Office of the Child Advocate
At a
Glance
JEANNE MILSTEIN, Child
Advocate
Christy Scott, Esq., Associate Child Advocate
Mickey Kramer, RN-C, MS, Assistant Child Advocate
Moira O’Neill, Assistant
Child Advocate
Heather Panciera, Assistant
Child Advocate
Faith Vos Winkel, Assistant
Child Advocate
Denise Scruggs, Administrative
Assistant
Janet Santiago, Processing
Tech
Statutory authority - CGS
46a-13k, et seq.
Central office - 18-20
Trinity Street,
Hartford, CT 06106
Number of employees - 9
Recurring operating expenses - $616,060
The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) speaks for Connecticut’s
children. The OCA was created in 1995
to be an independent voice for children rather than an administrator of
programs. OCA’s mission is to oversee
the care and protection of Connecticut’s children and to advocate for their
well-being. OCA is committed to
ensuring that all children receive the care and supports they need.
The statutory responsibilities include evaluating the
procedures for and the delivery of state-funded services to children;
investigating inquiries or complaints regarding children; recommending changes
in state policy; conducting programs of public education; legislative advocacy
and proposing systemic reform; reviewing conditions and procedures of all
public and private facilities where children are placed; providing training and
technical assistance to children’s attorneys; initiating or intervening in
court cases on behalf of children; serving on the Child Fatality Review Panel
and conducting a fatality review on the circumstances of the death of a child
due to unexpected or unexplained causes and to facilitate development of
prevention strategies to address identified trends and patterns of risk and to
improve coordination of services for children and families in the state.
During its six-year history, OCA has brought about significant
change for Connecticut families and children.
OCA helps families by educating and informing them about services for
children, coaching them through various public systems, reviewing individual
cases, advocating for children at risk, and addressing broad public policy
issues. These reviews and
investigations not only help the OCA address individual problems, but also
assist the OCA in identifying the systems issues that need to be
addressed. The activities of the OCA
benefit the children of this state, and serve as a catalyst for policy and
legislative change.
This year, OCA established a fully
operational ombudsman's office to fulfill one of its chief responsibilities:
reviewing and addressing citizen inquiries and concerns about children's
issues. OCA addresses every concern and
responds by taking further action or referring citizens to the appropriate
agency that can address their concern.
From October 1, 2000 to September 30, 2001, OCA received 1968 contacts from
the public. Of those, 64 percent
(approx. 1260) were referred to other agencies, and 36 percent (approx. 708)
warranted further investigation by OCA.
The OCA created new partnerships to
better advocate for children. New
collaborations were created with schools, police, business community, faith
community, parents, non-profits, health care providers, attorneys, concerned
citizens, lawyers, Judges, and children's advocates.
The OCA implemented a structured
administrative system for the Child Fatality Review Panel. A relational database was created to collect
information on all unexpected or unexplained child fatalities. A reporting system was developed to generate
reports looking at trends such as the leading causes of death, and the
characteristics of the children who have died.
The Office of the Child Advocate is committed to regular
reviews of its current operating procedures aimed at reducing waste and
increasing efficiency. The OCA has
implemented operating policies and procedures and has computerized office
operations. There is more reliance on
e-mail than regular mail in an effort to reduce waste of paper.
The Office of the Child Advocate has developed an affirmative
action plan which complies with Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 46a-70
through 46a-78.
As mandated by Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 46a-13k(f) and
46a-13q(a), the Office of the Child Advocate and the Advisory Panel submitted a
joint annual report for the period of October 1, 2000 through September 30, 2001. The Child Advocate has filed her annual
reflecting the period October 1, 2000 through September 30, 2001.