Health Equity

CCA and its partners are advocating for the expansion of HUSKY health benefits to cover undocumented Connecticut children and youth aged 13 through 18. In the past two years, we have led the way to expand HUSKY to cover undocumented children 12 years old and younger. HUSKY enrollment for these younger children began last month, and by the end of January, 1,682 undocumented children had already enrolled in HUSKY health insurance! See this year’s Bill 6616 AN ACT CONCERNING EXPANSION OF HUSKY HEALTH BENEFITS TO THOSE INELIGIBLE DUE TO IMMIGRATION STATUS.

Support for Youth Aging Out of DCF Care

As a result of watching youth who have grown up in DCF care fall through the cracks after they turn 18, we and our partners are advocating for legislation that would allow youth who stay with DCF after they turn 18 to continue to have a court-appointed attorney for their DCF case as they transition into adulthood and learn to advocate for themselves. See Bill 1008, AN ACT CONCERNING LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN IN CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS IN THE SUPERIOR COURT.

Homeless Youth Rights

We are leading the advocacy effort to pass legislation that would allow unaccompanied homeless minors, who are homeless and on their own, to consent to medical and dental care. For more information, email Stacey Violence-Cote at sviolante@cca-ct.org.

Educational Equity

With our partners we are advocating for bills that would 1) reduce unnecessary school expulsions, 2) make sure students in magnet schools can access special education services, 3) establish a Bill of Rights for parents of English Language Learners and 4) ensure students have the right to self-identify their gender in school with confidentiality and without parental consent.

Juvenile Justice Reform

We are advocating for bills that would 1) bring motor vehicle violations involving youth 16-17 years old into the purview of the juvenile court, which handles other offenses involving youth of that age, to promote a more restorative and community-oriented response, 2) eliminate the imposition of fines and fees related to motor vehicle infractions for youth 16-17 years old, as those fines and fees place significant financial burdens on youths’ parents and compound existing racial and ethnic inequities, and 3) amend Connecticut's racial profiling law to require collection and reporting of the race and ethnicity of people subjected to pedestrian stops as well as auto stops. For more information, contact Karrol-Ann Brown at kbrown@cca-ct.org.

Fairfield County Giving Day

February 23rd, 2023

For 24 hours you can support our 25 year mission to protect and promote the legal rights of Connecticut’s low-income children and youth. Our legal services and systemic reform advocacy improve conditions for thousands of children and youth across Connecticut and your contribution ensures they have equitable opportunities for good health, a quality education and a successful transition to adulthood.

Help us advocate for Connecticut's most vulnerable children when you make a gift between midnight and 11:59 PM on Thursday, February 23, 2023. 

Attorney Training: Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Pro Bono Legal Representation

CCA’s SIJS Pro Bono Project trains attorneys and coordinates their representation of abused, abandoned, and neglected immigrant children and youth seeking SIJS findings in state probate court.

Attorneys must commit to accept representation of a client in state probate court through CCA's SIJS Pro Bono Project when registering.

New Team Member Welcome!

CCA is proud to welcome Jedidah Burke, CCA's newest paralegal, to the team! Jedidiah has extensive experience in civil litigation and criminal law, and will be working in the Youth Justice and Homeless Youth Advocacy Projects, helping youth who are homeless or involved in the justice system enforce their rights to attend school and access services critical to good health, well-being, and a successful transition to adulthood.