Update: On May 22, Governor Phil Scott signed into law a comprehensive Parentage Act that ensures access to the courts and greater legal security for myriad families. Vermont thus becomes the second state in the country to pass a version of the 2017 Uniform Parentage Act. The state’s take on the 2017 Uniform Parentage Act, a recently-updated model law designed to provide security and equality for all children, recognizes that contemporary families are formed in many ways.

Read more about what this means for LGBTQ families across Vermont.

Background

GLAD has been working in Vermont to protect kids’ relationships with their families, no matter how those families are formed.

We have been engaged in legislative efforts to respond to repeated calls by the judiciary to modernize the parentage statutes to protect all children, including children born to nonmarital couples.

Most recently, we have been involved in advocacy efforts surrounding H 562, the Vermont Parentage Act, which would bring greater clarity and security to Vermont children and families.

Through GLAD’s strategic advocacy, we are encouraging other states across New England to update their parentage laws and ensure that all children and parents have equal access to the legal security and protection they deserve.