July 21, 2025
CCA’s Legislative Accomplishments
During the 2025 legislative session, CCA advocated for several bills using the unique perspectives gained from the lived experience of the families, youth, and children we work with. This year we advocated for access to healthcare, child welfare, education, youth experiencing homelessness, and protecting the most vulnerable in our communities.
Access to Healthcare
CCA collaborated with the Connecticut Association of School Based Health Centers, Planned Parenthood, and other healthcare partners to successfully advocate for passage of a law, Public Act No. 25-28, that strengthens and protects the right to confidential reproductive healthcare. CCA helped draft and testified in support of the legislation, which affirms the right of adolescents to confidential access to contraception, prenatal care and labor pain management. The law passed with bipartisan support and represents a critical step forward in ensuring access to necessary healthcare for youth.
Disability Rights
CCA had a leadership role along with the Office of the Child Advocate and Disability Rights CT in advocating for stronger oversight of publicly funded private special education schools– programs that contract with school districts to serve certain children with more significant disabilities. CCA provided testimony and content for provisions within a new law, Public Act 25-67, that requires the State Department of Education to regularly inspect and audit these programs, including conducting announced site visits, reviewing restraint and seclusion of children, and compelling corrective action in response to identified concerns. The new law requires that the state publish the inspection reports and corresponding corrective action so parents can make informed decisions about programs for their children.
Addressing Abuse and Neglect of People with Intellectual Disabilities
CCA played a critical role in strengthening reporting, oversight, and corrective action requirements to address abuse and neglect of individuals, including adolescents, with intellectual and developmental disabilities in state-licensed programs. The new law, Public Act, 25-89, requires annual reporting regarding incidents of abuse and neglect of disabled individuals and how the state addressed these concerns. The state’s report must be publicly disseminated, and the new law creates a process for regular legislative oversight of state agency efforts to ensure the safety and quality of care for persons with disabilities receiving state and federally funded care.
CCA Systemic Advocacy
CCA has been meeting with state education officials about the unmet needs of children with disabilities in certain school districts as well as concerns about the state’s lack of compliance with requirements for timely resolution of disability-related complaints. State officials have committed to improving the complaint resolution process and ensuring all concerns are timely addressed. The state also recently announced it has commissioned a third-party review of its special education monitoring and enforcement activities. CCA will be closely involved in the third-party review. CCA has also filed a systemic complaint against Bridgeport Public Schools alleging widespread violations of the rights of children with disabilities. The State has begun further investigation of this complaint.
CCA Youth Spotlight
Nazir “Naz” King
After providing moving personal testimony at CCA’s Black History Month event, “Naz” was invited by state juvenile justice officials to be a keynote speaker at a training for Juvenile Probation officers and speak to the needs of youth and how probation officers and service providers can help support youth to be safe and successful in their communities. Nazir also graduated from high school this year and completed his Capstone presentation on Juvenile Justice Reform and his work with CCA’s Speak Up Project!
CCA Child Welfare: One Youth’s Story
Many CCA clients face complex combinations of trauma, mental health diagnoses, and material needs. One young person whom we represent had been languishing in juvenile detention for months without access to therapy when CCA was appointed to represent him. A judge appointed CCA because she felt that this child needed a supportive foster home, not punishment through the juvenile justice system. Through a combination of negotiation and litigation, CCA was able to identify an available Spanish-speaking therapist and pressure DCF, Juvenile Probation, and the court to cut through red tape and secure funding for this treatment. Our pressure helped the youth’s public defender to get him released. While the outcome is still very uncertain and this young person has a lot of needs to be met, CCA played an important role in getting a kid moving toward stability.
CCA Event
Spring for Kids 2025: Champion of Children Awards
CCA’s flagship fundraising event, Spring for Kids 2025, held on June 3rd, was our biggest event yet! CCA welcomed over 230 distinguished guests and supporters, including our 2025 Champions of Children: Barbara Dalio and Dalio Education; Krystal Rich, Erin Williamson and Yvette Young: all of whom are Members of the state’s Human Anti-trafficking Response Team (HART); and the CCA Sustainability Award honoree, the Herbert and Nell Singer Foundation; CCA’s Board Directors, current and former staff members, our event and journal sponsors and community partners, and the many children, youth, families, and members of CCA’s own Speak Up! youth group.
