About DCF (Links to Webpages)

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I J - K L M N - O - P - R - S - T - U V W - Y

A

Abuse and Neglect (Definitions)
Academy for Workforce Development
Acronyms (commonly used at DCF)
Adam Walsh Checks
Advanced Behavioral Health (ABH Credentialing Services)
Advisory Council, State
Administration - Regulations/Organization of DCF
Adolescents Bill of Rights & Expectations
Adoption
     Adoption Online Trainings
     Adoption Open House Schedule
Affordable Care Act Fact Sheet
Albert J. Solnit Center - North Campus
Albert J. Solnit Center - South Campus
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Animal Cruelty
A-SBI / A-SBIRT Training (Substance Abuse)

B

Background Checks
Beacon Health Options
     Beacon Health Options - Voluntary Care Management
Behavioral Health Partnership  

C

Community Collaboratives (List of, by Region)
Community-Based Mental Health Services
Community Relations Office of (Client/family complaints related to casework)
Congregate Care
Congregate Care Nursing and Medical Oversight
Contact DCF (Addresses and Phone Numbers)
Contract Management
Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership
Connecticut Open Data
Connecticut Youth Suicide Advisory Board (YSAB)
CORE:
     Core-CT URL is: https://corect.ct.gov/PEPRD/signon.html 
     Password Reset:  If you need a CORE password reset please send an email request to dcf.corepasswordreset@ct.gov and include your employee id#.
Court Monitor's Exit Plan Reports
CPHS 
Crisis Stabilization
CT DCF's You Tube (DCF's You Tube Channel)
CT Family Day
CT Family First
CT Family Stability - Pay for Success Project
CT-KIND  (coming soon)
CT Suicide Advisory Board (CTSAB)         

Data Connect
DCF Agency Information:

     Administration Regulations
     Acronyms used at DCF
     Commonly used words in DCF
     DCF Offices and the towns they serve
     DCF Office Phone Numbers
     DCF-TV:  "Doors to Hope and Healing"
     Deaf and Hard of Hearing Brochure 
     Definitions of Abuse and Neglect
     Facebook:  CTDCF
     History
     Licensing
     Mission Statement
     Organizational Chart
     Phone Numbers
     Twitter:  CTDCF
     You Tube:  CTDCF 
DCF Licensed Programs:
     Child Placing Agencies
     Child Care License List (Office of Early Childhood)
     Extended Day Treatment Facilities
     Outpatient Psychiatric Clinics for Children
     Out-of-State Approved Adoption Agencies
     Residential Child Caring Agencies and Facilities
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals (Communicating with)
Dear Dad Tour
Differential Response System (DRS)
Discipline your Child (how to)
Discrimination Laws concerning Gender Identity/Expression in Connecticut
Division of Contract Management
Diversity and Equity (Office of)
DOC / Department of Corrections information
     DCF Contact Information for Detained Youth
     Detained & Incarcerated Youth & Adults DOC visiting information
     Directions on "how to schedule a visit with an Incarcerated Parent"
     Re-entry General Updates
     Reentry Collaborative member: 203-699-6316
     Request for Inmate Participation in DCF Conference Call:  DCF-2350
     Request to Schedule a Visit With an Incarcerated Parent:  DCF-2351
DRS (Differential Response System)

E

F

Facebook: CTDCF 
Family Assessment Response (FAR) Annual Report
Family Stability Project-Pay for Success
Fatherhood Initiative of Connecticut
     Dear Dad Tour
     Dear Dad Tour Video
     Dads Matter Too! Conference - Commissioner's Opening Remarks (Video, August 2019)
Forms
Flexible Funds for Non-DCF Children
Foster Care
Foster Care Online Trainings
Foster Care Open House Schedule
Functional Family Therapy (FFT)

G

GAIN
Gay Resources (see LGBT+ Resources)
Girls Services
Governor's Task Force on Justice for Abused Children
Grants - Letter of Support Example  (updated 2/26/20)

H

Hair and Skin Care Manual (Ethnic)
HART (Human Anti-Trafficking Response Team)

