by Renee McGuinness
Lawmakers, blind to their ideologies and policies that abuse both children and the sacred family institution, adopted a child advocacy resolution on Thursday. There was a ceremonial reading (@10:03) of House Concurrent Resolution 95 (HCR 95) on the House floor on Thursday, April 24. HCR 95 designates April 24, 2025, as Vermont Children’s Alliance Day (VCA). The resolution was automatically adopted in both chambers without a request for consideration on the floor by any representative or senator.
HCR 95 states that there are thirteen Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) in Vermont that provide “critical support and representational services to children whose needs can be acute and who rely on the centers to assist in transforming their lives from ones that may be harsh to a potentially more promising future.”
The resolution was offered by Representative Daniel Noyes of Wolcott, who serves as Clerk for the House Committee on Human Services. Among other roles, Noyes is Chair of the Vermont Commission on Children, Youth, and Families. Senator Virginia Lyons also serves on this Commission.
Wolcott stated on the Floor, “This month, the month of April, is nationally recognized as child abuse prevention month. It’s a time when we are reminded of the importance of protecting all children, supporting families, ensuring that prevention efforts reach every corner of our state.”
Directors of Child Advocacy Centers from across the state were present for the adoption of this resolution.
The Vermont Children’s Alliance is, according to its website, “a non-profit network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, all of which are committed to working together to improve the way Vermont supports and responds to victims of child abuse and child sexual abuse.”
No one can disagree with the intent of a Vermont General Assembly concurrent resolution that brings awareness, resources, and support to child victims of abuse. The irony is that the Vermont state government is now the greatest abuser of children and families and often creates the problems it intends to solve.
Merriam-Webster’sfirst definition of “abuse,” noun, is, “a corrupt practice or custom,” upon which I present an incomplete list of government abuses against children and families:
- Family and child abuse through corrupt practices: Neglecting to take up School Choice House Bill H.89 in the House Committee on Education and focusing school reform on the reduction of school districts and schools, thus restricting choice and disenfranchising children, parents, and communities of local control and access to schools that best serve their children’s needs.
- Psychological abuse: Reading books to kindergarteners that encourage them to choose their gender and pronouns, for which participation is required at Mary Hogan Elementary school.
- Passive psychological abuse: Rejection of Child Internet Protections Act (CIPA) filters in public libraries.
- Aggressive abuse against Christian families and schools: Instigate and fuel a culture war against Christian schools with a willingness to end Town Tuitioning for independent secular schools to prevent public funds from being distributed to Christian schools.
- Abuse of the sanctity of the family institution: Keeping two separate files on students in public schools: one for parents, one for the school, for the purposes of socially transitioning children at schools without parental knowledge or consent. (See page 4, “Privacy”)
- Psychological abuse: indoctrinating children, adolescents, and teens with LGBTQ+ ideology that has negative effects on mental health, then soliciting federal tax grant dollars to “solve” the mental health crisis.
- Mental and physical abuse: Shielding “gender-affirming care” practitioners from legal recourse while leaving patients at risk of harm.
- Mental and physical abuse: failure to reflect upon Covid policies that resulted in increased mental health issues: National Institute of Health (NIH) sources one, two, three and four; and contributed to a generation of preschoolers unable to properly enunciate words and read social cues upon entrance into kindergarten, NIH source 5, resulting in the need to hire more speech-language pathologists and mental health counselors for public schools, at taxpayer expense.
During the Parent’s Rights in Education event hosted by Gregory Thayer, Founder of Vermonters for Vermont Initiative, Marie Tiemann, President of SPEAK VT, succinctly stated (@30:45), “some parents have unwittingly delegated their responsibilities to the school system. The Essex-Westford school superintendent stated that schools, rather than primarily focusing on academics, should be a one-stop shop for children, which includes medical, dental, and psychological care. We want to ensure that parents always have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children.”
See my three-part series exposing some of our legislators for imposing communist policies upon our state: Who has custody of our children: parents or the state?
As several individuals and organizations across Vermont continue to shed light on these issues, and parents are continually ignored, shut down, and bullied for speaking out, it should be clear that it is no longer effective for Vermonters to petition their legislators. The only way to end this long train of abuses and usurpations is for more voters to become aware of the fact that their state legislators’ policies harm, not help them; and to recruit and elect new leadership that respects the sacred family institution and supports legislation that fortifies parental rights.
The author, an Addison County resident, is Policy Analyst for the Vermont Family Alliance (not to be confused with Vermont Children’s Alliance).