unhoused youth, strengthens protections for foster youth, and modernizes several Department for Children and Families (DCF) programs, including Reach Up and the handling of Social Security benefits. The centerpiece of Act 136, the aforementioned certificate, is the most relevant to youth autonomy and safety, allowing unaccompanied unhoused youth to obtain a formal certificate that verifies their status. This certificate may be issued by a variety of professionals, including emergency shelter directors and school district homeless liaisons (e.g., Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence) so that youth can use the certificate in place of parental consent when accessing services such as health care, a learner’s permit, housing, insurance, and many more forms of critical support.

“As someone who is involved in supporting teens through my local teen center and uplifting youth voices and experiences, I view this as an enormous step toward recognizing the real experiences of youth who have long been navigating independence without stable, dependable adults in their lives and toward giving these youth the dignity, autonomy, and safety they deserve,” said Botti.

In addition to the certificate, Act 136 also eliminates the outdated cap of $9,000 on family assets in the Reach Up program, allowing low-income families to save money without losing benefits. In turn, this helps to stabilize Vermont families and reduce the conditions that contribute to a loss of housing for Vermont youth. Act 136 also contains critical updates to DCF’s rules including tightening reporting for restraints and secure transports, limiting solitary confinement, and requiring judicial review for certain aftercare placements to ensure federal funding and accountability. And beginning in July of 2027, DCF will be prohibited from using a foster youth’s Social Security benefits to pay for their basic needs, except for when it is necessary to maintain SSI eligibility.

Act 136 moved through the Statehouse with unusually strong consensus, reflecting a shared commitment to improving the outcomes for vulnerable youth. Legislators across committees continued to emphasize that the bill filled long-standing gaps within Vermont. The testimony from schools, shelters, youth service providers, legal advocates, and most importantly, the youth themselves underscored how the UYC would remove needless and dangerous barriers to basic needs like housing, health care, and identification. The final votes reflected that broad agreement, with lawmakers commending the collaborative work of youth advocates and service organizations who helped shape this bill.

The Council is sincerely grateful to all those who worked to pass this legislation, especially the lead sponsor, Representative Jubilee McGill; the many youth who made this possible through testimony and their experiences; and those who support unaccompanied youth within Vermont, including the representatives and senators who supported H.657.

If you are interested in learning more about H.657, visit the General Assembly website for a summary of the Act, read Botti’s written testimony, and watch the live testimony (which begins around the 51-minute mark).

Image of SYC youth in discussion. Text: Current Focus Areas

The second year of our new biennium strategy is coming to a close, which means that, in addition to testifying and advocating for bills that the Council supports, each of the committees plus the executive committee are beginning to work on new recommendations to present to the Governor and General Assembly in 2027.

We have been busy gathering input from youth across Vermont because we want to make sure our new recommendations are not only from us and our perspectives but are also based on an understanding of what changes young people from every corner of Vermont want to see for Vermont in the future.

We held our first public hearing in February and now have a new Survey for Youth available so we can accurately represent youth on the statewide level.

Please know that we represent you. If you have an idea for a new recommendation, feel free to reach out and connect with us! You can find out ways to contact us on our website.

Image of protest in Montpelier. Text: Upcoming Events

Looking to get involved as a youth in your community and around Vermont this year? Having trouble finding events that support your interests? Lucky for you, our state has a wide variety of different events, camps, and gatherings throughout the summer.

EDJ Camps

The Education Justice Coalition has multiple social justice camps hosted throughout Vermont this summer, that includes counties like Windham (July 15th), Caledonia (July 15th), and Addison (July 20th)! This camp gives youth the opportunity to learn skills like public speaking and community involvement, whilst also taught by other youth! If you’re interested and want to learn how to participate in some awesome events, go to the events page on The EDJ website.

Democracy Vermont Ongoing Events

Democracy Vermont has two ongoing rallies for those who want to become more active and stand with a cause. Promoting voices and opinions is an excellent way to create small or big change! Stand With Ukraine occurs on 87 State Street in Montpelier every Tuesday and Thursday from 12–1:00 PM!

Another ongoing event is Stand With Jewish Voice For Peace, which you can find every Tuesday on the corner of State Street and Main Street in Montpelier from 4:30–5:30 PM!

Other Events

For more events, visit Good Citizen Vermont, GIV Vermont and Outright Vermont!

Stay engaged and make this the best summer possible for you!