Community Pages - Connecticut
Initiative Partner: Connecticut Department of Children and Families
The Connecticut Department of Children and Families is the lead agency responsible for implementation of the Connecticut Youth Opportunity Strategy (CTYOS). CTYOS was developed at the intersection of state and private efforts to improve results for youth in foster care. The CTYOS is being implemented in Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Waterbury as of fall 2008. CTYOS brings together the expansive set of supportive services with the unique capacity of community based providers to engage youth and community resources. Connecticut Voices for Children partners to assist with the public will and policy work.
Contact: Eugene Marchand, 860-550-6591
Connecticut Department of Children and Families
505 Hudson Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Policy:
Two years prior to the passage of the Fostering Connections Act, Connecticut youth advocates had begun working on legislative and policy advocacy to ensure educational continuity for youth in foster care, because this had been identified by youth themselves as one of their highest priorities. Advocates and the state education and child welfare agencies worked together to design a concept and framework for providing stability as the presumed placement. The passage of the federal legislation assisted the pre-existing effort by putting the weight of national child welfare policy objectives behind Connecticut's initiative, AND by providing much-needed funding for the state's implementation. Over a year's time, advocates and the state agencies agreed on legislative language, and the governor recently proposed an appropriation to cover transportation and other implementation costs. The legislation that is currently pending appears highly likely to pass during the current legislative session which ends in May 2010, meeting the Fostering Connections Act's July 1, 2010 deadline. The advocates and state agency partners plan to continue to work together to ensure smooth implementation. For additional information about the advocacy efforts of Connecticut Voices for Children regarding educational stability please see: http://www.ctkidslink.org/publications/edu09schoolstability.pdf
Connecticut makes a significant effort to ensure that young people in foster care have a permanent adult connection. DCF Social Workers emphasize this in their adolescent case planning and the department maintains a statewide contracted "One On One Mentoring" service for all youth in care from 14 to 21 years of age.
News and Events:
Connecticut Voices for Children Hires New Intern (October 2010).
On March 18, 2010, City Line Auto Body in Bridgeport became the first community partner in the history of the Initiative to give away a car to one lucky attendee of an asset specific training (also provided by City Line Auto Body). Young people who are Opportunity PassportTMparticipants through FSW Inc. in Bridgeport were eligible to enter into a raffle drawing for the car. At the completion of the training, Tamara Russell was awarded a 1992 Toyota Paseo. When asked about winning the car, Tamara said that it was likely to be a huge turning point in her life because she now has a safe vehicle that will allow her to get to both her job at a local bank and to college.
