Connecticut's child-welfare agency failed to report most missing foster children to the national missing-children center and almost never documented screening them for sex trafficking.
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What happened
A June 25, 2025 performance audit by Connecticut's Auditors of Public Accounts found the Department of Children and Families reported only 436 of 1,305 required missing-from-care episodes (33%) to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in fiscal 2021-2023, and 61% of those reports were late, despite a federal and state 24-hour requirement. In 50 of 53 sampled episodes (94%), DCF had no documented sex-trafficking screening when the child returned, and its policy only required a screen if a child was gone more than 72 hours. Auditors also found DCF had no performance measures for reducing trafficking; DCF agreed not all NCMEC notifications were made.
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Response
Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.