The following procedures shall be followed before a child may be placed into Connecticut. 

An out-of-state private child placing agency seeking to place a child in Connecticut must be approved by the Licensing Unit of the DCF Bureau of Quality Management prior to making such a placement into Connecticut.

The DCF Interstate Compacts Office must review and approve any placement of a child from another state into Connecticut.  This approval shall be documented on ICPC-100A and signed by the DCF Interstate Compacts Office.  See below for Exception for Relocation of a Family Unit. 

The DCF Compacts Office will not approve the placement of any child with a family in Connecticut, or visits with such a family with any intention of placement, unless that family is fully licensed, certified or approved for the placement of that child by either DCF or a Connecticut licensed child placing agency. 

Exception for Relocation of a Family Unit (Conversion of Intrastate Placement into Interstate Placement):

In accordance with ICPC Regulation No. 1, the DCF Interstate Compacts Office may grant approval, via a signed ICPC-100A, for a child in the custody of another state or out-of-state private child placing agency to move into Connecticut with his/her licensed, certified or approved foster or pre-adoptive family prior to that family’s being licensed in Connecticut.  

Within five (5) working days of receipt of a request from the sending state’s Compacts Office for such an approval, the DCF Compacts Office shall

·          review the referral documentation (see procedure table below)

·          determine whether to approve the move, and if so, sign the ICPC-100A with a comment that the approval is contingent upon the family being able to meet compliance with Connecticut’s licensing requirements once they have relocated in this state

·          return ICPC-100A, approved or not approved, to the sending state’s Compacts Office.

Within thirty (30) working days of the family’s relocation to Connecticut, the family must be assessed for Connecticut licensure by a FASU worker or assessed for approval by a licensed private child placing agency.  The family must become licensed or approved within sixty (60) working days of the family’s relocation to Connecticut.  

If it is subsequently determined that the placement in Connecticut appears to be contrary to the interest of the child, the sending state shall arrange to return the child or make an alternative placement.

The sending state is legally responsible for the child per Article V of the Interstate Compact statute. 

DCF acts as an agent for the sending state and shall not make changes in a child’s placement without prior authorization from the sending state and the DCF Compacts Office. 

In cases of alleged imminent danger to the child, the regional office or Hotline shall assess and determine if immediate removal is warranted to provide safety for the child.  If so, an alternate placement will be made.  The regional office shall notify the DCF Interstate Compacts Office which will immediately notify the sending state’s Compacts Office.

Each DCF regional office shall designate a manager to be the Interstate Compacts Office liaison. 

The liaison will coordinate regional office casework flow with the DCF Interstate Compacts Office.

Requests from another state for home studies and evaluations to assess possible Connecticut placement resources, requests for supervision of a placement and/or requests for approval for a child to move with his/her current caretaker into Connecticut must be referred to the DCF Interstate Compacts Office, as specified below. 

(See above for Exceptions for Relocation of a Family Unit)

Pending Placements

If the placement has been approved, as specified above, but the child has not yet been placed: 

·          The DCF Compacts Office case record will remain open pending the placement being made within the six-month approval period.

·          The regional office case assignment can be closed until the child is placed.

If the sending state decides that the child will not be placed in Connecticut, the sending state’s Compacts Office will report this decision to the DCF Compacts Office via the ICPC-100B. 

Within twenty (20) calendar days of receiving such notice, the DCF Compacts Office will 

·          forward a copy of the ICPC-100B to the regional office Foster Care and Adoption Unit with instructions to close the licensed home 

·          file a copy of the ICPC-100B in the Compacts Office record and close the Compact Office case.

When the approved placement is made in Connecticut, the sending state will submit two (2) copies of the following to the DCF Compacts Office: 

·        ICPC-100B indicating the date of placement 

·        additional pertinent documents or updated materials requested or needed by the supervising office in Connecticut.

When the ICPC-100B from the sending state indicates that the child has been placed in Connecticut, the procedures below shall be followed to ensure supervision of the placement. 

The standards of supervision shall be in accordance with DCF’s standards for the supervision of its own clients who are in an out-of-home placement, as specified in the table below.  Supervisory services are not provided after the child turns 18 years of age. 

The sending state is legally responsible for the child per Article V of the Interstate Compact statute.  DCF acts as an agent for the sending state and shall not make changes in a child’s placement without prior authorization from the sending state and the DCF Compacts Office.  See above "Case Responsibilities" of this policy for emergency procedures.

The sending state is legally responsible for the child’s treatment plan.  The Connecticut supervising worker will provide ongoing assessment and action plan recommendations to assist in formulation of the treatment plan. 

The Connecticut supervising worker is expected to submit progress reports on each child quarterly starting from the date of placement, as requested by the sending state and agreed to by Connecticut. 

Progress reports are not provided after a child turns 18 years of age.

The sending state is responsible for notifying the DCF Compacts Office via the ICPC-100B of any change in placement status or compact termination. 

If the supervising worker has the information on change in placement status or compact termination, that worker shall report such to the DCF Compacts Office via the ICPC-100B. 

Changes which must be reported on this form include: 

Placement Status

·          Change of address within the same receiving state

·          Type of care changes; e.g., from foster care to adoption

Compact Termination

·          Placement request withdrawn

·          Adoption finalized

·          Child reached age of majority/legally emancipated

·          Legal custody changed

·          Treatment completed

·          Sending state’s jurisdiction terminated

-          If court release of jurisdiction is the closing reason, that court document should also be submitted in triplicate; i.e., revocation, transfer of guardianship, or adoption decree.

·          Approved placement resource will not be used

·          Child moves to another state

·          Child returned to sending state

For the agreement to be terminated when the child remains in Connecticut, prior concurrence/agreement must be obtained from the DCF Compacts office.  This approval will be transmitted to the sending state for action.

Within twenty (20) working days of receipt of the ICPC-100B from the sending state reporting withdrawal or termination reasons as specified above, the DCF Compacts Office will  

·          forward one (1) copy of the ICPC-100B and the sending state’s court order, when applicable, to the DCF supervising worker for regional case closure (hard copy and LINK)

·          file a copy in the ICO record and close the case.