CT SB00452

Establishes a Child Welfare Policy and Oversight Committee effective July 1, 2019 to monitor state agencies' child welfare policies and practices with goals including child protection, reducing preventable fatalities, ensuring permanency and family placement, reducing disproportionate minority placement, and providing timely services.

Committee membership includes 17 categories of appointees totaling approximately 30 members: legislative appointees (children's advocates, attorneys, pediatrician, behavioral health provider, child psychiatrist, school superintendent), state commissioners and officials (Children and Families, Developmental Services, Early Childhood, Child Advocate, Chief Court Administrator, Chief Public Defender), and service providers and parents/guardians with expertise in child welfare services.

Members appointed under legislative or commissioner authority serve three-year terms except the first appointees who serve two-year terms; all appointments must be made within 30 days of the effective date.

Committee chairpersons are the joint standing committee on children's chairpersons and the Commission on Women, Children and Seniors executive director; the first meeting must occur within 60 days and the committee must meet at least quarterly.

Committee must submit annual reports to the joint standing committee on children starting January 1, 2020, evaluating the efficacy of child welfare policies and practices against established goals and providing improvement recommendations.