Advocates called “surrogate parents” are typically assigned to help children in foster care or homeless children overcome barriers and get the education services they need. But the state’s contracts with the 74 surrogates responsible for more than 1,000 foster and homeless children on any given day expired July 1 — which has left these advocates in limbo.
Expired contracts leave education advocates for foster kids in limbo
Posted inEducation, Politics
Sponsors vow to reintroduce ‘yes means yes’ legislation
Co-sponsors of a bill that would require all Connecticut colleges and universities to adopt an affirmative-consent policy for sexual assault investigations say they will reintroduce the legislation next year. The law would change the way schools investigate sexual assault complaints by shifting the burden of proof to the accused to show the sexual activity was consensual.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut government’s ‘take it or leave it’ approach to providers
Everyone is familiar with the definition of a monopoly. But who has heard of a monopsony? A monopsony is where there is a single purchaser of a service from a pool of many sellers. The State of Connecticut’s purchase of service contracting system, particularly its purchase of human service related programs, is a monopsony. It means the state (the sole purchaser) can set limits on how much it will pay nonprofits (the sellers) for a service. In a monopsony environment, the state basically runs a “take it or leave it” business model. It matters little to the state how much providing that service actually costs.
Posted inEducation
Expert: Progress made, more needed at jails for young offenders
An expert’s review of DCF’s locked facilities for juvenile offenders highlights the successes of a juvenile justice system that incarcerates fewer youth than 10 years ago, but also raises questions about the adequacy of mental health services provided for at-risk youths both in and outside of jail.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Court reform must follow death of little Aaden Moreno
Though we want to think it is so, the recent death of 7-month-old Aaden Moreno at the hands of his father was not a rare event, but an all-too-common outcome of a child custody case. The child’s mother had sought a protective order based on the father’s history of abuse and threats against the mother and child. There is now a substantial body of scientific research that would make family court judges’ jobs easier, but our children will not be protected until we rely on domestic violence experts instead of general practitioners and integrate this important research into the standard court practices. The Safe Child Act is an evidence-based approach requiring that the health and safety of children must be the first priority in all custody and visitation decisions.
Posted inPolitics
Obama-Courtney golf game chat not about Iran pact, aide says
WASHINGTON – President Obama and three House Democrats, including Rep. Joe Courtney, played a round of golf in the sweltering heat at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland Sunday, but no one says politics was discussed on the green.
Posted inPolitics
Analysts: Lockheed Martin purchase fortunate break for Sikorsky, Connecticut
WASHINGTON — Some may lose jobs and a few Connecticut companies may lose contracts, but Lockheed Martin’s purchase of Sikorsky Aircraft is likely to anchor the helicopter maker in Stratford and increase it’s share of Pentagon contracts and the overseas market, analyst say.
Posted inMoney
CT unemployment rate hits lowest mark since July 2008
Connecticut’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.7 percent in June, its lowest point since July 2008, as the state added 600 jobs last month – including 2,600 in the private sector that offset losses in government employment, the state Department of Labor reported Monday.
Posted inEducation, Politics
Malloy’s vetoes stand, but House GOP forces an override debate
The GOP lacked the numbers to successfully reverse Malloy’s veto of a bill that would have set new qualifications for the state’s education commissioner, but they had enough to force a debate.
Posted inHealth
CT insurance customers urge regulators to reject rate hikes
“Can you give us a break? I’m trying to provide the best health care for my kids and you make it more difficult each year!” one customer wrote to the Connecticut Insurance Department. “I might as well just drop insurance altogether. This is so discouraging.”
Posted inMoney
CT still lags most states in saving for public-sector pensions
Connecticut had enough assets in 2013 to cover just 48 percent of the long-term pension obligations owed to state employees and public school teachers.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Gov. Malloy’s wise veto of the education commissioner bill
If you aim to limit the amount of innovation that can happen in the public education arena, one surefire method would be to keep it an insider’s game. On Monday the legislature is required to convene a veto session to consider whether to override any of Gov. Dannel Malloy’s vetoes. At this time, it is […]
Posted inEducation, Politics
Democrats will not attempt to override Malloy vetoes
Majority Democrats in the General Assembly will not try to override any of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s vetoes when they meet in special session Monday, House and Senate Democratic leadership announced Friday morning.
Posted inMoney, Politics
CT tax department says it surpassed $75M collection target
Thrown a last-minute challenge to collect an extra $75 million in revenue for the past fiscal year, state tax officials topped the mark, collecting nearly $86 million in miscellaneous receipts before the fiscal year ended on June 30.
Posted inPolitics
Clinton leads fundraising in CT, but Bush not far behind
WASHINGTON – There’s plenty of competition if you are a presidential candidate raising money in Connecticut, especially if you are a Republican. The latest Federal Election Commission reports show Connecticut donors have contributed about $1.8 million to 17 presidential candidates in the first half of the year.