HB 6227 Summary

• Establishes a kinship navigator program within the Department of Children and Families to inform relatives about foster parent licensing and eligibility for state services and benefits, including subsidies.

• Restructures the department's administrative organization by creating regional directors (up to six) and regional advisory councils to replace the previous area-based structure for planning and delivering services.

• Expands the subsidized guardianship program for relative caregivers of children in foster care, including siblings not related to the caregiver, with special-need and medical subsidies plus monthly payments comparable to foster care maintenance.

• Modifies the Connecticut Juvenile Training School advisory group to include review of safety and security issues affecting the host municipality and removes the separate public safety committee requirement.

• Repeals sections 17a-27f and 17a-91 and makes conforming changes throughout statutes to reflect the shift from "area" to "regional" terminology for departmental organization and service delivery.