VT H0657

Unaccompanied homeless youth age 16 or older who are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian can obtain certification from the Department for Children and Families' Division of Family Services to access services without parental consent.

Certified youth may obtain free nondriver ID cards, learner's permits, and operator's licenses; free vital event certificates (birth certificates); and may consent to their own medical, dental, mental health, and substance use treatment.

Certified youth may also enter housing agreements, obtain employment, purchase automobiles with liability insurance, obtain student loans, enroll in high school or college, open bank accounts, and receive domestic/sexual violence victim services.

Certification requires determination by a school district homeless liaison, emergency shelter director, runaway/homeless youth program director, or continuum of care lead agency that the youth qualifies under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

The Division of Family Services will stand in loco parentis to provide necessary consent for services, and entities contracting with certified youth receive liability immunity absent gross negligence; effective date is July 1, 2026.