CONNECTICUT STATE CUSTODY / CHILD WELFARE ACCOUNTABILITY AUDIT

Statewide Fast Pass Scan | 2019-2024

Investigation ID: CT-CW-AUDIT-20260119
Classification: PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT
Investigator: OPUS - Project Milk Carton
Date: January 19, 2026

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This statewide fast pass scan of Connecticut's Department of Children and Families (DCF) identifies significant accountability gaps across multiple risk indicators. The state ended 30+ years of federal oversight via the Juan F. consent decree in March 2022, declaring victory over systemic failures. However, post-oversight data reveals escalating concerns:

• 42% increase in children going missing from care (FY2021-2023)
• 94% failure rate in trafficking screening documentation after returns
• 11 child opioid fatalities since 2020 with 40+ total under-5 fatalities/near-fatalities
• STAR group home scandal with sex trafficking allegations, 4+ lawsuits, 763+ police calls
• Federal CFSR failure - missed 5 of 7 outcome measures, placed on Performance Improvement Plan (2025)
• 15 of 18 audit findings were repeat issues from prior audits (FY2019-2021)

Overall Risk Assessment: HIGH

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A) STATEWIDE METRICS TABLE (2019-2024)

Child Welfare Population & Outcomes

Year	Child Population	Foster Care	Fatalities	Victim Rate (per 1K)	Perpetrators	Referrals
2019	727,280	4,311	4	11.1	6,497	51,900
2020	739,674	~3,800	9	8.6	5,171	~48,000
2021	732,830	~3,500	14	7.6	4,541	~48,500
2022	728,608	~3,284	15	6.9	4,090	~50,000
2023	722,986	~3,037	11	7.2	4,256	50,905

Source: [CIVICOPS:child_welfare_child_fatalities_2019_2023], [CIVICOPS:child_welfare_perpetrators_2019_2023]

Missing Children from Care Episodes (FY2021-2023)

Metric	Value	Risk Flag
Total Missing Episodes	3,736	CRITICAL
Unique Children Missing	600+	HIGH
Increase FY21→FY23	42%	CRITICAL
Most Frequent Runaway	100 episodes (single child)	CRITICAL
Average Episode Duration	8 days	HIGH
Longest Episode	865 days (2.4 years)	CRITICAL
Trafficking Screening Doc'd	6% (94% FAILURE)	CRITICAL
50%+ from Congregate Care	YES	HIGH

Source: [WebSearch:CT Mirror 2025/06/26], [WebSearch:Hartford Courant 2025/06/27]

Child Fatalities - Opioid Crisis

Metric	2020-2023	Notes
Fentanyl/Opioid Deaths (Under 5)	11	Homicides
Near-Fatalities (Under 5)	30+	Naloxone saves
Total Under-5 Fatalities/Near-Fatalities	40+	CRITICAL
Marcello Meadows (2023)	Age 10 months	OCA Report: "Third DCF fatality report in one year"

Source: [WebSearch:CT Public Radio 2024/02/21], [OCA Critical Incident Reports]

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B) FACILITY RISK TABLE - Top 25 Entities

CONGREGATE CARE FACILITIES (HIGHEST RISK)

Rank	Facility/Entity	Type	Risk Score	CAP/Incidents	Licensing Status	Flags
1	STAR Home (Harwinton)	STTAR Group Home	95/100	763+ police calls, 4+ lawsuits	CLOSED (Nov 2023)	MICR, FHR, TRAFFICKING
2	Bridge Family Center	Operator of STAR	85/100	Multiple abuse allegations	Under Investigation	FHR, LCS
3	STTAR Homes (System-wide)	Group Homes	75/100	50%+ of runaways	Restructured 2024	MICR, CSI

CHILD WELFARE NONPROFITS (FEDERAL FUNDING RECIPIENTS)

Rank	Organization	EIN	Revenue (Latest)	Officer Comp	Federal Awards	Risk Flags
4	The Village for Families & Children	60668594	$55.7M	$28.6M (aggregated)	Title IV-E contracted	HIGH COMP RATIO
5	Catholic Charities Archdiocese Hartford	60667607	$38.0M	$739K	Multiple programs	Monitor
6	Child & Family Agency SE CT	237212022	$16.9M	$504K	Title IV-E	LOW
7	United Services Inc	60804423	$23.6M	$1.04M	Multiple	Monitor
8	Family & Children's Aid Inc	60888719	$21.3M	$602K	Multiple	LOW
9	CT Institute for Refugees & Immigrants	N/A	~$2.5M	N/A	$2.5M ORR/UAC	UAC VOLAG
10	Jewish Family Services Greenwich	N/A	N/A	N/A	$273K ORR	UAC VOLAG

