The Law of Child Abuse and Neglect in Connecticut

Abstract

This book is designed as a handbook for lawyers who represent clients in child-protection matters, as well as social workers, teachers, mental health professionals, physicians, nurses, law enforcement officers, and other professionals who work with abused and neglected children and their families.

The book is organized according to the actual sequence of events followed in most cases involving suspected child abuse or neglect. After some introductory sections, Chapter 2 outlines Connecticut's reporting requirements, traces the process by which the state may seize and maintain temporary custody of a neglected child, and then details the manner in which neglect petitions are filed, adjudicated and ultimately disposed of in the Superior Court for Juvenile Matters. Separate sections describe DCF administrative case review and hearing procedures, as well as guardianship matters in probate courts. Chapter 3 covers termination of parental rights.

The following related topics are generally beyond the scope of this book: juvenile delinquency; special education; child custody disputes between private parties; criminal prosecutions and civil tort actions for child abuse; families with service needs (FWSN) petitions; emancipation; foster care and other forms of out-of-home placement; and adoption. Some of these topics may be explored in supplements or subsequent volumes.

Throughout this book, female and male pronouns are used interchangeably. Therefore, unless otherwise apparent from the context, she includes he and her includes his, and vice versa.

Keywords: child abuse, child neglect, juvenile, DCF