New Haven – A former director of the city’s Youth Services Department is calling on state legislators, housing advocates, and community leaders to back a new bill that would place a modest trust account into the hands of every child who enters Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) care. The proposal, outlined in a recent opinion piece, would allocate $25 per month from a foster parent’s payment and a one‑time $500 seed deposit after 60 days, providing a financial foundation for youth aging out of the system.
Why the bill matters
Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that New Haven schools reported 1,084 students experiencing homelessness in the 2023‑24 school year – roughly one in five of the city’s students. Statewide, the figure was 5,463, a stark reminder that homelessness among foster youth is a pervasive crisis.
Six recent cases of 18‑year‑olds sleeping on the New Haven Green after aging out of DCF care illustrate the human cost of inaction. These young adults, once under state supervision, found themselves without any safety net once their foster payments stopped.
Proposed funding and impact
The bill’s first‑year cost is projected at $3.8 million – less than one‑and‑a‑half hundredths of one percent of Connecticut’s $26 billion general fund. That amount is comparable to the cost of a single I‑95 interchange redesign and far lower than the state’s annual office‑supply budget.
After the initial year, the program would cost $2.6 million annually, as the seed deposits would no longer be needed for children already in care. Over a ten‑year span, a child entering the system at age ten could accumulate roughly $9,000, while a child raised in care from birth could receive more than $20,000 – a direct cash benefit, not a voucher that must be fought for.
Local opposition and missed opportunities
When the author previously served as Youth Director, a plan for a teen homeless shelter – the “Escape for Youth” – secured zoning approval and $600,000 in grant funds. However, opposition from city officials, including Mayor Justin Elicker, led to the project’s defunding, leaving the city without a dedicated safe‑housing option for its most vulnerable youth.
Critics argue that the state’s existing Baby Bonds program, launched in 2021, should have included foster children from the start. The omission underscores a broader pattern of neglect for children in state care.
Call to action
The author urges readers to contact their state legislators, housing activists, and youth organizations to support the legislation. By creating a trust account for each foster child, Connecticut can break the cycle that sends young adults back into the streets, aligning with the state’s Christian‑based values of family support and individual liberty.
“We have the resources, the moral imperative, and the constitutional right to protect our children,” the author writes. “Let’s put an end to the mud and give our youth a future they deserve.”
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
