Vermont Announces Third Phase of FMLI Program

June 17, 2025

On May 1, 2025, Gov. Scott announced the third phase of the Vermont Family and Medical Leave Insurance (Vermont FMLI) program, making it available to self-employed workers and individuals who do not have access to coverage through their employer. Enrollment began May 1 and ran through May 31, with benefits beginning January 1, 2026. The Vermont FMLI Individual Purchasing Program provides six weeks of paid leave coverage, protecting 60% of an individual’s income (up to $2,031.92 per week) when a family or medical leave is needed for:

• The birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth.
• An employee’s adoption of a child or foster care placement and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement.
• Caring for the employee’s spouse, child, stepchild, foster child, ward who lives with the employee, parent, or parent of the employee’s spouse who has a serious health condition.
• A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job.
• Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, child, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty” or to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (i.e., “military caregiver leave”).

The Vermont FMLI Individual Purchasing Program is phase three of the Vermont FMLI rollout. Phase One enrolled all Vermont state employees with benefits beginning on July 1, 2023. Phase Two went into effect July 1, 2024, and offered benefits to private and non-state public employers with two or more employees.

VT FMLI: Individual Purchasing