DCF Specific Steps are initially submitted to a Connecticut Juvenile Court when files Neglect Petitions or Orders for Temporary Custody.
If the child has been removed from a parent’s custody, the Steps set forth what is expected of the parents to regain custody. When I first started practicing, the Steps were actually called “Expectations.” That was a long time ago.
The Specific Steps are also ordered so that a parent is on notice about the requirements of retaining custody. At this stage, Steps are ordered after a finding of neglect as part of Protective Supervision. Non-compliance with the Steps may lead to a judge changing custody and removing a child.
I often explain the Steps this way – its a parent’s “road map” to either getting your child back or getting DCF the hell out of your life.
To that end, the Steps should be realistic. They as necessary. Parents must resist the temptation to overstate what they can accomplish because that’s what they think the judge (or DCF) wants to hear.
In short, the Steps should address the circumstances that led to the DCF involvement. They should not be a “laundry list” of services that don’t improve the quality of the family unit or are incapable of being achieved.
Important note – Specific Steps in Connecticut Juvenile Court cannot be ordered unless a judge has made a finding that the child needs immediate protection or has been neglected.
Specific Steps also mandate DCF to do things too. For example, provide services to parents and locate relatives for placement.
I represent clients in all DCF related matters though out Fairfield County including those who reside in Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Trumbull, Stratford, Bridgeport, Westport, Weston, New Canaan, Wilton, Norwalk, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich.
Contact me online or call me in my Fairfield office at (203) 259-5251 or in my Stamford office at (203) 356-1475 to discuss your DCF case or to find out more information about DCF matters.