Spring for Kids 2025 is a testament to CCA’s leadership role as New England’s largest children’s legal rights organization. With the support of our partners throughout the community, we strengthened and welcomed new alliances, amplified youth voices, and secured much-needed resources to continue our life-changing work. Thank YOU!
CCA in the Community
Community Agency of the Year Award
At their 5th anniversary celebration, Sun Scholars Inc. honored CCA with the Community Agency of the Year award. Sun Scholars Inc. is dedicated to improving college and career outcomes for foster and adopted youth. CCA extends its gratitude to the Sun Scholars Inc. team for this recognition.
Restorative Justice Trainings
Dr. John Ducksworth, Director of CCA’s Restorative Justice Project, conducted in-depth Restorative Justice training at the Hartford Juvenile Residential Center. CCA’s Restorative Justice Project provides extensive restorative justice training for administrators and custodial, direct care, counseling and programming staff and restorative practices training for resident youth in detention centers.
“Across many levels of management in the facility, we see the difference, and continue to keep on this trajectory, as I am sure it will only mean more positive outcomes for our youth.” – Attendee at Hartford Juvenile Residential Center RJ Training
Housing Resource Fair with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
On June 27th, CCA Attorney Bonnie Roswig and Senior Paralegal Tiffany Minakhom attended the Wellness Begins at Home Community event at the Hartford Public Library. They provided information and resources for attendees’ utility bills and CCA’s July 9th Utility Clinic in New Britain.
Utility Clinic
On July 9th, CCA held a Utility Clinic in New Britain to help clients enroll in affordable utility payment plans and avoid utility termination. CCA regularly holds these utility clinics around the state, coordinating with pro bono volunteers to help clients understand their utility bills and develop payment strategies.
CCA’s Summer Intern Voices
CCA’s summer interns are hard at work supporting our LGBTQ+ Youth Advocacy Project, School Justice Project, and our Immigrant Children’s Justice Project. We asked a few of them to share why they chose CCA for their internship and what they hope to gain from this experience.
Fresia Fernandez, Rising 2nd Year Law Student at Western New England University School of Law
“I chose to intern with CCA because I wanted to take on meaningful work and have a truly rewarding experience this summer. It’s truly inspiring to see just how deeply involved and knowledgeable the organization is when it comes to advocating for children’s rights. I’m hoping to continue expanding my knowledge of the various aspects of child welfare and child advocacy throughout this internship.”
Elena Salm, Rising 2nd Year Law Student at UConn Law
“I would say I chose CCA because I wanted to do work that I felt good about while still learning and growing as a law student. I am able to expand my skills from law school and help people every day. This opportunity has allowed me to work to improve the lives of children and advocate for families in the community.”
CCA’s Upcoming Events
Willimantic Utility Clinic
In Willimantic on Thursday, July 24th, CCA is holding another Utility Clinic. These clinics are a great way for clients to meet with attorneys and volunteers who help them understand their utility bills and access affordable payment programs for which they are eligible. For more information, contact CCA attorney, Bonnie Roswig.
Name and ID Clinic
In partnership with the New Haven Pride Center and Anchor Health, CCA attorney Mallory Sanchez with our LGBTQ+ Youth Advocacy Project is holding at Name and ID Clinic to help trans and gender-diverse folks with changes to identifying documents. The clinic will be held at the New Haven Pride Center on Wednesday July 30th from 6pm – 8pm. Register Here: bit.ly/idc0725
Family Day with the Epilepsy Foundation
CCA is pleased to co-sponsor a Family Day event with the Epilepsy Foundation for its members on Saturday, September 20th, to be held at Wesleyan University. The event will include both medical training and legal sessions for parents, activities for children, and a community-building event for families. For more information, contact CCA attorney Ilana Ofgang.
CCA Welcomes
CCA is happy to welcome attorney Barbara Hennessy back to its Board of Directors. Barbara, a Vice President and Associate General Counsel, has been an attorney at Aetna/CVS for 25 years. During that time, she has leveraged her regulatory and government expertise for various business lines. Barbara previously served on the CCA board from November 2016 to November 2022 during which time she chaired the governance committee. Barbara has served on other local boards including the Capitol Child Development Center, the Hartford Stage, the Renbrook School, and the Pro Bono Partnership advisory board. Barbara lives in Hartford with her husband, two children, and an optimistic rescue dog named Happy.
CCA: Help Give More Children A Voice
You can help ensure CCA has an even stronger voice to raise on behalf of CT’s most at-risk kids by making a gift today:
