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DCYF oversight board presses agency on follow-up when families decline services
Summary
At a Jan. oversight meeting, DCYF officials described safety plans, 'safe child consults' and Attorney General review before filing for dependency; board members and public commenters pushed for clearer timelines, regional data, and changes to legal thresholds after recent child fatalities.
The DCYF Oversight Board spent the first part of its 2026 meeting pressing Department of Children, Youth, and Families officials for detail on how the agency follows up when early-warning indicators are identified but caregivers decline services.
Jenny Hedden, DCYF’s chief programming officer, told the board the department’s first step when it finds safety threats is to work with families on a safety plan and to offer services such as family‑preservation supports. "When we're out with a family, and assessing them for safety, we ... try to work with the family to develop a safety plan," Hedden said. If a safety plan cannot be adhered to and safety threats persist, staff may pursue a filing of dependency and removal, she said, after a "safe child consult" with…
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