A new state audit has uncovered a troubling increase in the number of foster children going missing in Connecticut, along with significant failures by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to ensure their safety or prevent repeated runaways.
From fiscal years 2021 to 2023, children under DCF care went missing about 3,700 times—a 42% increase over the period. The audit, released Wednesday by the Connecticut Auditors of Public Accounts, found that DCF did not consistently follow laws or implement effective internal safeguards in many cases.
Rep. Corey Paris, D-Stamford, co-chair of the Children’s Committee, called the findings “serious” and emphasized that no child in state care should “fall through the cracks.”
According to the report, less than 5% of foster children went missing during this time, but many disappeared multiple times. One teenager reportedly went missing 100 times. Most were girls and teenagers, often placed in congregate care settings. On average, children were missing for eight days, with one case lasting more than two years.
Although two children were unaccounted for when the data was collected, DCF now says all the children are safe.
The audit criticized DCF for failing to analyze runaway cases to prevent future incidents. The department responded that many missing youth suffer from trauma and complex mental health needs, often prompting them to flee care. DCF also said it has introduced reforms and guidance to improve safety and reduce runaway incidents.
The report highlighted the case of six teenage girls who went missing 341 times over three years. Social workers and providers warned that they needed more specialized care, but DCF did not provide appropriate placements. Most of the runaways were in group homes, and in 2023, reports of abuse and neglect surfaced at a Harwinton facility for girls. That incident prompted reforms to improve trauma-informed care.
The audit also revealed that in 94% of cases reviewed, DCF did not document whether children were screened for sex trafficking after returning to care—violating federal requirements. DCF disputed this, claiming protocols are in place, but auditors recommended clearer, consistent procedures and over a dozen corrective steps.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for urgent reforms.
Sen. Ceci Maher, D-Wilton, said DCF has acknowledged past failures and is working to address them. Sen. Jason Perillo, R-Shelton, and Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, demanded immediate attention to the audit’s recommendations. Rep. Anne Dauphinais, R-Killingly, urged swift action and accountability to avoid seeing the same failures again in future audits.
Rep. Paris summed it up: “If we want to combat poverty and generational trauma, we have to give DCF the resources it needs to protect our most vulnerable children.”
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