Sec. 17a-110. (Formerly Sec. 17-39a). Permanency plans for children. Regulations. Central registry. Contracts with private child-placing agencies. Funding. - Connecticut Statutes

      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.