I recently wrote a blog about whether DCF is allowed to interview a child without a parent or guardian’s consent. This blog assumes grounds exist so that DCF is legally permitted to interview a child during an Investigation. How then should that interview with the child be conducted? C.G.S. 17a-101h states: DCF shall conduct…
DCF is allowed to interview a child during an Investigation with the parent or guardian’s consent. That’s easy. The real question is whether DCF is allowed to interview a child without the consent of the parent or guardian. The controlling statute is C.G.S. 17a-101h. It can be fairly summarized as follows: General rule: Consent of…
This blog is about Connecticut DCF appeals concerning a DCF Substantiation and/or a Central Registry decision. It does not pertain to appealing other orders, which were entered in the Juvenile Court. As mentioned in a previous blog, DCF has 45 days to complete their Investigation. At the conclusion of the Investigation, the parent or guardian…
A DCF Investigation is usually triggered by a call to their Hotline. A “Hotline Worker” will gather information on the telephone to determine whether the case is serious enough to warrant opening a case. If a case is opened, it will be referred to a local DCF office – the office closest to the town…
Have you denied teacher certification or has your educator’s license been put on hold because of DCF? Effective July 1, 2011, the Connecticut Board of Education requires each applicant for initial issuance or renewal of a professional certificate to sign an Authorization so that the licensing agency can determine whether the individual is on the…
A few Public Acts of interest in the DCF arena: HB-5217. Currently all adoptions must be heard in the Probate Court. This Act would allow DCF to file adoption petitions in the Juvenile Court if that was the court, which terminated parental rights. This Act is a long time coming and should make…