Bill > S84

This bill establishes an interagency child welfare task force, co-chaired by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Child Advocate, to develop a comprehensive, multi-year plan aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect. The task force will include representatives from various state departments and agencies involved with children and families, such as the Department of Children and Families (DCF), Department of Youth Services, and Department of Public Health, as well as individuals with expertise in child welfare, including parents of children formerly in state care and foster parents. This task force will identify gaps in existing services that put children at risk and create coordinated strategies to address these issues, with the goal of preventing abuse and neglect before children and families enter the DCF system or require out-of-home placements. A key provision requires agencies to issue "children's impact statements" before reducing services that could prevent abuse and neglect, projecting the potential impact on child safety and the DCF caseload. The comprehensive plan will be updated annually and filed with various state officials and committees.