§ 17a-4 — (Formerly Sec. 17-413). State Advisory Council on Children and Families. Appointment. Powers and duties.

Connecticut § 17a-4

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 17a: Social and Human Services and Resources
• Ch. 319: Department of Children and Families

Text

(a) There shall be a State Advisory Council on Children and Families which shall consist of the following members: (1) Nineteen members appointed by the Governor, including two persons who are child care professionals, two persons eighteen to twenty-five years of age, inclusive, served by the Department of Children and Families, one child psychiatrist licensed to practice medicine in this state, one health care professional who has expertise in children's health and is licensed in the state, one attorney who has expertise in legal issues related to children and youth, three members of one or more Youth Advisory Boards, as defined in section 17a-10c, one member of an organization that advocates for the protection and advancement of the legal rights of children, one member of an organization that advocates for policies to promote child welfare and seven persons who shall be representative of young persons, parents and others interested in the delivery of services to children and youths, including child protection, behavioral health and prevention services, at least four of whom shall be parents, foster parents or family members of children who have received, or are receiving, behavioral health services or child welfare services; and (2) six members representing the regional advisory councils established pursuant to section 17a-30, appointed one each by the members of each council. Not more than half the members of the council shall be persons who receive income from a private practice or any public or private agency that delivers mental health, substance abuse, child abuse prevention and treatment or child welfare services. Members of the council shall serve without compensation, except for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The Department of Children and Families shall provide the council with funding to facilitate the participation of those members representing families and youth, as well as for other administrative support services. Members shall serve on the council for terms of two years each and no member shall serve for more than three consecutive terms. The commissioner shall be an ex-officio member of the council without vote and shall attend its meetings. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or fifty per cent of all meetings during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned. The council shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson to act in the chairperson's absence. (b) The council shall meet quarterly, and more often upon the call of the chair or a majority of the members. The council's meetings shall be held at locations that facilitate participation by members of the public, and its agenda and minutes shall be posted on the department's web site. A majority of the members in office, but not less than six members, shall constitute a quorum. The council shall have complete access to all records of the institutions and facilities of the department in furtherance of its duties, while at all times protecting the right of privacy of all individuals involved, as provided in section 17a-28 . (c) The duties of the council shall be to: (1) Recommend to the commissioner programs, legislation or other matters which will improve services for children and youths, including behavioral health services; (2) annually review and advise the commissioner regarding the proposed budget; (3) interpret to the community at large the policies, duties and programs of the department; (4) issue any reports it deems necessary to the Governor and the Commissioner of Children and Families; (5) review and comment on the reports described in subsection (b) of section 17a-3 ; (6) independently monitor the department's progress in achieving its goals as expressed in such reports; (7) offer assistance and provide an outside perspective to the department so that it may be able to achieve the goals expressed in such reports; (8) conduct a review of departmental data pertaining to child safety, well-being and permanency not less than twice per year; and (9) conduct an annual evaluation to determine the extent to which the department is discharging its child protection responsibilities under state and federal law. (d) In implementing the duties described in subsection (c) of this section, the council shall prioritize (1) the protection of children from abuse and neglect by ensuring that the state maintains an effective plan to prevent such abuse and neglect and divert children from foster care; (2) the reduction and elimination of preventable child fatalities and the unnecessary removal of children from their homes; (3) permanency and stability in home placements for children, including, but not limited to, the placement of children with family members whenever possible and the successful transition from foster care of youth exiting the child welfare system; (4) the reduction of disparate outcomes between minority and other populations served by the child welfare system; (5) the timely, appropriate and adequate provision of services to children and families to meet the physical, mental health and developmental needs of such children; and (6) collaboration among state agencies in furtherance of the duties described in subsection (c) of this section.

