A Project Within the Yale Law School Mental Health Justice Clinic
The Family Advocacy and Support Team (FAST) works on preventing the unnecessary separation of families in New Haven through community advocacy, coalition building, and individual advocacy. In this pilot program, students advocate for parents during Considered Removal: Child and Family Team Meetings, also called Considered Removal Meetings, which occur with Department for Children and Families (DCF) when DCF is considering immediate removal of a child from their home or, in some instances, after a child has been removed but before a court case begins. Students developed a Know Your Rights guide for parents attending these meetings and collected additional resources, which can be viewed below.
Additional Resources:
Connecticut DCF Q&A document1 listing parents’ rights at Considered Removal Meetings in DCF’s own words.
Connecticut DCF policy guidance2 on Considered Removal Meetings