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Home care staff requirements in Vermont
Vermont does not license non-medical private duty home care agencies under its home health rule; home health agencies must get a Certificate of Need, hold Medicare certification and be designated by the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL). Designated home health agencies must run background checks under DAIL's policy, which covers the child and adult abuse registries, state criminal and sex offender records, federal exclusion lists and driving records for drivers, and staff may not start until checks are cleared. The state rule leaves aide training details to agency policy and federal standards.
Licenses
- A new home health agency must first get a Certificate of Need from the Green Mountain Care Board, then federal Medicare certification, then designation from the Department before operating (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 4.1-4.3).
- The current home health agency designation rules took effect July 1, 2026 (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules, adopted filing).
- Private duty services are not subject to home health agency designation (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 1.4).
Background checks
- Designated home health agencies must run background checks under the Department's background check policy on all employees, contractors and volunteers who give direct care (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 7.5).
- Home health agencies may not employ or contract with anyone with a substantiated record of child abuse, neglect or exploitation, or of vulnerable adult abuse, neglect or exploitation (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 7.5).
- The DAIL background check includes the child abuse registry, the adult abuse registry, Vermont Crime Information Center criminal records including the sex offender registry, and federal exclusion databases such as the OIG exclusion list and SAM (DAIL Background Check Policy II.B).
- Workers who will transport clients as part of the job also need a motor vehicle driving record check (DAIL Background Check Policy II.B.5 and III.D).
- No worker may start until the employer confirms the background checks are complete and satisfactory, and variances to start early are not allowed (DAIL Background Check Policy IV.B and VI.A).
- State law lets employers ask the Department for adult abuse registry information on current staff and on applicants who have a conditional job offer (33 V.S.A. 6911(d)(1)(C)).
Training and competency
- Home health agencies must ensure the competency of the unlicensed caregivers they employ and train them to perform specific tasks for specific patients (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 25.2).
- Agencies must have personnel policies covering qualifications, credential verification, orientation, training and evaluation (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 7.7(e)).
Also in the personnel file
- Unlicensed caregivers must be supervised by a qualified supervisor as set in the agency's policies and job descriptions (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 25.2).
- Agencies must have policies on supervision of licensed and unlicensed staff (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 7.7(i)).
- Contracts for direct care must require that contracted staff meet licensing, training and experience rules and be supervised under the state rules (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 7.10(h)).
Common questions
What background checks do home care aides need in Vermont?
Designated home health agencies must run background checks under the Department's background check policy on all employees, contractors and volunteers who give direct care (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 7.5).
How much training do home care aides need in Vermont?
Home health agencies must ensure the competency of the unlicensed caregivers they employ and train them to perform specific tasks for specific patients (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 25.2).
Which license does a home care agency need in Vermont?
A new home health agency must first get a Certificate of Need from the Green Mountain Care Board, then federal Medicare certification, then designation from the Department before operating (Vt. Home Health Agency Rules 4.1-4.3).
Some rules for Vermont weren't confirmed from an official source. Check with the state before relying on this page.
Sources
- Vermont Rules for the Designation and Operation of Home Health Agencies (adopted filing, eff. July 1, 2026), Vermont DAIL
- DAIL Background Check Policy (updated Feb. 10, 2024; referenced in Home Health Agency Rule 7.5), Vermont DAIL
- 33 V.S.A. 6911 (records of abuse, neglect and exploitation; registry disclosure), Vermont General Assembly
This page summarizes state licensing rules in plain words, with links to the rules themselves. It is not legal advice, rules change, and your license type decides what applies: check the linked source and your licensing agency. Medicare-certified home health agencies also follow 42 CFR 484.80. Checked October 2026.
More for Vermont
Vermont background check laws · Vermont drug testing laws · Medicare home health aide rules · All states
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