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Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 4-180a requires that, if any
agency wishes to rely on final administrative decisions as precedent,
the decisions must be indexed and available for public inspection
and copying to the extent required by FOIA. The following is a link
to indexed
and summarized substantiation decisions. If you wish to obtain
a full copy of these decisions please make that request in writing
to the Administrative Hearings Unit. Thanks
DCF
Policy Manual Overview/Table of Contents
DCF
Policy Bulletins and Updates
Index
of DCF Regulations
DCF-DMHAS Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU)
DCF-DMR
Interagency Agreement
DCF-SDE Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Legal
Rights Question & Answer Book for Children in Foster Care
Legal
Rights Question & Answer Book for Youth in Shelters, Group Homes,
STAR Homes, or Residential Treatment Facilities
Connecticut
Commission on Child Protection
GOA Report
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The General Accounting
Office recently published a report regarding deaths and abuses
at residential programs for troubled teens. The report indicates
that vulnerable children with disabilities have been subject
to unnecessary restraints which resulted in several deaths over
the past two decades. Examples of these cases include a 7 year
old purportedly dying after being held face down for hours by
school staff, 5 year olds allegedly being tied to chairs with
bungee cords and duct tape by their teacher and suffering broken
arms and bloody noses, and a 13 year old reportedly hanging
himself in a seclusion room after prolonged confinement.
The report may be accessed at http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-719T
An important recent study conducted by researchers
at the University of Minnesota, and published in the journal Development
and Psychopathology, demonstrates the harmful impact of foster-care
placement on child development. The researchers compared three groups
of children: maltreated children placed in foster care; children
apparently suffering similar maltreatment who were left at home
with little or no help; and a control group of "at risk" children
who had not been maltreated. The study found that:
The maltreated children left at home fared
better than those placed in foster care.
Of the maltreated children placed in foster
care, those placed with relatives fared better than those placed
with strangers, although not as well as those left at home.
Not surprisingly, the control group -- "at
risk" children who had not been maltreated -- fared the best.
The study provides useful ammunition for
advocates seeking to contest temporary custody or a commitment
to DCF, or to press for a relative placement. Click
here to download study in PDF format.
The Children's Bureau has launched a website
with new features, including a Child and Family Services Reviews
page with key findings, state assessments and Program Improvement
Plans.
Under
"Child Welfare Monitoring/Reports and Results" is a Promising Approaches
page which offers brief descriptive information on 40 projects in
23 states. The website has been revamped with new sections (Training
and Technical Assistance, Statistics and Research, Frequently Requested
Information, and Federal and State Reporting Systems) as well as
improved ability to search by topic.
Youth Who "Age Out"
Child Witness : Fragile voices in the American
Legal System,
McGough, Lucy S, Yale University Press (KF 9672 .M37 1994)
The Child Witness,
Perry, Nancy W., Sage Publications (KF 9672 .P465 1991)
Children, Social Science and the Law,
Bottoms, B.; Kotera, M. and McAuliff B., eds, 2002 (KF 3735.C48)
Expert Witnesses in Child Abuse Cases,
Ceci, S. and Hembrooke, H, editors, 1998 (KF 9323.E 96 )
If DCF is Your Legal Guardian -
Topics: Rights of children involved with DCF - Pages: 6 - Source:
Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut (12/93); Free -
phone (english) 800-453-3320 or (spanish) 800-453-3374
Improving Outcomes Together: Court and Child
Welfare Collaboration -
Author: Cecilia Fiermonte, J.D. and the Honorable Nancy Sidote Salyers
- Topics: family and juvenile court, child- Source: National Child
Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues, June 2005,
available at: www.fosteringresults.org/results/reports/pewreports_06-22-05_improvingoutcomes.pdf
* Juvenile Law: Child Protection in Connecticut
Courts -
Author: Assistant Attorney General Arthur Webster - Topics: Abuse,
Neglect and Uncared For Proceedings; Extensions & Revocations of
Commitment; Termination of Parental Rights - Pages: 225 (1998)
The Law of Child Abuse and Neglect in Connecticut
-
Author: Paul Chill, Topics: Abuse and Neglect, Termination of Parental
Rights (2d ed. 1999-DRAFT) *KFC 3694.5 C53 1997
Legal Issues in Child Abuse and Neglect
Practice -
Author: John E. B. Myers, Topics: Prevalence and effects of child
maltreatment -- The child protection system -- Child abuse reporting
laws -- Investigative interviewing regarding child maltreatment
-- Investigating suspected child abuse -- Balancing the need for
confidentiality and the requirements of disclosure -- Expert testimony
-- Cross-examination and impeachment : special accommdations when
children testify --Liability of professionals, Pages: 411 (1998)
* Making Sense of ASFA Regulations: A Roadmap
for Effective Implementation,
Debra Ratterman Baker et al., American Bar Association, 2001.
Memory and Testimony in the Child Witness,
Sage Publications, (K 2271.5 .Z9 M46 1995)
* Navigating the Pathways: lessons and Promising
Practices in Linking Alcohol and Drug Services with Child Welfare,
Young NK, Gardner, SL, SAMHSA Publication No.
SMA-02-36639. Rockville MD: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment,
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, April
2002.
Psychological Evaluations for the Courts
-
Author: Gary B. Melton, John Petrila, Noman G. Poythress, Christopher
Slobogin. Topics: The Techniques of Abuse/Neglect Evaluations. Pages:
794 (1997) Call # KF8922 .P77 1997
Representing Parties in Child Abuse Proceedings;
self study package includes materials plus audio tapes - Connecticut
Bar Association Publications. (KFC4167.C5 R47)
New: Representing Parents in Child Welfare
Cases: A Basic Introduction for Attorneys,
National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues
2005
Sharing Information: A Study Guide to Federal
Laws on Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information for Child
Welfare Agencies - Authors: Alice Bussiere,
Abigail English, Catherine Teare, National Center for Youth Law,
San Francisco, CA, with the ABA Center on Children and the Law,
Washington, D.C.
* - Refer to either Call Numbers at the University
of Connecticut School of Law Library or available at the Center
for Children's Advocacy Legal Resource Center. For more information,
contact the Center for Children's Advocacy.
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