Legislative History

(1969, P.A. 664, S. 4; 1971, P.A. 818, S. 2; P.A. 74-150, S. 2; P.A. 75-524, S. 4, 30; P.A. 79-45; P.A. 84-256, S. 12, 17; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 00-188, S. 1, 5; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 50, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A. 03-19, S. 29; P.A. 06-196, S. 103; P.A. 09-205, S. 5; P.A. 11-120, S. 1; P.A. 12-82, S. 2; P.A. 13-40, S. 1; P.A. 18-31, S. 17; P.A. 21-140, S. 3, 9; P.A. 24-126, S. 1.) History: 1971 act established council as advisory body, increased membership from 11 to 14 by adding three youth members as provided in act, required that meeting be called at request of 5, rather than 3 members, and deleted provisions re required appearances and production of documents, re development of department policy and re board of review as no longer conforming with advisory status; P.A. 74-150 deleted requirement that at least one woman member be appointed; P.A. 75-524 increased membership to 15 and required 5 to be child-care professionals, one to be attorney with remainder representative of young people, parents and other interested parties, specified that psychiatrist member be “child” psychiatrist, changed schedule of appointments, removed all agency heads, except commissioner of children and youth services, from ex-officio membership, limited terms, required monthly rather than quarterly meetings, allowed council access to records and expanded council's duties in new Subsec. (c); P.A. 79-45 changed age of youth members from between 18 and 25 to between 15 and 22; P.A. 84-256 added attendance and quorum requirements for members and eliminated requirement of annual report to governor, required that meetings be held quarterly rather than monthly and deleted obsolete appointment provisions; Sec. 17-413 transferred to Sec. 17a-4 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families and council on children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services and council on children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 00-188 amended Subsec. (a) to delete requirement that at least 3 members between 15 and 22 years of age be appointed and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended Subsec. (a) to increase, from 15 to 17, the number of members, to require that no less than 50% of the members be parents or family members of children who have received or are receiving behavioral health, child welfare services or juvenile services and that no more than half the members be persons who receive income from a private practice or any public or private agency that delivers mental health, substance abuse, child abuse prevention and treatment, child welfare services or juvenile services, and to require that members serve on the council for terms of 2 years each, and amended Subsec. (c) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; P.A. 03-19 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 12, 2003; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsecs. (a) and (c), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 09-205 amended Subsec. (a) by adding 2 persons served by Department of Children and Families to advisory council, requiring attorney member to have expertise in legal issues related to children and youth, specifying type of services in which the balance of council shall be interested, and requiring department to provide funding to facilitate participation of members representing families and youth and for administrative support services, amended Subsec. (b) by requiring meetings to be held at locations facilitating participation by public and posting of its agenda and minutes on department's web site, and amended Subsec. (c) by requiring advisory council to recommend improvement of behavioral health services and inserting Subdivs. (5) to (8) re additional duties, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 11-120 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing number of members from 17 to 19 and adding foster parents to group of members that must make up at least 50% of council's membership; P.A. 12-82 amended Subsec. (a) by redesignating existing provision re gubernatorial appointments as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by reducing gubernatorial appointments from 19 to 13, reducing number of child care professional members from 5 to 2, substituting 7 persons for “the balance of the advisory council” re number of appointed members interested in delivery of services to children and youth and substituting “at least four of whom” for “no less than fifty per cent” re members being parents, foster parents or family members of children receiving certain services, adding Subdiv. (2) re 6 council appointments to be made by members of regional advisory councils, adding provision re on and after October 1, 2014, no more than half of council membership may be persons receiving income through delivery of certain services and increasing number of permitted consecutive terms from 2 to 3; P.A. 13-40 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by removing “at least” re 2 child care professionals and 1 attorney with expertise in legal issues related to children and youths serving as members of council; P.A. 18-31 amended Subsec. (a) to delete references to juvenile services, and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 21-140 amended Subsec. (a) by adding licensed health care professional with expertise in children's health to advisory council, deleting reference to October 1, 2014, and making conforming changes, effective October 1, 2021, and amended Subsec. (c) by deleting “assist in the development of and” and replacing reference to strategic plan with reference to report in Subdiv. (5), deleting former Subdiv. (6) re quarterly status report, redesignating Subdivs. (7) and (8) as Subdivs. (6) and (7) and amending same to replace references to strategic plan with references to reports, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 24-126 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by increasing total members from 14 to 19 by adding 3 members of Youth Advisory Boards, 1 member of organization that advocates for protection and advancement of legal rights of children and 1 member of organization that advocates for policies to promote child welfare, amended Subsec. (c) by adding Subdiv. (8) re review of departmental data and Subdiv. (9) re annual evaluation, added Subsec. (d) re priorities in implementation of duties, and made conforming changes throughout, effective July 1, 2024.