Policy

The Department of Children and Families shall expunge non-accepted and unsubstantiated reports of abuse and neglect in accordance with the standards set forth below.  

Legal References: 

·       CONN.  GEN. STAT. §17a-101k

Purpose

The purpose of expunging unaccepted and unsubstantiated reports and maintaining substantiated reports is to

·          permit the Department to protect the privacy of persons who have not been substantiated as perpetrators of abuse or neglect and

·       utilize information from substantiated reports to protect children from future abuse or 
      neglect..

Definitions

Expunge means the deletion from the LINK system of certain Child Protective Services reports and investigations, including associated case participants, allegations and documents.

Non-Accepted Reports

Reports of neglect and abuse that were not accepted by the DCF Hotline shall be kept for sixty (60) days from the date the report is received and then expunged. 

Reports of neglect and abuse that have been investigated and not substantiated shall be kept for five (5) years from the completion date of the investigation and then expunged. 

If the Department has received more than one report on a person, and they are all unsubstantiated, they shall be expunged five (5) years from the completion date of the most recent investigation. 

Unsubstantiated investigations will not be expunged if the person has been substantiated as a perpetrator in any other case.

Reports of neglect and abuse that have been investigated and substantiated shall be kept in LINK indefinitely.