October 23, 2020
The following statements were issued by Ira Lustbader, Litigation Director at Children’s Rights, and Steven Frederick, Partner at Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky in response to Governor Ned Lamont’s approval of supplemental funding to the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
The new funding will support foster parents for the costs associated with caring for over 3,600 children in state care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lustbader and Frederick are co-counsel for the plaintiff children in the ongoing Connecticut federal child welfare reform lawsuit known as Juan F. v. Lamont (formerly Juan F. v. Malloy). As DCF works to address the remaining improvements required before the state can achieve a successful exit from the federal lawsuit, this reform effort has brought about substantial positive reforms for vulnerable children and families in Connecticut.
Steven Frederick, Partner, Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky, LLP:
“This is very good news. We know that families in Connecticut have been hit hard by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the families caring for these vulnerable kids really need extra support.”
Ira Lustbader, Litigation Director, Children’s Rights:
“Keeping kids with their families without ever entering foster care, and maximizing kids placed with relatives and other foster families for those kids in the system – these are foremost values of the DCF leadership that we fully support. We commend DCF for providing additional resources now – which will go to all relative and non-relative foster families – and we hope they can be extended next year.”