Select Committee on Children
Human Services Committee
Judiciary Committee
Appropriations Committee
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
SUMMARY: This act implements a number of changes in statutes relating to the Department of Children and Families' (DCF) planning, programming, and reporting functions. It:
1. requires DCF to develop and regularly update a single comprehensive strategic plan, which replaces the biennially updated five-year master plan;
2. expands the authority and oversight of the State Advisory Council on Children and Families (SAC) with respect to DCF programs and services;
3. requires, rather than allows, DCF to establish advisory groups for each facility it operates (the Connecticut Children's Place, the Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS), High Meadows, Riverview Hospital, and the Wilderness School) and provide them administrative support;
4. requires state agencies cited in an Office of the Child Advocate report to respond to the governor and General Assembly in writing within 90 days; and
5. requires DCF to collect and analyze data about child abuse and neglect that involve a parent or guardian with a substance abuse problem.
The act also eliminates several reporting requirements and advisory groups and makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2009
§ 1 — STRATEGIC PLAN
The act eliminates a requirement that DCF submit to the legislature a five-year master plan every two years. Instead, with the assistance of SAC, it must develop and regularly update a single, comprehensive strategic plan for meeting the needs of the children and families it serves. In developing and updating the plan, DCF must consult with representatives of children and families it serves, service providers, advocates, and others interested in child and family well-being in the state. The plan must identify and define agency goals and indicators of progress in achieving them.
Table 1: Previous Master Plan vs. Current Strategic Plan
Previous Plan |
Current Plan |
1. the long-range goals and the current level of attainment of such goals of the department; 2. a detailed description of the types and amounts of services presently provided to the department's clients; 3. a detailed forecast of the service needs of current and projected target populations; 4. detailed cost projections for alternate means of meeting projected needs; 5. funding priorities for each of the five years included in the plan and specific plans indicating how the funds are to be used; 6. a written plan for the prevention of child abuse and neglect; 7. a comprehensive mental health plan for children and adolescents, including children with complicating or multiple disabilities; 8. a comprehensive plan for children and youths who are substance abusers, developed in conjunction with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; and 9. an overall assessment of the adequacy of children's services in Connecticut. |
1. a mission statement; 2. expected results for the department, each of its mandated areas of responsibility (child welfare, juvenile justice, children's mental health and substance abuse services, and child abuse and neglect prevention), and each of its programs and services; 3. a schedule and timeframe for achieving these results and fulfilling its mission that includes strategies for working with other state agencies to leverage resources and coordinate service delivery; 4. priorities for services and estimates of the funding and other resources needed to implement them; 5. program and service standards that are based on results-based best practices, when available; and 6. relevant progress measures. |
DCF must prepare the plan within existing funds.
The act requires DCF to begin the strategic planning process on July 1, 2009. DCF must hold regional meetings on the plan to ensure public input and must post the plan and the plan's updates and progress reports on the department's website. Before submitting the plan to the legislature and governor, which it must do by July 1, 2010, DCF must submit it to SAC for review and comment.
Progress Reports
The DCF commissioner must track progress in achieving the results and file quarterly reports with SAC beginning October 1, 2010. She also must submit annual progress reports to the legislature and governor beginning July 1, 2011.
§ 5 — STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
By law, SAC makes recommendations to DCF about programs, legislation, and other matters to improve services; annually advises the commissioner on her proposed budget; explains DCF's policies, duties, and programs to the public; and issues reports to the governor and commissioner on an as-needed basis. The act directs DCF to provide the council with funding for administrative support and to facilitate participation by council members representing families and youth (10 of its 17 members are parents or relatives of children receiving, or who have received, DCF services).
The act requires the council to hold its meetings at locations that facilitate public participation. DCF must post the council agenda and minutes on its website.
New Duties
The act assigns SAC the following new duties:
1. to assist in development of reviewing and commenting on DCF's strategic plan,
2. to receive quarterly reports from the commissioner concerning the department's progress in carrying out the strategic plan,
3. to independently monitor the department's progress in achieving the strategic plan's goals, and
4. to offer the department assistance and an outside perspective to help it achieve its goals.
Membership
The act does not change the number of members but changes the membership so that SAC must include:
1. two people aged 18 to 25 served by DCF and
2. one attorney with expertise in children and youth issues.
By law, the balance of the membership of the council includes young persons, parents, and others interested in the delivery of services to children and youths. The act specifies that this include child protection, behavioral health, juvenile justice, and prevention services.
§ 3 — FACILITY REPORTS TO ADVISORY GROUPS
The act requires each DCF-operated facility to submit an annual report to its advisory group and SAC that includes:
1. aggregate resident profiles;
2. descriptions of, and updates on, major initiatives;
3. key outcome indicators and results;
4. operating costs; and
5. descriptions of its (a) educational, vocational, and literacy programs; (b) behavioral, treatment, and other services for residents; and (c) their outcomes.
DCF must serve as administrative staff and post these reports on its website. The act directs the advisory groups to respond to their facilities' annual report and recommend improvements and enhancements that they deem necessary.
§ 4 — STATE AGENCY RESPONSES TO CHILD ADVOCATE REPORTS
The act requires any state agency cited in an official report issued by the child advocate to submit a written response to the governor and General Assembly no later than 90 days after the agency receives the report. The General Assembly must submit a copy of the response to the Office of the Child Advocate.
§ 10 — COLLECTION OF CHILD ABUSE DATA
The act requires DCF to collect and analyze data to determine the percentage of the department's cases of child abuse and neglect that involve a parent or guardian with a substance abuse problem and use the data to develop strategies to reduce the number of future cases.
§§ 6 – 9, & 12 — ELIMINATING REPORTS AND THE ADOPTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The act eliminates obsolete reporting statutes and the following mandated reports:
1. annual self-evaluations and review of discharge summaries by community collaboratives;
2. annual child care facility reports from DCF licensees;
3. annual performance reports on DCF's Unified School District #2;
4. a five-year evaluation of Connecticut KidCare, the state's child behavioral health program, by DCF and the Department of Social Services; and
5. DCF's monthly reports to the Public Health and Human Services committees concerning hospitalized children receiving subacute psychiatric care due to a lack of community-based services.
The act also eliminates (1) an advisory committee that studies and makes annual reports to DCF on programs to promote adoption of minority and hard-to-place foster children and (2) a committee that is required to make quarterly reviews of safety and security issues at CJTS that affect Middletown.
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