Source: [CIVICOPS:irs_bmf], [CIVICOPS:form_990], [CIVICOPS:usaspending_uac_subgrants]

STTAR HOME SPECIFIC INCIDENTS (Harwinton)

Date	Incident Type	Details	Source
2008-2023	Police Calls	763+ total responses	State Police Records
Nov 2022	DCF Awareness	Agency first aware of issues	DCF Testimony
May 2023	Admissions Closed	Emergency suspension	DCF
Apr-Jun 2023	Lawsuit #1	14-year-old assault/sexual assault	Hartford Superior Court
Feb 2021	Lawsuit #2	14-year-old raped by staff	Hartford Superior Court
Early 2020	Lawsuit #3	15-year-old sexual abuse	Hartford Superior Court
Nov 2023	Facility Closed	Permanent closure ordered	DCF Commissioner

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C) FUNDING / GOVERNANCE TABLE

Federal Funding (Documented)

Program	Award Amount	Recipient	Period	Monitoring Status
93.676 UAC/Refugee	$769,602	CT Institute for Refugees	FY2022	Via USCRI Prime
93.676 UAC/Refugee	$582,800	CT Institute for Refugees	FY2023	Via USCRI Prime
93.566 Matching Grant	$498,750	CT Institute for Refugees	FY2024	Via USCRI Prime
93.566 Matching Grant	$230,750	Jewish Family Services	FY2024	Via HIAS Prime
TAGGS UAC	$1,376,812	NAFI Connecticut Inc	Multi-year	HHS ACF
Title IV-E	$1.4M RETURNED	CT DCF	FY2022-23	AUDIT FLAGGED

Source: [CIVICOPS:usaspending_uac_subgrants], [CIVICOPS:taggs_ngo_grants], [WebSearch:CT Insider]

State Budget Appropriations

Fiscal Year	DCF Total Budget	Notes
FY2023	~$800M	Estimated annual operating
FY2024	~$800M+	Includes $8.6M mental health expansion
FY2025	~$800M+	Midterm adjustments

Note: Specific line-item appropriations require FOIA to CT OPM

Audit Findings Mapped to GCFS (Grant Compliance & Financial Stewardship)

Audit Period	Total Findings	Repeat Issues	GCFS Triggers
FY2019-2021	18	15 (83%)	HIGH - Persistent non-compliance
FY2022-2023	50+ (multi-agency)	Unknown	$1.4M improper Title IV-E claims

Key GCFS Findings:
- $3.9M payments for ineligible children
- $1.4M federal reimbursement returned
- 21% of abuse reviews not completed in 30 days
- Therapeutic foster care monitoring gaps (repeat since 2016)
- Foster parent daycare payment violations ($19,525)

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D) OVERSIGHT TIMELINE

Date	Event	Type	Impact on Risk
Dec 1989	Juan F. lawsuit filed	Consent Decree START	Federal oversight begins
1991	Consent decree entered	Court Order	Mandated reforms
Sep 2003	Receivership motion filed	Crisis	DCF admits non-compliance
2005	DCF resumes authority	Transition	Post-task force
2018	120 new employees hired	Staffing	Reduced caseloads
Mar 2022	Juan F. consent decree ENDED	Oversight DROP-OFF	ODR TRIGGER
Nov 2022	DCF aware of STAR issues	Internal	No immediate action
May 2023	STAR admissions closed	Emergency	Delayed response
Sep 2023	STAR scandal public	Media	763 police calls revealed
Nov 2023	STAR Harwinton closed	Enforcement	First facility closure
Feb 2024	Marcello Meadows OCA report	Fatality Review	"Third DCF fatality report in a year"
Mar 2024	STTAR reform announced	Policy	Renamed program
May 2025	State audit: 18 findings	Audit	15 repeat issues
Jun 2025	Missing children audit	Audit	42% increase, 94% trafficking screening failure
Sep 2025	Federal CFSR: PIP required	Federal	5/7 outcomes FAILED

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TOP 25 ACCOUNTABILITY RISK CLUSTERS

Tier 1: CRITICAL RISK (Score 80-100)

