Vermont Day Services, Residential Options, and Respite Care for Disabilities

The Adult Services Landscape After School

When a Vermont student with developmental disabilities exits the school system — whether at graduation or when FAPE ends at the 22nd birthday, subject to the limited extension under 16 V.S.A. § 2942 if the student turns 22 within three months of their scheduled graduation — the question isn't just about employment. Families need to understand the full range of adult services available through DAIL's Developmental Disabilities Services Division: where their child will spend their days, where they might live, and how to access temporary relief when caregiving demands exceed what a family can sustain.

Vermont funds these services through the Global Commitment to Health 1115 waiver administered by DAIL. Clinical eligibility does not automatically guarantee a funded service allocation: waiver resources are prioritized for people who meet current funding priorities, such as health and safety crises, homelessness, or maintaining paid employment. The intake process through the Public Consulting Group, needs assessment through a Case Management Organization, and service provider selection through a Designated Agency or Specialized Service Agency all take time. Planning during the final years of school is how families avoid a gap between school exit and adult services activation.

Community Day Supports

Community day supports — sometimes called community supports or day programs — provide structured activities during daytime hours for adults with developmental disabilities. In Vermont, these services have moved away from the old facility-based day-program model (where groups of people with disabilities spent the day together in a segregated setting) toward individualized, community-integrated approaches.

What this looks like in practice:

• Community integration activities — supported participation in local recreation, education, volunteer work, and social groups
• Skill development — cooking, money management, communication, and social skills taught in community settings rather than classrooms
• Health and wellness programming — physical activity, nutrition education, and health self-management

The shift toward community integration means that services are increasingly delivered one-on-one or in small groups, in real community settings. A person might spend Tuesday mornings volunteering at a food shelf, Tuesday afternoons in a supported cooking group at a community kitchen, and Wednesday in an art class at a local studio — all with staff support funded through their DAIL budget.

The level of support — how many hours of staffing per week, whether the individual needs one-on-one or small-group ratios — is determined by the SIS-A (Supports Intensity Scale-Adult) assessment conducted by the CMO and reflected in the Individualized Service Agreement.

Residential Options

Vermont offers a spectrum of residential settings for adults with developmental disabilities, with a strong preference for the least restrictive option that meets the individual's needs:

Independent living with supports. The individual lives in their own apartment or home with periodic check-ins from staff. Support might include help with budgeting, meal planning, medication management, or handling maintenance issues. This works for individuals who can manage most daily tasks independently but need a safety net.

Shared living. Vermont's shared living model matches an individual with a paid home provider — a person or family who shares their home. The home provider receives payment and provides daily support: meals, transportation, companionship, and help with personal care as needed. Shared living is one residential option within the individual's service plan.

Staffed group living. Small group homes (typically 3-6 residents) with 24-hour staffing. These settings serve individuals who need constant supervision or intensive support that a shared living provider cannot safely deliver. Group homes are operated by Designated Agencies and funded through higher-tier DAIL budgets.

Family home. Many adults with disabilities continue living with their parents or family members. DAIL can fund home supports, respite care, and community day services for individuals living with family. Under the Legally Responsible Individual (LRI) caregiver policy implemented in State Fiscal Year 2025, parents and guardians of adults may be eligible to receive payment for providing direct care services through the HCBS waiver.

Respite Care

Respite care gives primary caregivers a temporary break — whether that's a few hours a week, an overnight stay, or a longer period during a family emergency or vacation. For families caring for a child or adult with significant support needs, respite is often the difference between sustainable caregiving and burnout.

Vermont funds respite through several pathways:

Family Managed Respite (FMR) is available to families of children under 22 with developmental or mental health challenges who are enrolled in Medicaid. Families receive a budget to hire their own respite providers, giving them flexibility to choose who provides care and when.

Flexible Family Funding (FFF) provides income-eligible families with funds that can cover respite, assistive technology, and other disability-related expenses. Eligibility is based on the family's income and the child's disability.

HCBS waiver-funded respite is available for adults receiving services through DAIL's developmental services system. Respite hours are included in the individual's service budget and can be provided by the Designated Agency, a Specialized Service Agency, or an approved independent provider.

For transition-age families, respite is important to secure early. If your teenager is approaching 22 and the adult services intake isn't complete, respite through FMR or FFF can bridge the gap between school exit and full DAIL service activation.

Planning During Transition

The residential and day service decisions that will define your child's adult life should be part of the IEP transition conversation, not a last-minute scramble. During the final years of school:

• Discuss residential preferences at IEP meetings — does the student want to live independently, with a shared living provider, or continue living at home?
• Visit potential residential settings and day programs with your student
• Ensure the PCG intake application includes the student's residential and day support needs, not just employment goals
• Ask the CMO about shared living recruitment in your region — matching a student with the right home provider takes time

Understanding the full menu of adult services helps families make transition decisions that align with their child's goals and support needs. The Vermont IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide maps these services alongside the transition timeline, connecting IEP planning milestones to the adult services intake process so nothing falls through the cracks.

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