Advocates and advocates call for tighter oversight of outplacement centers and limits on restraint/seclusion

Parents, disability advocates and a statewide advocate from Disability Rights Connecticut urged the committee to tighten oversight of out-of-district placement centers and to regulate tuition increases.

Core testimony: Disability advocate Tom Kosker and others said Connecticut’s outplacement rate is well above the national average: testimony cited roughly 6.3% outplacement statewide versus a ~2.4% national average (witnesses offered that figure as an estimate and said they could provide supporting data). Testimony noted that students with emotional disabilities are outplaced at higher rates (a figure around 28% was cited in testimony) and that oversight and enforcement of outplacement providers needs strengthening.

Concerns about restraint and seclusion: Witnesses asked for closer monitoring of schools and outplacements with high rates of restraint and seclusion; Kosker said corrective actions are sometimes repeated year after year without durable improvement. Several parents narrated traumatic incidents in district settings that influenced later placements, and advocates urged better enforcement and monitoring protocols.

Financial concerns: Parents and district officials asked the committee to authorize or review mechanisms to prevent runaway tuition increases at private centers and to limit private-equity takeover vulnerabilities.

Ending: Advocates asked the committee to consider regulatory changes, stronger monitoring and clearer enforcement tools for outplacement centers and to ensure the state’s oversight of those centers yields measurable improvements.