Rank	Cluster	Total Score	MICR	CSI	FHR	LCS	GCFS	ODR	Suppression	Confidence
1	Missing Children Accountability (System-wide)	92	30	25	10	5	10	12	0	HIGH
2	STAR Home Harwinton (Trafficking/Abuse)	95	20	15	30	15	5	10	0	HIGH
3	Opioid Fatalities (Under-5)	88	15	20	25	5	8	15	0	HIGH
4	Federal CFSR Non-Conformity (5/7 outcomes)	85	15	20	10	5	20	15	0	HIGH
5	Post-Consent Decree Oversight Gap	82	15	15	10	5	12	25	0	HIGH

Tier 2: HIGH RISK (Score 60-79)

Rank	Cluster	Total Score	MICR	CSI	FHR	LCS	GCFS	ODR	Suppression	Confidence
6	Repeat Audit Findings (15/18)	78	5	10	10	15	28	10	0	HIGH
7	Trafficking Screening Documentation (94% failure)	76	25	20	10	5	8	8	0	HIGH
8	Congregate Care Runaway Rate (50%+)	74	25	20	15	5	5	4	0	HIGH
9	Title IV-E Improper Claims ($1.4M)	72	0	0	5	10	52	5	0	HIGH
10	Kinship Care Search Failures (62% vs 95% federal)	68	10	15	5	10	20	8	0	HIGH
11	Abuse Review Delays (21% over 30 days)	65	10	15	15	10	10	5	0	HIGH
12	Bridge Family Center (STAR Operator)	70	15	10	25	15	5	0	0	MED
13	Foster Home Capacity Decline (479 fewer since 2021)	62	10	20	10	5	10	7	0	MED

Tier 3: MODERATE RISK (Score 40-59)

Rank	Cluster	Total Score	MICR	CSI	FHR	LCS	GCFS	ODR	Suppression	Confidence
14	The Village for Families & Children (High Comp)	55	5	5	5	5	30	5	0	MED
15	Therapeutic Foster Care Monitoring Gaps	52	5	10	10	12	15	0	0	MED
16	UAC/ORR Subgrant Network (CT)	48	5	5	5	5	20	8	0	MED
17	Re-entry Rate (11% - above federal standard)	45	10	15	5	5	5	5	0	MED
18	Catholic Charities Hartford	42	5	5	5	5	17	5	0	LOW

Tier 4: TRANSPARENCY PRIORITY (Data Suppressed/Unavailable)

Rank	Cluster	Transparency Score	Issue	Confidence
19	Facility Licensing Inspection Reports	SUPPRESSED	Not publicly available	N/A
20	Individual CAP Documentation	SUPPRESSED	FOIA required	N/A
21	STTAR Home Incident Logs (non-Harwinton)	SUPPRESSED	Not disclosed	N/A
22	Title IV-E Spending Detail by Program	SUPPRESSED	Aggregate only	N/A
23	Staff Turnover/Caseload by Office	SUPPRESSED	Not public	N/A
24	Missing Children Recovery Outcomes	SUPPRESSED	70% <1 day noted, detail unavailable	N/A
25	Child Fatality Review Full Reports	PARTIAL	OCA summaries only	MED

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EVIDENCE BUNDLES - TOP 10 CLUSTERS

Cluster #1: Missing Children Accountability Failure

What We Know:
- 3,736 missing episodes from FY2021-2023 (600+ unique children)
- 42% increase over period
- One child went missing 100 times
- 6 teenage girls accounted for 341 episodes
- 94% failure rate documenting trafficking screening after return
- Most runaways were teenagers, predominantly girls
- Over 50% from congregate care settings

What Is Missing:
- Individual case outcomes (recovery status, services provided)
- Detailed trafficking screening results for the 6% documented
- Comparison to pre-consent decree period
- Facility-specific breakdown beyond aggregate "congregate care"

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that 94% documentation failure is data entry issue, not practice failure
- Evidence that children were screened but not documented

Records Required:
1. DCF missing children incident database (FY2019-2024)
2. Individual case files for 100-episode child
3. Trafficking screening protocols and training records
4. Placement-level incident logs for all STTAR homes

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Cluster #2: STAR Home Harwinton (Trafficking/Abuse)

What We Know:
- 763+ police calls since 2008
- Sex trafficking, assault, abuse allegations documented
- 4+ civil lawsuits filed (2020, 2021, 2023, 2024)
- Children leaving facility for "extended periods" without supervision
- Staff arrested; staff member accused of raping 14-year-old
- DCF aware Nov 2022, admissions not closed until May 2023
- Facility permanently closed Nov 2023

What Is Missing:
- Complete incident log for 2019-2023
- Staff disciplinary records
- DCF monitoring visit reports
- Licensing inspection history and CAPs
- Criminal prosecution outcomes

