Veteran Directed Care Program Newsletter

February 13, 2026

Reminder: Veteran Directed Care (VDC) Monthly Reporting Tool Submissions Due!

If you have not yet submitted your most recent Monthly Report, please do so as soon as possible to help us 
accurately capture the VDC Program’s reach. If you do not see your VDC Provider or VA Medical Center ﴾VAMC﴿ listed on the Tool, or if you encounter issues with submitting data, please email VeteranDirected@acl.hhs.gov. Thank you to those who continue to report their Veteran census using the Administration for Community Living’s ﴾ACL﴿ VDC Monthly Reporting Tool. The Tool is a portal for VDC providers to enter their Veteran census data, ensuring an 
opportunity to accurately account for availability and growth of the program.

Save the Date for the March VDC Educational Webinar

Please join ACL and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for our upcoming March VDC Educational Webinar scheduled for March 17th from 3-4pm EST. The session will include updates from ACL and VHA on VDC policy and reminders. Register for the webinar here. 

Celebrating Veteran Success Stories

Thank you to our VDC providers for your continued support of our Veterans and the VDC program. Below are success stories from the Center for People With Disabilities (CPWD)'s Veterans Independence Program (VIP) and the Delta Center for Independent Living. Thank you to CPWD and the Delta Center for your great work to support Veterans!

CPWD

Through CPWD's Veterans Independence Program (VIP), Army Veteran Mark Fode was able to hire his wife as his full-time caregiver - with full support and compensation provided by VIP. After her passing from breast cancer in 2024, their daughter stepped in to continue his care. Today, Mark's story serves as a powerful testament to how VIP empowers Veterans to live independently while strengthening families and communities through financial assistance, training, and connection to essential resources. You can watch Mark’s story to learn how VIP has transformed his life - offering independence, healing, and renewed purpose for both him and his family.

Delta Center for Independent Living

A Veteran who participated in the VDC program for over four years passed away in November 2025. He was approved for daytime and overnight care and was assisted by seven workers. Without the VDC program, he wouldn't have been able to stay at home, which was his wish. The VDC program allowed him to be independent in many ways, including helping to plan his own meals, celebrating the holidays at his house, and forming meaningful relationships with his caregivers. The night he passed, a text went out to all his caregivers. They chose to show up at his home to support each other and say their goodbyes. The Veteran's sister-in-law stated: "With the help of Delta Center, St. Louis VA, the VDC program, and the Veteran's caregivers, he was able to fulfill his wish to remain at home. His smile and laugh will always be remembered."

Please submit your own success stories with the VDC program using the dedicated VDC Success Stories form.

Reminders

ACL's No Wrong Door (NWD) Website VDC Page: Visit the VDC page on the NWD website for helpful resources. If you do not find a resource, please email veterandirected@acl.hhs.gov.

VDC Monthly Reporting Tool: Please continue submitting your program's data at the end of each month. This helps track the program's impact accurately. If your VDC provider or VAMC is missing from the tool, email veterandirected@acl.hhs.gov with the correct details.

Veteran Success Stories: Please use the Veteran Success Story form to share inspiring VDC success stories, including positive Veteran stories from their VDC enrollment experience, promising practices as a VDC provider, or stories of success that you've heard from the Veterans you serve. We'd love to feature them in future newsletters!

VDC Technical Assistance (TA) Community: VDC providers can share peer-created resources, join in on discussions, and get information on events related to VDC on the VDC TA Community! Create an account at www.ta-community.com or reach out to veterandirected@acl.hhs.gov for assistance with getting access to the Community.

Technical Assistance: Have a question? Need guidance? Want to share good news about your VDC program? Reach out to the VDC Federal Technical Assistance Team at veterandirected@acl.hhs.gov. We look forward to hearing from you!

VDC Email Distribution List: Ensure you and your team receive important updates. If you are not yet subscribed, add your information here: VDC Email Distribution List form. We value your partnership supporting Veterans through the Veteran Directed Care program.