ICPC State Pages

Connecticut Home Studies (Adoption/Foster Care/Kinship/Parent/Relative)

Types of Home Studies

Connecticut conducts the following types of home studies:

• Foster Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Parent Care
• Foster- Adopt
• Adoption

Connecticut designates staff in each county/region to conduct home studies and/or process interstate placements:

• Other: Yes, DCF Area Office foster care/adoption unit staff. CT will not accept more than 2 Foster Home Study requests for the placement of the same child at one time. If a sending state has multiple Foster Home Study requests, the sending state will need to decide which 2 resources they wish to prioritize for assessment first.

Connecticut considers a home study as current/valid for:

• Public: 2 years
• Private: 2 years

Private Contract Services - Home Study

As the Sending State, Connecticut will pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• Other: Yes, on a case by case basis.

As the Receiving State, Connecticut will permit a Sending state to pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• Other: Yes, on a case by case basis.

As the Receiving State, Connecticut will accept/update a home study that was not originally conducted by the receiving state or a private contractor acting on behalf of the Receiving State:

• Other: Only for the purposes of ICPC Regulation 1 requests.

Adoptive Home Study

Home study for adoption conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• No

Prospective adoptive parents permitted to pay for a pre-adoptive home study:

• Private Adoptions: Yes
• Independent Adoptions: Yes

DCPS contracts for Purchase of Services with private agencies in other states:

• No

Foster Care Home Study

Home study for foster care conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Parent Home Study

If child has been removed from the parent, Connecticut requires a home study evaluation before reunification:

• Yes, in cases where abuse and or neglect occurred.

Non-Custodial Parents: Placements with non-custodial parents are not covered under the ICPC if:

• • A court does not have evidence before it that such parent is unfit;
  • Does not seek such evidence; and
  • Does not retain jurisdiction over the child after the court transfers the child.

  Per ICPC Regulation 2 - Public Court Jurisdiction Cases.

Proof of Paternity is required:

• Yes: All relatives must show proof of lineage to the child/family.

Relative/Kinship Home Study

Home study for relatives conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Define Relative:

• Related means kinship by blood, marriage or adoption, descended from a common ancestor not more than three (3) generations removed from said child.

Relatives must be licensed:

• Yes

Proof of Paternity is required:

• Yes : All relatives must show proof of lineage to the child/family.

Connecticut considers the following types and degrees of relation as relative placements. Individuals related in the 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree and 4th degree (You may need to refer to your state's consanguinity chart or state statute to determine relations or relative status.):

• 1st Degree (mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter)
• 2nd Degree (grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin)
• 3rd Degree (great grandmother, great grandfather, great aunt, great uncle, grand-niece, grand nephew, second cousin)
• 4th Degree (great, great-grandmother, great, great-grandfather, great, great aunt, great, great aunt, great, great uncle, great grand-niece, great grand nephew, third cousin)
• Godmother, Godfather
• Other

Regulation 7 Priority Placement

Connecticut performs priority placements:

• Yes

A court ordered Priority 7 conducted if the child is in a DCF shelter or foster home for substantial period of time.

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Public

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of educational training):

• 90 days

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• 60 days

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Private

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of education training):

• 90 days

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• 60 days

Connecticut determines the "Date of Receipt" for an interstate home study as:

• Other

Method of requesting, sending, and/or reporting an interstate home study

Criminal Record Checks

Connecticut requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

• Foster Care
• Relative Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Foster-Adopt
• Adoption
• Parent
• Other, specified below

Special Study requests.

Type of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

Connecticut requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR))

Wait Time for Criminal Records Results

Wait time for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

• State: 24 hours
• Local/County: 24 hours

Manually - Fingerprint Card

• State: 15-30 days
• Local/County: 48-72 hours