Sec. 17a-110. (Formerly Sec. 17-39a). Permanency plans for children. Regulations. Central registry. Contracts with private child-placing agencies. Funding.
Sec. 17a-110. (Formerly Sec. 17-39a). Permanency plans for children. Regulations. Central registry. Contracts with private child-placing agencies. Funding. (a)
As used in this section, "child" means a person under the age of eighteen years; "foster
child" means a child placed temporarily in a home pending permanent placement; "permanent home" means a home for a child with the child's genetic or adoptive parents
or the child's legal guardian considered to be such child's permanent residence; and
"permanency placement services" means services that are designed and rendered for
the purpose of relocating a foster child with such child's legal family or finding a permanent home for such child, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) Treatment
services for the child and the genetic family; (2) preplacement planning; (3) appropriate
court proceedings to effect permanent placement, including, but not limited to, the following: (A) Termination of parental rights; (B) revocation of commitment; (C) removal
or reinstatement of guardianship; (D) temporary custody; (4) recruitment and screening
of permanent placement homes; (5) home study and evaluation of permanent placement
homes; (6) placement of children in permanent homes; (7) postplacement supervision
and services to such homes following finalization of such placements in the courts;
and (8) other services routinely performed by caseworkers doing similar work in the
Department of Children and Families.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2000, the Department of Children and Families shall
adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to establish standards for permanency
plans which shall include, but not be limited to: (1) Assessment of kin, foster parents
or other potential adoptive parents for adopting a child; (2) preparing children for adoption; (3) collaboration between family foster care services and adoption services; (4)
transracial and cross-racial adoption; (5) open adoption; and (6) foster care and adoption
subsidies.
(c) Not later than January 1, 2000, the Department of Children and Families shall,
within available appropriations, establish and maintain (1) a central registry of all children for whom a permanency plan has been formulated and in which adoption is recommended, and (2) a system to monitor the progress in implementing the permanency plan
for such children.
(d) Whenever the Commissioner of Children and Families deems it necessary or
advisable in order to carry out the purposes of this section, the commissioner may contract with any private child-placing agency, as defined in section 45a-707, for a term of
not less than three years and not more than five years, to provide any one or more
permanency placement services on behalf of the Department of Children and Families.
Whenever any contract is entered into under this section that requires private agencies
to perform casework services, such as the preparation of applications and petitions for
termination of parental rights, guardianship or other custodial matters, or that requires
court appearances, the Attorney General shall provide legal services for the Commissioner of Children and Families notwithstanding that some of the services have been
performed by caseworkers of private agencies, except that no such legal services shall
be provided unless the Commissioner of Children and Families is a legal party to any
court action under this section.
(e) The Commissioner of Children and Families may accept funds from any source
to implement the provisions of this section.
(P.A. 80-319, S. 1-3; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-238, S. 2; P.A. 96-130, S. 38; P.A. 98-241, S. 12; June Sp. Sess. P.A.
98-1, S. 113, 121; P.A. 99-166, S. 1; P.A. 03-243, S. 13; P.A. 06-102, S. 5.)
History: Sec. 17-39a transferred to Sec. 17a-110 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of
children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-238 inserted new Subsec. (b) re procedure upon court's finding that family reunification is inappropriate, relettering former
Subsec. (b) as (c); P.A. 96-130 amended Subsec. (c) by changing reference to "he" to "the Commissioner of Children and
Families" and deleted reference to Sec. 45a-707(b); P.A. 98-241 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting reference to Sec. 46b-129(e); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-166 amended
Subsec. (b) re good faith efforts to place child for adoption or in some other alternative home, added Subsecs. (c) and (d)
requiring regulations on or before January 1, 2000, to establish standards for permanency plans and requiring department
to establish and maintain central registry, within available appropriations, not later than January 1, 2000, for children for
whom adoption is recommended, and amended Subsec. (e) re contract by commissioner with private child-placing agency
for term not less than three years nor more than five years; P.A. 03-243 added requirement in Subsec. (b) that department
use best efforts to maintain child in initial out-of-home placement until permanent home for child is found and added new
Subsec. (f) re commissioner's authority to accept funds from any source to implement provisions of section; P.A. 06-102
amended Subsec. (a) to redefine "permanent home" to include the home of the child's legal guardian, deleted former
Subsec. (b) re hearing procedure and efforts re child placement, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (f), inclusive, as
Subsecs. (b) to (e), inclusive, and made technical changes.
Cited. 26 CA 58.
Cited. 44 CS 551. P.A. 95-238 Sec. 2(b) cited. Id.