I

IFCS
IICAPS
Immigration
Immigration News (List of News Articles)
Improvement Projects and Research
IPV (Intimate Partner Violence;  formerly know as: Domestic Abuse/Violence)
Infant Abandonment-Safe Haven Law
Integrated Family Care and Support (IFCS)
Intimate Partner Violence (Domestic Violence)
Intensive In-Home Services
Intensive In-Home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS)
Internships for NON-DCF Individuals (and other educational opportunities)
Interpreter Services
Interagency Planning
Interstate Compact

J

JIC
Juan F Quarterly Reports
Juvenile Justice Education Oversight
Juvenile Services

K

Kids Camp  (Sibling Connections Camp)
Kognito Virtual Learning

L

Law Enforcement Partners
Leaving Your Child Alone Guidelines
Legal Division
Legal Division Contact Phone List (2-2-21)
Legislative Updates
Lesbian Resources (see LGBT+ Resources)
LGBT Individuals (CT Clearinghouse)
LGBT+  Resources 
Licensing
Link Between Child Abuse and Animal Cruelty
Link Case History (example)
L.I.S.T. (Learning Inventory of Skills Training)     

M

Mandated Reporters (Who is a mandated reporter?)
Mandated Reporter Training
Media Relations Contact:  Gary Kleeblatt
Medication Administration Program (This link directs you to an online training application)
Medically Complex Program
Mental Health Services
Medical Health and Wellbeing Services
Mentoring
Mission (DCF)
Mobile Crisis Intervention Services  (or go to the MCIS website)
Multicultural Affairs
Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT)
Multidisciplinary Evaluation
Multisystemic Therapy (MST)

 

N

Now & Zen (Meditation Videos)
Nursing

O

Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE)
Office of Intimate Partner Violence and Substance Use Treatment and Recovery
Office of Multicultural Affairs
Office of Community Relations (Client/family complaints related to casework)
Online Foster Parent Trainings (for Foster and Adoptive Parents)
Open House Schedule (For Foster Care and Adoption)
Organizational Chart (July 2024)
Outcome Measures (Consent Decree Exit Plan)
Outpatient Psychiatric Clinics

P

PA 13-178
"Parent's Right To Know" Brochures (Various Languages)
Parenting Support Services (PSS)
Paws For Kids
Pay for Success - Family Stability Project
Performance Expectations 2017
Personal Service Agreements (Contract forms)
Phone Numbers (DCF Offices)    Phone Numbers (DCF Regional Senior Staff)
PIE (Provider Information Exchange - formerly PSDCRS)
PMAC (including Advisory Council minutes)
PNMI (Private Non-Medical Institutions)
Policy Index, by topic
Policy Manual
Positive Outcomes For Children
Practice Guides
Prevention
Provider Information Exchange (PIE; formerly known as PSDCRS)
Psychiatric Clinics for Children (Outpatient)
Psychotropic Medication Information (PMAC)
PMAC E-MAIL:  getmeds.dcf@ct.gov
Public Relations Contact:  Gary Kleeblatt

Racial Justice
     Racial and Ethnic Reporting Guide 
     Racial Justice Mailbox:  DCF.RacialJustice@ct.gov
     Racial Justice Summit Video (2021)
     Racial Justice Summit-2018 Handouts
     Racial Justice Workgroup (Statewide)
Regional Managers Phone List
Regional Office Pages (DCF):
     Region 1 Bridgeport, Norwalk
     Region 2 Milford, New Haven
     Region 3 Middletown, Norwich, Willimantic
     Region 4 Hartford, Manchester
     Region 5 Danbury, Torrington, Waterbury
     Region 6 Meriden, New Britain
Regional Resource Group Nursing (RRG Nurse) Phone List (4-27-21)
Regulations
Reporting Abuse and Neglect
Reporting Abuse and Neglect (Model for)
Residential Treatment Programs
Respite Care
Results Based Accountability (RBA)
Reasonable Prudent Parent Standard (RPPS) Online Training


