2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 17a - Social and Human Services and Resources
Chapter 319 - Department of Children and Families
Section 17a-62 - Commissioner of Children and Families to monitor certain at-risk children and youth. Annual report to General Assembly.

On or before February 1, 2010, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and the select committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children. The report shall include the following information, for the preceding calendar year, for children and youth in the custody of the Department of Children and Families: (1) The number and age of such children and youth who are living in a psychiatric hospital or out-of-state residential treatment center, the average length of stay for such children and youth, the number of children and youth who have overstayed their estimated placement time in such placements and an analysis of the reasons for the placements out of state and overstays; (2) the number and age of such children and youth who are runaways or homeless, including (A) the number of episodes of unauthorized absence from the department’s care for one full day or more; (B) the total number of children and youth involved in such episodes and, of that number, (i) the number of children and youth having one such episode, (ii) the number of children and youth having two such episodes, (iii) the number of children and youth having three such episodes, and (iv) the number of children and youth having more than three such episodes; (C) the average number of children and youth who, without authorization, are absent from the department’s care each day; (D) the number of children and youth having an episode of unauthorized absence from the department’s care according to age group as follows: Those (i) under six years of age, (ii) six to nine years of age, (iii) ten to twelve years of age, (iv) thirteen to fifteen years of age, and (v) sixteen or seventeen years of age; (E) the number of days of unauthorized absence from the department’s care according to the period of time absent as follows: (i) Less than two days, (ii) three to seven days, (iii) eight to fourteen days, (iv) fifteen to thirty days, (v) thirty-one to sixty days, (vi) sixty-one to one hundred twenty days, (vii) one hundred twenty-one to one hundred eighty days, and (viii) more than one hundred eighty days; (F) an analysis of the trends relating to runaways and homelessness; and (G) a description of the strategies employed and policies implemented by the department to address runaways and homelessness and to reduce the number and duration of episodes of absence from the department’s care; (3) the number and age of children and youth who have a permanency plan of another planned permanency living arrangement and an analysis of the trends relating to permanency plans; and (4) the number and age of children and youth who have refused services offered by the department and an analysis of the trends relating to participation in services. The commissioner shall conduct case and service reviews for each child in the groups described in subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, of this section.

(P.A. 09-96, S. 1; P.A. 11-240, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 09-96 effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 11-240 amended Subdiv. (2) by replacing provision re number of days with Subparas. (A) to (E) and (G) re specific information to be included in report re runaway and homeless children and youth, effective July 1, 2011.