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that incidents were isolated, not systemic
- Evidence of timely DCF intervention before media exposure

Records Required:
1. State police incident reports (763+ calls)
2. DCF licensing inspection reports (2019-2023)
3. Bridge Family Center internal incident reports
4. All CAPs issued to facility
5. Staff criminal background check records

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Cluster #3: Opioid Fatalities (Under-5)

What We Know:
- 11 children under 5 died from fentanyl intoxication since 2020
- 40+ total fatalities/near-fatalities from opioids (under 5)
- Marcello Meadows (10 months) - death ruled homicide
- OCA stated "third fatality report in one year regarding death by homicide of child under active or recent DCF supervision"
- "Case reviews and DCF systems data continue to show persistent deficiencies in safety planning and case management"
- "Marked decline in DCF's risk and safety assessment and case supervision over the last two years"

What Is Missing:
- Complete fatality review reports (only summaries public)
- Individual case files for 11 opioid deaths
- Staff discipline/accountability for failures
- Trend data comparing to pre-2020

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that fatalities occurred outside DCF supervision
- Evidence that safety assessments were conducted properly but documented poorly

Records Required:
1. OCA full fatality review reports (2020-2024)
2. DCF internal investigation files for all 11 opioid deaths
3. Safety assessment documentation for decedents' cases
4. Staff disciplinary actions taken post-fatality

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Cluster #4: Federal CFSR Non-Conformity

What We Know:
- CT missed federal benchmarks in 5 of 7 factors reviewed
- Federal government recommended Performance Improvement Plan
- Not in "substantial conformity" with any well-being outcome measurements
- Only in conformity with 2 of 7 factors
- Strengths: sibling placements, kinship, educational needs assessment

What Is Missing:
- Full CFSR Round 4 report (only summary available)
- Specific metrics for each failed outcome
- CT's proposed PIP content
- Timeline for compliance

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that failures were minor or methodological
- Evidence of rapid improvement since review period

Records Required:
1. Full federal CFSR Round 4 report for Connecticut
2. CT DCF Performance Improvement Plan submission
3. Monthly/quarterly PIP progress reports

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Cluster #5: Post-Consent Decree Oversight Gap

What We Know:
- Juan F. consent decree ended March 2022 after 30+ years
- Court declared "all outcome measures met"
- Foster care population dropped from 6,203 (2016) to 3,284 (Jan 2022)
- Post-2022: Missing children episodes increased 42%
- Post-2022: Federal CFSR found 5/7 outcomes failed
- Post-2022: STAR home scandal emerged
- Post-2022: Opioid fatalities continued

What Is Missing:
- Independent monitoring reports post-consent decree
- Outcome data comparing 2019-2022 (under oversight) to 2022-2025 (post-oversight)
- Analysis of whether reforms degraded after oversight ended

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that negative trends began before consent decree ended
- Evidence of continued robust internal monitoring

Records Required:
1. Final Juan F. court monitor reports (2020-2022)
2. Internal DCF quality assurance reports (2022-2025)
3. Children's Rights post-exit monitoring (if any)

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Cluster #6: Repeat Audit Findings (15 of 18)

What We Know:
- FY2019-2021 state audit: 18 findings
- 15 findings (83%) were repeat issues from prior audits
- Key repeats: abuse review delays, therapeutic foster care monitoring, staff shortages
- Foster parent daycare payment violation: $19,525
- 21% of abuse reviews not completed within 30 days (656 of 3,114)

What Is Missing:
- Historical audit reports showing original findings
- Corrective action plan status for each repeat finding
- Accountability for persistent non-compliance

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that "repeat" findings had different root causes each time
- Evidence of meaningful progress between audit periods

Records Required:
1. State Auditors of Public Accounts reports (2015-2024)
2. DCF corrective action plans for each audit
3. Implementation status documentation

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Cluster #7: Trafficking Screening Documentation (94% Failure)

What We Know:
- Federal law requires trafficking screening after children return from missing status
- DCF documented screening in only 6% of examined cases
- Auditors: "This violates federal laws around foster care programs"
- Commissioner response: "documentation issue, not a lack of follow-through"

What Is Missing:
- Evidence that screenings occurred but weren't documented
- Training records for trafficking screening protocols
- Actual trafficking identification rates

What Would Falsify:
- Electronic health records showing screenings completed
- Witness statements from caseworkers confirming screenings

Records Required:
1. Trafficking screening protocols and policy
2. Training records for all caseworkers
3. Case file sample showing completed vs. documented screenings
4. Federal compliance review correspondence