S

Safe Harbor Project (LGBT+ Resources)
Safe Havens Act for Newborns
          Que es la ley de RefugiosSeguros ("Safe Havens") Para Recién Nacidos? (en Español )
Safe Sleep Information
Secure E-mail Directions
Sex Trafficking (Human Trafficking)
SIB (Social Impact Bonds)
Sibling Bill of Rights
Sibling Connections Camp
Siblings in Care/Child in Care Bill of Rights and Expectations Guidance
Skin Care Manual (Ethnic)
Social Impact Bonds (SIB)
Social Media Sites (DCF sites)
Solnit Center - North Campus
Solnit Center - South Campus
Spotlight
State Advisory Council (SAC)
Statewide Racial Justice Workgroup
Strengthening Families
Substance Use
Suicide Advisory Board  (CT Suicide Advisory Board)
     Suicide Prevention  (Call:  1-800-273-8255)
     Suicide Prevention Plan 2020-2025
Supportive Housing

T

Triple P Connecticut (Positive Parenting Program)
Traumatic Event (Help, after a Trauma)
     After a loved one dies-how children grieve
     Need to speak to someone?  Call 2-1-1
     Talking to a child after a Traumatic Event
     Tips for Tots-Supporting Young Children
     Trauma and how to help your child
     Twitter:  CTDCF &  CTFosterAdopt1
Truancy Parent Brochure (Various Languages)
     Chinese
     English
     Portuguese (Brazilian)
     Spanish
Twitter:  CTDCF

 

U

USD 2 (Unified School District 2)
USD 2 Virtual Academy

V

V.I.T.A.L. Resources for Youth
Virtual Academy
Visitation Guidance - NEW April 2023
Voluntary Services Program

W

Ways to Help Children
"Whistle Blower" Complaints
Wilderness School
Working with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing  (brochure)
Workforce Development, Academy for (formerly know as the "Training Academy")
WRAPCT (the Learning Collaborative Homepage)

 
_______________________________
 

Working together with families and communities to improve child safety, ensure that more children have permanent families, and advance the overall well-being of children is the central focus of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). DCF protects children who are being abused or neglected, strengthens families through support and advocacy, and builds on existing family and community strengths to help children who are facing emotional and behavioral challenges, including those committed to the Department by the juvenile justice system.

DCF, established under Section 17a-2 of the Connecticut General Statutes, is one of the nation’s few agencies to offer child protection, behavioral health, juvenile justice and prevention services.  Whether children are abused and/or neglected, are involved in the juvenile justice system, or have emotional, mental health or substance abuse issues, the Department can respond to these children in a way that draws upon community and state resources to help.

DCF recognizes the importance of family and strives to support children in their homes and communities. When this is not possible, a placement that meets the child’s individualized needs in the least restrictive setting is pursued. When services are provided out of the child’s home, whether in foster care, residential treatment or in a DCF facility, they are designed to return children safely and permanently back to the community.

DCF supports in-home and community-based services through contracts with service providers. In addition, the Department runs four facilities: a secure facility for boys who are committed to the Department as delinquents by the juvenile courts (the Connecticut Juvenile Training School); a children’s psychiatric hospital (Albert J. Solnit Psychiatric Center, North Campus in East Windsor and South Campus in Middletown) and an experiential program for troubled youth in Connecticut (the Wilderness School).

If you have a question related to the child for whom you are caring, you should start with the child's social worker.  If you are unable to reach the social worker or to resolve the situation to your satisfaction with the social worker, you should call the worker's supervisor.  If problems are still unresolved, you should contact the supervisor's manager, their office director or other senior manager as follows:

  • Social Worker (SW)
  • Social Work Supervisor (SWS)
  • Program Manager (PM)
  • Office Director
  • Regional Administrator
  • Commissioner

If your contact with the DCF area office does not result in a resolution to your question or situation, please contact the DCF Ombudsman's Office at 860-550-6301.

Adolescent Services assist youth under the care of DCF to make the transition from out of home care to a self-sufficient, productive life as an adult in the community. Adolescent Specialists provide specialized case management services, monitoring and support services through a variety of programs.  

