03/14/2022
Joint Motion Filed for DCF to Exit Juan F. Consent Decree Federal Oversight
Governor Ned Lamont today announced that a joint motion has been filed by the Office of the Attorney General and the Plaintiffs in the Juan F. Consent Decree to end Federal Court oversight of the Department of Children and Families."Over the past 32 years, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) has made organizational and operational changes that have dramatically improved the way the agency provides services to children and families in Connecticut," the motion indicates. The Agency is "now well-positioned to move forward without judicial oversight."
Today's joint filing comes after the most recent Status Report from the Federal Court Monitor confirmed the Department has both met and consistently sustained all Outcome Measures set forth by the court. "The Court Monitor is confident that the DCF has the necessary infrastructure to continually improve performance related to the achievements made through the Juan F. Consent Decree implementation," the report states.
Last week, Commissioner Dorantes and members of the Executive Team met with Agency leaders to discuss this filing and the next steps pertaining to Federal oversight of our Agency.
We will schedule a time to provide further information after the Federal Court has ruled on this motion.
The Joint Motion can be read here: Joint Motion