Saud Anwar

Senator Anwar Leads Senate Approval of Legislation Aligning Department of Children and Families with Modern Needs

HARTFORD – State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) today led the Senate’s approval of legislation updating the standards and laws of the Department of Children and Families. Sen. Anwar is the Senate Chair of the Children’s Committee. The legislation repeals several outdated standards while making slight adjustments that will better align the department with the needs of children statewide.

“I’m proud my colleagues and I were able to accomplish changes to benefit children statewide,” said Sen. Anwar. “From ensuring a health care professional joins the State Advisory Council on Children and Families to streamlining other processes to benefit the state’s aid and care for children, I believe this bill helps our aid to youths in Connecticut and look forward to its becoming law.”

Senate Bill 872, “An Act Concerning The Department of Children and Families’ Recommendations For Revisions To The Statutes Concerning Children,” makes nine significant changes to laws governing the Department of Children and Families. Several involve removing and repealing obsolete and unnecessary rules and standards, while others update DCF regulations to better meet children’s needs today. Changes include:

• Requiring the department to submit certain federally required reports to the legislature instead of a comprehensive strategic planning requirement
  Eliminates a requirement for agencies including DCF to submit a twice-annual progress report on the Connecticut Children’s Behavioral Health Plan and data-driven recommendations to legislative committees
• Repeals language regarding reporting mandates that the state has met
• Repeals a provision on reporting cases where children identify adults with significant relationships as resources when developing or revising a permanency plan
• Adds a licensed health care professional to the membership of the State Advisory Council on Children and Families

The legislation passed the Committee on Children unanimously in March and passed the Senate unanimously today. It now moves to the House.