Human Services

In normal circumstances, Mary Howley would agree, children who repeatedly hit their parents should be arrested and charged with a crime.

But her two foster children have mental disabilities and a history of enduring abuse in their previous living situations.

So when she called police to her home during family altercations, it wasn't to get her children arrested. It was to protect herself from immediate physical harm and to get help calming the situation. Read more

State legislators Thursday heard tales of elderly patients left in bed for days, sitting for hours in urine and feces, and getting the wrong meals and medications at four nursing homes where the workers have been on strike for over two months.

And just in case two hours of testimony wasn't enough, the union representing the 375 striking workers passed out a booklet of resident's stories to members of the Human Services and Public Health committees. Read more

When Barbara Planker was laid off from her job last year she headed for the nearest soup kitchen - not to be fed, but to volunteer.

"I used to have the money to donate, but now all I have is time," said the Milford resident. She's not alone.

Nonprofit organizations across the state are reporting a surge in volunteers since the recession began, some of them victims of the recession themselves. Read more

A federal judge has rejected the Connecticut nursing home industry's request for an injunction that would have shielded it from further budget cuts next year as state government grapples with a budget deficit of historic proportions.

U.S. District Court Judge Peter C. Dorsey also dismissed one of the two arguments raised by the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, which contends Connecticut's method of funding nursing home care violates basic principles mandated by the federal Medicaid program. Read more

Last month, childcare centers were bracing themselves for another round of major budget cuts from the state as lawmakers grappled with closing a billion dollar budget hole.

But this week 5,500 childcare centers in Connecticut are opening their mail to find a check from the state for thousands of dollars -- a third piece of good budget news for the centers in the past month. Read more

Connecticut is one of 21 states counting on Congress to approve billions in emergency health care aid for next year - and lacking any back-up plan if the funding doesn't come through, according to a new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

And a senior policy specialist for the Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group said Wednesday that while support remains strong on Capitol Hill to expand the stimulus program, federal lawmakers are equally reluctant to do so without new spending cuts or revenue increases to offset the $25.5 billion cost. Read more

The House overwhelmingly passed a bill requiring that parents and childcare providers be given 30-days' notice before enrollment closes or eligibility requirements change for the state's daycare subsidies. Read more

Damir Islam has applied to over 400 entry-level jobs over the last 6 months, and is still jobless.

Islam blames his bad luck on his drug conviction and the dreaded, "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" question that has appeared on every application - not on the state's 9.2 percent unemployment rate.

"I am not even getting interviews at Dunkin' Donuts or Olive Garden. I know if I didn't check that I would have been hired somewhere by now." he said. Read more

The state is preparing to launch a pilot program aimed a keeping victims of domestic violence safer, but even proponents say the high-tech solution comes with unanswered questions.

The year-long pilot program will allow judges in Bridgeport, Danielson and Hartford to order domestic violence offenders who ignore restraining orders to wear GPS ankle bracelets. Their victims will carry small devices that will alert police if their abusers come within one mile.

What's still to be figured out is how to deal with the inevitable accidental violations. Read more