State Child Protection: State Child Protection Officials Sending Increasing Number Of Kids To Out Of State Facilities

State Child Protection: State Child Protection Officials Sending Increasing Number Of Kids To Out Of State Facilities - Courant.com

State child protection officials are sending an increasing number of troubled children to out-of-state treatment facilities, racking up high costs and raising concerns among advocates about the emotional consequences of cutting kids off from guardians and siblings.

Once they go away, the children spend far longer in residential treatment — an additional 189 days, on average — than children in Connecticut programs. The practice has continued unabated despite the availability of empty beds at local programs.

The Department of Children and Families, a $900 million-a-year agency that has toiled under federal oversight for more than 20 years, has struggled with an over-reliance on out-of-state placements for at least a decade.