Sec. 17a-56. Nurturing Families Network. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 17a-56. Nurturing Families Network. (a) The Children's Trust Fund Council shall establish the structure for a state-wide system for a Nurturing Families Network, which is intended to demonstrate the benefits of preventive services by significantly reducing the abuse and neglect of infants and by enhancing parent-child relationships through hospital-based assessment with home outreach follow-up on infants and their families within families identified as high risk.

      (b) Within available appropriations, the Children's Trust Fund Council shall establish Nurturing Families Network pilot programs in geographic areas which are not currently served by prevention outreach services and which have a high rate of confirmed child abuse and neglect, a high rate of infant mortality and low birthweight infants, or a high rate of teen pregnancy.

      (c) The Nurturing Families Network pilot programs shall: (1) Provide a comprehensive risk assessment of all newborn children and their families; (2) identify families that would benefit most from the program; (3) provide and coordinate support services including, but not limited to, community-based home visiting intervention services, counseling, child care and primary health care services; and (4) provide follow-up and support services until the child attains the age of five.

      (d) The Children's Trust Fund Council shall: (1) Develop the comprehensive risk assessment to be used by the pilot programs; (2) develop the training program, standards, and protocols for the pilot programs; and (3) develop, issue and evaluate requests for proposals to procure the services required by this section. In evaluating the proposals, the Children's Trust Fund Council shall take into consideration the most effective and consistent service delivery system allowing for the continuation of current public and private programs.

      (e) The Children's Trust Fund Council shall establish a data system to enable the programs to document the following information in a standard manner: (1) The level of screening and assessment; (2) profiles of risk and family demographics; (3) the incidence of child abuse and neglect; (4) rates of child development; and (5) any other information the Children's Trust Fund Council deems appropriate.

      (f) The Children's Trust Fund Council shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on the establishment, implementation and progress of the Nurturing Families Network, on January first and July first, of each year.

      (P.A. 95-238, S. 1; P.A. 97-288, S. 2, 6; P.A. 05-246, S. 10.)

      History: P.A. 97-288 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision requiring the commissioner to establish three additional pilot sites, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 05-246 replaced Commissioner of Children and Families with Children's Trust Fund Council and Healthy Families Connecticut program with Nurturing Families Network and made conforming and technical changes throughout, effective July 8, 2005.

      See Sec. 17b-277a re program to inform Healthy Start applicants of Nurturing Families Network services.

      Cited. 44 CS 551. P.A. 95-238 cited. Id.