Connecticut Voices for Children released a new report, Assessing Utilization and Measurement in Practice: An Analysis of Department of Children & Families Provider Survey Data. This report examines data collected under Special Act 24-24 (SA 24-24) to assess how Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) contracted service array is functioning and where gaps in service availability persist. Special Act 24-24 outlines a broad set of metrics intended to illuminate where services are reaching children and families, where and why capacity is constrained, and where unmet need persists. In practice, however, the legislation presumes a level of data consistency and standardization across DCF’s diverse provider network that does not yet exist.

The report found that missing data limits system visibility and that apparent underutilization often signals structural strain rather than diminished demand. This analysis confirms that more visibility and transparency are needed around DCF-funded programs; providers are under-funded and under-staffed; and families are facing economic struggles, and financial and time pressures limit their access to available supports.