Officials: New child welfare plan expands support for state families
Connecticut is re-imagining its child welfare system.
In a plan recently approved by the federal government, Connecticut’s child welfare system would provide greater access to mental health services, substance use treatment, parent support and other services to families to help avoid the state Department of Children and Families from getting involved, officials said.
The Family First Prevention Plan will “not only serve those families who come to our attention, but have also taken a bold approach to develop supports for families upstream and within local communities resulting in them actually being diverted from involvement with the child welfare agency," according to state Department of Children and Families Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes.
“We need to continue to lift the negative stigma of seeking help and this plan sets the framework for early intervention right in your own community,” she added.
Gov. Ned Lamont said the plan is designed to “enhance the well-being of all of Connecticut’s children, youth and families.”
“This is Connecticut’s plan and one that will lead to our children having a brighter future,” Lamont said in a statement.
The plan was developed in response to the Family First Prevention Services Act, which was signed into federal law in February 2018. The law expanded funding for foster care and adoption assistance to also include prevention services. This could include evidence-based mental health treatment programs, substance abuse prevention and treatment programs and in-home parenting skill-based programs, Lamont’s office said.
As this plan is implemented, DCF can claim federal reimbursement for evidencebased programs.
This is one of the first major pieces of child welfare financial reform the federal government has established in decades, according to Dorantes.
“It is truly revolutionary,” Dorantes said. The state said it is using the Family First Prevention Plan as a tool to build upon existing infrastructure “with the goal to prevent maltreatment and children entering foster care.”
The program will go beyond families that have previously worked with DCF. Families with circumstances placing them at “increased risk for maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system” will also be eligible, the state said. This could be families who have accepted voluntary care management, families that are experiencing interpersonal violence, youth who have been arrested and other factors.
The state submitted its plan in July 2021 and has since been working with the U.S. Children’s Bureau to get it approved. DCF is now considering how to create a Care Management Entity that would connect families, and those concerned about families, with these various services, according to Ken Mysogland, DCF’s bureau chief of external affairs.
Though the Care Management Entity will be funded by the state, Mysogland said it will be a private provider, meaning when families reach out for support, it will not open up a case with DCF.
“That’s the true essence of prevention is to embed services in our communities with easy access locally so issues that are identified can be resolved quicker and before they escalate,” Mysogland said.
DCF has been working toward helping families stay together through preventative and supportive services, resulting in a 19 percent reduction in foster care cases since 2019.
But this plan promises to change the child welfare framework across the state and help families get the services they may need, Dorantes said.
“It’s just a little slice of what we can do together when we collectively work to make sure kids and families have what they need,” she said.
Families who think they may need help with child care, support or other resources should call 211 or visit 211CT.org.
Families can also find behavioral health services and support by going to ConnectingToCareCT.org .
To report instances of child abuse or neglect, please call the DCF Careline at 800-842-2288.