Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a sweeping Department of Children and Families (DCF) reform bill into law on Thursday, aiming to bring more transparency, accountability, and support to the agency. The bill, known as Public Act 26-26, establishes a framework for meaningful oversight of DCF and includes elements such as data collection and increased transparency.

Background

The act comes as DCF continues to face scrutiny for numerous high-profile cases, including one involving a 33-year-old man who says his stepmother held him captive for decades. DCF found reports involving the case to be unsubstantiated 20 years ago, and attorneys now accuse the agency of withholding information about its investigations.

Another case involved 11-year-old Jaqueline Mimi Torres Garcia, who was allegedly killed by her mother, aunt, and her mother’s boyfriend. According to testimony, a 22-year-old woman pretended to be Mimi during a prior DCF investigation.

In March, an Enfield 12-year-old was found dead, and DCF told NBC Connecticut it had been investigating the family prior to the child’s death. These tragedies have resurfaced systemic struggles that have plagued the agency for decades.

Provisions of the Bill

Public Act 26-26 aims to improve staffing efforts, create an online data dashboard, implement an oversight committee, and add more requirements for abuse investigations and when a child is out of town for more than two weeks. Supporters of the act, including Connecticut Voices for Children, said the bill is necessarily broad.

Kate Dormont, a former foster parent who works in the child advocacy space, also testified in favor of the bill. However, she expressed concerns that the bill may not go far enough in addressing the agency’s systemic issues.

Original reporting: NBC Connecticut (Hartford) — read the source article.