Senate Bill No. 127 proposes amendments to the general statutes related to the Department of Children and Families (DCF), with an effective date of July 1, 2024. The bill clarifies the definition of "fictive kin caregiver" and removes the term "regular unsupervised access" from the law. It changes the age requirement for criminal history records checks from sixteen to eighteen for individuals living in the home of a foster care or adoption applicant. The bill mandates that applicants and household members aged eighteen or older undergo state and national criminal history records checks before the DCF commissioner can issue or renew a license or approval for foster care or adoption. It also allows for the placement of a child with a relative or fictive kin caregiver without a license or approval under certain conditions, and outlines the process for contesting placement decisions based on name-based search results.

Furthermore, the bill includes provisions for waiving certain regulations for child placements with relatives or fictive kin caregivers, applying a reasonable and prudent parent standard, and transferring guardianship subsidies in specific circumstances. It modifies protocols for transporting pediatric patients to urgent crisis centers and revises the scope of services provided by the DCF, particularly for children with mental health needs, substance use disorders, and sensory disabilities. The bill also addresses the sharing of educational records, the appointment of special police officers, and the definition of a police officer. It emphasizes the inclusion of treatment services alongside prevention and mandates services for the families of affected children and youths. The bill introduces incentive work programs, statistics collection, studies on program effectiveness, staff development and training, educational programs, training in family violence prevention, aftercare services, a case audit unit, a community service programs database, outreach for children with absent parents, and data collection on housing needs. Administrative changes include renumbering subsections and repealing Section 17a-115a of the general statutes.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
KID Joint Favorable:
File No. 9:
Public Act No. 24-79: