Kitchel was then appointed Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Human Services, Vermont's largest state agency, in 1992, where she served until her retirement in 2002. Throughout her work in Social Welfare/Human Services, she played an instrumental role in enacting Vermont's 2-1-1 information and referral service and the Ready Up cash assistance program. Governor Howard Dean praised her as "the driving force" behind his administration's welfare reforms and described her as "the architect of our universal healthcare program," referring to Dr. Dynasaur, Vermont's publicly funded health insurance program for children that was established in 1989. Kitchel later proposed expanding Dr. Dynasaur coverage to children in families making up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line, which was achieved in October 1998.