Connecticut Aims To Improve Child Abuse Detection

HARTFORD (AP) — Connecticut’s child welfare agency and medical providers are working to improve detection and reporting of child abuse, including setting new guidelines for examining injured children.

Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz said Tuesday the efforts also include increasing education for doctors and other medical professionals. Yale-New Haven Hospital and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford are among hospitals that have increased training.

Katz says the goal is to detect child abuse quicker and prevent further abuse.

The new guidelines for medical providers include evaluating available medical records when children are brought in with injuries and disrobing children and placing them in hospital gowns for more thorough examinations.

The most recent data show DCF substantiated 6,800 cases of child abuse and neglect during the 2010 fiscal year.