(a) The Probate Court Administrator shall establish, within available appropriations, an extended family guardianship and assisted care pilot program in the Regional Children’s Probate Court for the district of New Haven, established pursuant to section 45a-8a, for the purpose of reducing the number of children who are placed out of their communities and in foster care due to abuse and neglect. The program shall be designed to (1) provide outreach to extended family members and nonrelative caregivers in the community and appoint such family members or nonrelative caregivers as guardians, (2) seek volunteers to act as assisted care providers to assist guardians in caring for children, and (3) provide and pay for needed services to assist guardians in meeting the needs of such children. Under the program, each guardian appointed by the court shall be eligible to receive a maximum grant of one thousand dollars per child.

(b) The Probate Court Administrator shall adopt regulations, in accordance with subsection (d) of section 45a-77, to implement the provisions of this section. The regulations shall establish the criteria for (1) becoming a guardian or an assisted care provider under the program, (2) the awarding of grants pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, (3) the provision of services pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, and (4) obtaining and paying for studies from private child-placing agencies in connection with guardianship proceedings.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4, S. 6; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 38; P.A. 12-66, S. 24; P.A. 17-136, S. 4.)

History: Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (a) to include nonrelative caregivers in Subdiv. (1), add Subdiv. (3) re provision and payment of needed services to assist guardians in meeting needs of children and increase maximum grant amount from $500 to $1,000, amended Subsec. (b) to require regulations to be adopted in accordance with Sec. 45a-77(c) rather than chapter 54 and establish criteria rather than “eligibility” criteria, add Subdiv. (3) re provision of services pursuant to Subsec. (a) and add Subdiv. (4) re obtaining and paying for studies from private child-placing agencies in connection with guardianship proceedings and deleted former Subsec. (c) re report on status and effectiveness of pilot program, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 12-66 amended Subsec. (b) to substitute reference to Sec. 45a-77(d) for reference to Sec. 45a-77(c); P.A. 17-136 made a technical change in Subsec. (a).