Racial Justice in the Child Welfare System
Child Welfare Law Symposium

On June 12, the Center for Children's Advocacy's Child Welfare Law Symposium drew more than a hundred statewide child welfare practitioners to hear CT Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Robinson and Justice Maria Kahn discuss implicit bias in the justice system.

Their presentation was followed by Susan Smith, DCF Chief of Quality and Planning, on proactive efforts to reduce bias in child welfare; and a panel that included Troy Brown, JD, CSSD Assistant Director of Program and Staff Development; Josh Michtom, JD, Public Defender; Desiree Fernandez, Court Services Officer; and Ellen Morgan, JD, private practitioner, who discussed their own professional and personal experiences with implicit and explicit bias in systems designed to provide support for Connecticut children. The panel was moderated by Steven Hoffler, PhD.

Big Wins for Homeless Youth

New Law Helps Homeless Youth Stay in School
Working with the Partnership for Strong Communities, CCA was successful in advocating for passage of a new law that helps youth who are homeless stay in school. The new Connecticut law mirrors federal McKinney Vento law, ensuring immediate and continuing school enrollment.

100 Day Challenge to End Youth Homelessness
We are two months into Connecticut's 100-Day Challenge to end youth homelessness, using the tight time frame and high visibility to achieve rapid progress and sustainable system change.

Facilitated by the Rapid Results Institute, 100-Day Challenges have been implemented around the world on many different issues. Almost always, results exceed normal performance levels. In 2017, a team in Minnesota set a goal to ensure that 150 youth ages 16-24 secured safe and stable housing; 100 days later, 236 youth were in safe and stable housing.

Connecticut's goal is to safely and stably house 450 youth and young adults, and connect more than 200 to education, employment, DCF and/or mental health services. Additional regional goals include education, employment, transportation, and re-entry from the juvenile and adult justice systems. Regional goals and updates on the 100 Day Challenge can be found here.

CCA Operations Director Stacey Violante Cote is chair of the Youth and Young Adult Homelessness Workgroup of Connecticut’s Reaching Home Campaign, working with statewide partners to end youth homelessness in CT. For more information, please contact Stacey Violante Cote.

Meeting of Juvenile Justice Policy Oversight Committee features CCA Youth Speakers

At the June legislative office meeting of the state’s Juvenile Justice Policy Oversight Committee, CCA attorney Kathryn Meyer, director of the Center's Speak Up project, brought youth leaders to share thoughts about the juvenile justice system, and discuss ways to integrate youth voice into the legislative and policy-making process. Insightful presentations demonstrated the importance of youth voice.

From left, below:
Frances R, Hartford Public High School graduate, will attend UConn Hartford this fall. Frances is a community activist and is working to engage youth in the legislative process, schedule listening sessions to bring youth feedback to legislators and advocates.

Cristy R, Hartford Public High School graduate, will attend UConn Hartford this fall. Christie talked about the importance of making JJPOC meetings more approachable, meeting youth where they are rather than expecting that they are able to access the legislative process.

Nefartari C, graduating from college in 2020, wants to become an attorney so she can help youth in detention and work to assure equality across racial lines. Tari cares deeply about youth justice and wants to help create a better system.

Click here and go to 1:30 to watch youth presentations.

Center for Children's Advocacy executive director Martha Stone is a member of the state's JJPOC, and sits on its Executive Committee.

CCA Elects New Board Members

Help for Kids Aging Out of Foster Care

About 30% of Connecticut's foster care population “ages out” of care at age 18 without finding a permanent family via adoption, guardianship, or reunification with their birth family. Without continued support, rates of homelessness, mental health issues and unemployment skyrocket for these youth.

The state will extend support up to age 23 if youth are enrolled in educational, vocational, or employment programs; however, due to histories of trauma, lack of support systems, and the basic science of adolescent brain development, youth often are unable to negotiate the system to remain in care. 

CCA's “800 Project" provides foster youth 18+ with legal representation to help them continue in care while they finish their education and vocational training. Our attorneys recently trained a team of pro bono lawyers to represent youth who have received a “DCF-800” discharge form. Representation ranges from consultation with youth and service providers, to negotiation with DCF, and assisting with an administrative hearing to allow the youth to remain in care. 

While the Project started as a pilot program in the Bridgeport area, the Center is working to develop a network of attorneys statewide to ensure youths' smooth and safe transition into adulthood. If you would like to provide pro bono representation for these youth, please click here to register for our October training. 

Center for Children's Advocacy