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Cluster #8: Congregate Care Runaway Rate

What We Know:
- Over 50% of children missing from care were in congregate settings
- STTAR homes accounted for disproportionate share
- Children in congregate care have "high acuity and complex needs" per DCF
- 6 teenage girls in audit sample went missing 341 times combined
- Social workers noted they "needed more care to stay safe"

What Is Missing:
- Facility-level breakdown of runaway rates
- Staffing ratios at time of each incident
- Therapeutic programming availability
- Alternative placement availability data

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that runaways occurred at similar rates across all placement types
- Evidence of adequate staffing and programming at congregate facilities

Records Required:
1. Runaway incident logs by facility (2019-2024)
2. Staffing schedules at time of incidents
3. Therapeutic program utilization data
4. Available bed/placement capacity reports

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Cluster #9: Title IV-E Improper Claims

What We Know:
- DCF made $3.9M in payments for children determined ineligible for federal funding
- $1.4M was claimed for federal reimbursement
- DCF returned the $1.4M after audit flagged issue
- Part of 50 findings across 13 state agencies in FY2022-23

What Is Missing:
- How eligibility determinations failed
- Whether improper claims were systemic or isolated
- Impact on children who received services under improper funding

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence of clerical error vs. intentional miscoding
- Evidence of immediate system fixes preventing recurrence

Records Required:
1. State Auditors single audit report (FY2022-23)
2. DCF eligibility determination procedures
3. List of improperly claimed cases (redacted)
4. Corrective action plan

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Cluster #10: Kinship Care Search Failures

What We Know:
- Federal measure requires 95% of recent placements have kin search
- Connecticut achieved only 62%
- Auditors found "inadequate attempts across all offices to find kin"
- 51-page audit covered 2018-2022
- 12 areas of concern identified
- DCF goal of 70% kinship placement not met

What Is Missing:
- Office-by-office compliance rates
- Reasons for failed searches
- Comparison to national averages

What Would Falsify:
- Evidence that kin were searched but refused
- Evidence of documentation failure vs. practice failure

Records Required:
1. Kinship search documentation by regional office
2. Training records for kin finding protocols
3. Case sample showing search attempts

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C) AUTO-GENERATED RECORDS REQUEST PACKETS

PACKET 1: Connecticut Department of Children & Families

FOIA Request - Critical Priority

Pursuant to the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-200 et seq.), Project Milk Carton requests the following records:

1. Missing Children Data (2019-2024):
   - Complete missing from care incident database
   - Individual case outcomes (recovery status, services)
   - Trafficking screening documentation for returned children
   - Facility-level incident breakdown

2. STTAR/STAR Home Records:
   - Licensing inspection reports for all STTAR facilities (2019-2024)
   - Corrective Action Plans issued to each facility
   - Incident reports for Harwinton facility (2019-2023)
   - Staff disciplinary records (redacted as appropriate)

3. Child Fatality Records:
   - Internal investigation files for opioid-related fatalities (2020-2024)
   - Safety assessment documentation for fatality cases
   - Staff accountability actions taken

4. Federal Compliance:
   - Full CFSR Round 4 report
   - Performance Improvement Plan submission
   - Title IV-E eligibility determination procedures

5. Quality Assurance:
   - Internal quality assurance reports (2022-2025)
   - Corrective action plans for all state audit findings (2015-2024)

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PACKET 2: Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate

Records Request

1. Full fatality review reports (not summaries) for all child fatalities 2020-2024
2. STAR/STTAR home investigation reports
3. Critical incident database extracts (2019-2024)
4. Systemic investigation reports issued 2020-2025

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PACKET 3: Connecticut Auditors of Public Accounts

Records Request

1. Complete DCF audit reports (2015-2024)
2. Single audit reports with DCF findings
3. Corrective action plan tracking documentation
4. Follow-up audit correspondence with DCF

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PACKET 4: Connecticut State Police

Records Request

1. Incident reports for Bridge Family Center/STAR Home Harwinton (2008-2023)
2. Call log summary by incident type
3. Criminal referral documentation for staff

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PACKET 5: Administration for Children & Families (Federal)

FOIA Request

1. Connecticut CFSR Round 4 full report
2. Title IV-E eligibility review findings for Connecticut
3. PIP monitoring correspondence
4. CCDF state plan compliance reviews

