There are thirteen Juvenile Courts throughout Connecticut. There is also a Child Protection Session located in Middletown which hears cases which the local courts cannot accommodate. Juvenile Court cases are confidential and the proceedings are closed to the public. Recently, however, there has been a movement to allow the public access under certain conditions. The…
One would think that a DCF Investigation would reduce the future risk of abuse or neglect to those children whose parents were investigated. Not so according to a recent study. The study examined the records of 595 similiarily situated children from ages 4 – 8. Of those children, 164 were part of a family…
Iowa is considering changes to their state’s child abuse registry in response to complaints that individuals are placed on the list prior to having an opportunity to contest the allegations. This in turn causes damage to one’s reputation without any finding of wrongdoing by an impartial hearing officer or judge. In Connecticut, alleged perpetrators may…
Pursuant to the Juan F consent decree, DCF has been subject to federal supervision for over 20 years. Katz seeks to end this oversight in perhaps as little as a year. Overly optimistic? Maybe – or maybe not. Her stellar reputation, experience and intelligence seem unmatched by her predecessors. Read the article from the Hartford…
A child is removed from his or her biological parents due to an allegation of abuse or neglect. The child is placed in foster care by DCF. The foster parents have been licensed by DCF. DCF has performed their “due diligence.” The child will now be safe. After all, the child was removed for…
Former Connecticut Supreme Court Justice Joette Katz has been nominated by Gov. Dannel Malloy as the Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Since her nomination, Katz has spent considerable time meeting with DCF employees in an effort to gain additional insight into the agency. Although her nomination has not yet been officially…