Child Protective Services primarily carries out DCF’s mandate and responsibility to investigate all reports of alleged child maltreatment and to provide services to all children found to be in such a condition. There are 14 regional offices located throughout Connecticut (go to DCF Offices).  A variety of wrap around services are provided to children in their homes as well as children in temporary and permanent placements (such as foster care, youth shelters, residential facilities, group homes, pre-adoptive homes, etc.).  Voluntary Services offers support to families who contact the agency and meet the requirements.  In order to best serve families with multiple needs, DCF contracts with numerous agencies to provide services such as, psychiatric/psychological/therapeutic, anger management, parenting classes, parent aides, domestic violence, substance abuse, family preservation and reunification.  All of these services are prepared to meet the needs of people of all ethnic/cultural backgrounds and are able to provide services in various languages.

Exit Plan/Positive Outcomes for Children:  The Department of Children and Families is currently making improvements to the the quality of its services and working to end a Federal Court’s oversight of the agency under a Consent Decree entered into by the State in 1991. This plan, also known as the Exit Plan or the Positive Outcomes for Children Plan, includes 22 goals to improve child safety, permanency and well-being. As many as 17 of the goals have been attained in quarterly measures of these outcomes. 

Foster and Adoption Services are responsible for the coordination, planning, and implementation of foster care and adoption initiatives statewide.  On any given day there are approximately 3,500 children in out-of-home care.  Some of the children are hard to place due to their special medical needs and/or need for a home that will take a sibling group.  Therefore, foster and adoption staff provide ongoing recruitment efforts, home assessments, training and licensing, and support services of foster care and adoptive parents.  Specialized recruitment is also provided through this Office of Foster and Adoption Services.  This office is also responsible for out of state inquires and maintains a photo listing of all available children currently awaiting adoption.  Follow this link to learn more at the Foster and Adoption webpage.

Juvenile Services seek to develop competency, accountability, and responsibility in all programs and services through the Balanced and Restorative Justice model (BARJ) – with the ultimate goal of each child achieving success in the community. Juvenile services offer programming through community-based services, private residential treatment, and state-operated facilities. Juvenile services collaborate with community providers, public and private agencies, families and educational agencies to individualize the treatment for each child based on the child’s strengths, culture and ethnicity, and gender, while maintaining community safety.

Mental Health Services DCF has statutory authority to provide for children's mental health services.  The Department operates the Albert J. Solnit Psychiatric Center - North Campus in East Windsor and the  Albert J. Solnit Psychiatric Center - South Campus in Middletown.  Through Connecticut Community KidCare, the department also provides funding for a broad array of clinical and other services in the community, including Child Guidance Clinics, Extended Day Treatment Programs, Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services, Respite Care, Family Advocacy and Intensive Case Management.

Children and families can access state-operated or state-funded community services directly or through referrals from providers in the mental health system. Services are provided on a sliding scale, and the majority of service providers are affiliated with a variety of health insurance plans.

Medical Health and Wellbeing Services is responsible for assuring that children in its care and custody receive optimal health care.  The administration of health care is overseen centrally and carried out at the regional level through resource staff including a pediatrician, psychiatrist, registered nurses and pediatric nurse practitioners.  Health care standards, policies, procedures and programs are developed and implemented in accordance with the criteria established by the American Academy of Pediatrics, various federal mandates, state statutes and guidelines.  Case specific medical consultation is provided to DCF facilities, nursing, medical and social work staff on the medical care of children in care and custody of the Department.

Substance Use Services are provided to children and families in a variety of contexts.  In addition to services provided in DCF facilities, the department funds substance use prevention, intervention and treatment services in the community.  These treatment services include the following: home based, outpatient and residential treatment services for youth; immediate access for drug testing, evaluations and outpatient substance abuse treatment is available to primary caregivers involved in the department's child protective services through a DCF contract with a managed statewide network of substance use providers; Supportive Housing for Families ( SHF Referral ); Substance Abuse Families at Risk (SAFAR). The Substance Use Division emphasizes the use of evidence based treatment models.

In addition, Substance use Specialists are part of Regional Resource Groups (RRG's) in each of the Department's area offices, providing consultation, assessment, coordination and training on substance abuse issues to enable DCF social workers to better serve families.