Child advocates called for more transparency in Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families budget process, saying they could not determine whether the agency had enough funding without earlier access to its proposals.
DCF has an $836 million budget, which advocates described as chronically underfunded.
The concerns surfaced at an October State Advisory Council meeting, when leaders of the oversight body asked for specifics about the department’s funding requests.
“We’re not at liberty right now to disclose or talk openly about what those are until they are approved by, you know, the governor’s office,” DCF spokesman Ken Mysogland said.
Sarah Lockery, the council’s co-chair, questioned whether the budget reflected the needs discussed at council meetings.
“When we see the budget, it doesn’t look as though some of the stuff that we’ve discussed is captured in that,” Lockery said.
Sarah Eagan, executive director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy, said budget discussions between the governor’s office and DCF had long been too closed off…she characterized them as “insular”.
Eagan said advocates needed a timely assessment of the department’s funding needs, including resources for children in foster care and services to keep children from remaining stuck in hospitals.
She pointed to a state law requiring DCF to submit its proposed budget to the State Advisory Council for review.
But the law did not specify a deadline for that review.
The state Office of Policy and Management, responding on behalf of the governor’s office, DCF and itself, said the governor’s budget proposal would be followed by a public legislative review.
“DCF has submitted only its current services budget to OPM for review. Expansion or reduction options will be submitted and reviewed later. In the event of a change in administration, OPM must prepare a current services transition budget for transmittal to the governor-elect by November 15. That is our current focus. In February, the governor will present a budget proposal that includes recommendations for executive branch agencies, including DCF. The General Assembly will then conduct its full and transparent review, including public hearings with agencies and other stakeholders. The General Assembly, according to the state constitution, is the appropriator for the state budget, not the governor. The administration will not comment on potential budget recommendations before the governor releases his proposal.”
Eagan said she hopes a new DCF oversight panel and the State Advisory Council could persuade the department and the governor’s office to share budget proposals earlier.