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RISK SCORING METHODOLOGY

Indicator Definitions

Indicator	Full Name	Max Score	Description
MICR	Missing/AWOL Children Rate	30	Rate and trends of children going missing from care
CSI	Classification Shield Index	25	Use of "runaway" label without recovery accountability
FHR	Facility Harm Rate	30	Serious incidents, abuse, deaths in licensed facilities
LCS	Licensing Contradiction Score	15	Continued licensing despite serious CAPs
GCFS	Grant Compliance & Financial Stewardship	30	Audit findings, improper claims, monitoring gaps
ODR	Oversight Drop-off Risk	25	Escalation after oversight ends
Suppression	Data Transparency Failure	10	Critical data inaccessible

Scoring Notes

• CRITICAL (80-100): Immediate public safety concern; requires investigation
• HIGH (60-79): Significant system-risk indicators; requires verification
• MODERATE (40-59): Elevated concern; monitoring warranted
• LOW (<40): Within acceptable parameters; routine oversight

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KEY OBSERVATIONS

Oversight Drop-Off Risk (ODR)

The March 2022 end of the Juan F. consent decree represents a classic ODR trigger. Within 3 years:
- Missing children episodes increased 42%
- STAR home scandal emerged (DCF aware 6+ months before action)
- Federal CFSR found 5/7 outcomes failed
- Opioid fatalities continued with "marked decline in safety assessment"

This pattern suggests the reforms achieved under federal oversight may have been dependent on external monitoring rather than embedded institutional change.

Classification Shield (CSI)

The audit finding that 94% of trafficking screenings went undocumented is a critical CSI indicator. If screenings aren't documented:
- Trafficking victims may be classified as "runaways"
- Federal compliance cannot be verified
- Recovery outcomes cannot be measured

Commissioner's statement that this is a "documentation issue" requires verification.

Transparency Override

Multiple data categories are effectively suppressed:
- Facility-specific licensing records not public
- Individual CAP documentation requires FOIA
- Full fatality review reports restricted to summaries
- STTAR home incident logs (non-Harwinton) undisclosed

TRANSPARENCY OVERRIDE TRIGGERED for Clusters #19-25.

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SOURCES

Databases Queried

• [CIVICOPS:missing_children] - 10 CT records
• [CIVICOPS:irs_bmf] - 50 CT child welfare nonprofits
• [CIVICOPS:form_990] - 30 organizations with financials
• [CIVICOPS:usaspending_uac_subgrants] - 7 CT refugee/UAC awards
• [CIVICOPS:child_welfare_child_fatalities_2019_2023]
• [CIVICOPS:child_welfare_perpetrators_2019_2023]
• [CIVICOPS:child_welfare_table_c_2_child_population_2019_2023]
• [CIVICOPS:xml_executive_compensation] - CT nonprofit officer pay
• [CIVICOPS:fec_individual_contributions] - CT social work sector

Web Sources

• CT Mirror: Federal CFSR Report
• CT Mirror: Missing Children Audit
• CT Mirror: Juan F Consent Decree End
• CT Mirror: STAR Group Home Reform
• Hartford Courant: Missing Children Audit
• Hartford Courant: Opioid Death Report
• CT News Junkie: State Audit
• CT News Junkie: DCF Missing Policies
• NBC News: Foster Care Reduction
• WFSB: STAR Home Allegations
• CT Insider: Title IV-E Returned Funds
• CT DCF Portal
• CT Office of Child Advocate
• Children's Rights: Juan F Settlement

Official Reports

• CT Office of Child Advocate Critical Incident Report (November 2023)
• CT State Auditors Report FY2019-2021
• CT DCF Kinship Care Audit (2018-2022)
• Federal CFSR Round 4 Review (2025)

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INVESTIGATOR NOTES

This fast pass scan reveals a post-oversight accountability vacuum in Connecticut child welfare. The state's celebrated exit from the Juan F. consent decree in 2022 may have been premature given subsequent performance degradation.

The STAR home scandal represents a systemic failure at the facility level that persisted for years despite 763+ police calls and DCF awareness since November 2022. That it took until November 2023 for closure—and only after media exposure—indicates reactive rather than proactive oversight.

The 94% trafficking screening documentation failure is perhaps the most concerning finding. If Connecticut cannot verify that returned runaways are being screened for trafficking, the state has no accountability mechanism for identifying victims. This is not merely a "documentation issue" as characterized by leadership—it represents a critical gap in child protection.

Recommended Priority: Federal Title IV-E review of trafficking screening compliance.

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Report generated by OPUS - Project Milk Carton
Investigation Time: ~45 minutes
Classification: PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT