Human Services Vermont Agency Of

Human Services Vermont Agency Of, a state government entity headquartered in Waterbury, Vermont, acts as the prime recipient for a massive federal grant portfolio spanning health, human services, nutrition, workforce development, and child welfare programs. The agency operates across 80 distinct federal customer agencies, holding 2,237 prime grants and contracts with a combined obligated value of $61.85 billion, making it Vermont's primary federal entitlements administrator rather than a traditional federal contractor competing for work.

The agency's portfolio is dominated by mandatory formula grants distributed by statute to state governments. The top customer concentrations reflect this entitlements-based model: the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Medicaid and CHIP block grants), the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (SNAP, WIC, Summer EBT, commodity food programs), and HHS Administration for Children and Families (foster care, child welfare, adoption assistance, TANF). Recent awards include a $3.27 billion FY 2026 Medicaid entitlement block grant (CFDA 93.778), a $70.8 million Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant (CFDA 93.558), a $437.7 million FY 2025 Medicaid entitlement (CFDA 93.778), a $25.41 million Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five system-building grant (CFDA 93.434, awarded December 2025), and a $975.3 million rural health transformation cooperative agreement with CMS (awarded December 2025, running through October 2030). Nutrition programs anchor the award count: $4.632 million Summer EBT (CFDA 10.646), $7.347 million WIC food expenses (CFDA 10.557), $42.8 million Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (CFDA 93.568), and $4.5 million Community Services Block Grant (CFDA 93.569).

The agency's grant administration spans workforce and disability services, early childhood development, aging services, substance abuse prevention and treatment, mental health services, homelessness prevention, and public health emergency response. Representative recent work includes a $4.39 million Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting grant (CFDA 93.870, awarded September 2025) delivering nurse home visiting across Vermont's six regions; a $6 million SAMHSA substance abuse prevention partnership grant (CFDA 93.243, awarded September 2025) targeting youth substance misuse in underserved rural areas; a $12.3 million state vocational rehabilitation formula grant (CFDA 84.126) serving individuals with disabilities; and a $899,404 colorectal cancer screening cooperative agreement with the CDC (CFDA 93.800, awarded August 2025) implementing evidence-based interventions across Federally Qualified Health Centers. Federal contract exposure is minimal: a single $88,398 blanket purchase agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for detention center services (awarded September 2025, running through July 2030) represents the only significant contract vehicle, reflecting the agency's role as a state government service provider rather than federal contractor.

The agency distributes sub-awards to community action agencies, nonprofit service providers, Area Agencies on Aging, and regional healthcare organizations across all 14 Vermont counties. Recent sub-awardees include community action organizations delivering energy assistance, child care providers receiving special accommodation grants, regional nursing associations providing home visiting services, and substance use treatment centers. Award activity runs at 110 awards per year on average (2024 baseline), with 168 awards facing recompete within the next twenty-four months. The agency's vast portfolio reflects Vermont's reliance on federal formula entitlements to fund health insurance (Medicaid, CHIP), cash assistance (TANF), nutrition programs (SNAP, WIC), and social services, making it a pass-through entity for nearly $62 billion in cumulative obligated federal funding rather than a competitive federal contractor seeking work through procurement vehicles.