Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee
Scope of Study
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) was created in 1969 to deal with certain child welfare issues and to administer two juvenile correctional facilities. Beginning in the early 1970's, DCF's mission was expanded by the statutory transfer from other state agencies of specific responsibilities pertaining to child welfare, mental health, health, and delinquency. As a result DCF now plays a comprehensive role in all areas of public policy dealing with children and families. It is DCF's stated mission to plan, provide, fund, and coordinate the development of a continuum of integrated services for children and their families.
Area of Focus
The study would focus on the mission of the Department of Children and Families to determine the appropriate roles, responsibilities, and structure for carrying out the state's policy direction on children and family issues. Models for delivering children's services and how the consent decree process would impact implementation of changes, if any, to DCF would also be examined.
Areas of Analysis
All relevant statutory mandates, powers, and duties of DCF
Relationship between mandates and DCF's actions
DCF's organization and the level and allocation of its resources
Prior studies of DCF including the 1994 consent decree and DCF's responses
Relationship between DCF and child advocacy groups and organizations, such as Child Advocate, Commission on Children, and Select Committee on Children
DCF's working relationship with other state agencies that have similar roles and provide comparable services
Role, responsibilities, and organization of child welfare agencies in other states compared to Connecticut
Effectiveness and efficiency of the single agency concept for providing child welfare services compared to a multi-agency approach
Areas not included in analysis
Evaluation of specific state policies on children and family issues
Individual client-based decisions
Location of Long Lane School