Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 33, § 5116 (2026)

§ 5116. Costs and expenses for care of child

(a) The Commissioner may incur such expenses for the proper care, maintenance, and education of a child, including the expenses of medical, surgical, or psychiatric examination or treatment, as the Commissioner considers necessary in connection with proceedings under the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters.

(b) The costs of any proceeding under the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters incurred under the provisions of this title shall be borne by the court.

(c) The court may, in any order of disposition under the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters, make and enforce by levy and execution an order of child support to be paid by the parent of the child.

(d) The court may delegate to the office of magistrate its authority to make and enforce an order of child support to be paid by the parent of a child.

(e) A child support order shall only remain in effect as long as the child who is the subject of the support order is in the legal custody of the Commissioner and placed with someone other than the parent or parents responsible for support.

(f) Except as otherwise provided in section 5119 of this title, orders issued pursuant to this section shall not be confidential.

(g) Notwithstanding subsection 5103(b) of this title, an order terminating a parent’s residual parental rights ends that parent’s obligation to pay child support. However, in no event shall an order terminating residual parental rights terminate an obligation for child support arrearages accrued by the parent prior to the date of the termination of parental rights order. (Added 2007, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.)