On May 10, Connecticut Voices for Children released a report on its examination of reasons parents leave the foster care system.
Under contract with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Connecticut Association of Foster and Adoptive Parents (CAFAP) conducted exit interviews of foster parents. Their survey results show that 74.4% of parents left for reasons such as adoption, retirement, or changes in family circumstances. Other reasons cited were a lack of respect by DCF (7.2%), inadequate DCF support (8.4%), inadequate DCF services to children (4.7%), and minimal request for placements (5.3%).
The report analyses the results of CAFAP’s exit survey based on a 55% response rate for FYs 2007 – 2010. The study includes DCF’s response to report findings and recommendations.
A point of interest to legislators in this report is the issue of sharing information on the child with the foster parent, which is addressed in SB 1043, currently on the Senate calendar. This bill would expand the list of parties to whom DCF must disclose otherwise confidential information so that prospective and actual foster parents have information useful for providing better care.
