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ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN JUVENILE COURT PROCEEDINGS
A guide for professionals working with children and families involved in the juvenile court

This web guide provides a general overview of the laws governing the confidentiality of records pertaining to children and families involved with the juvenile courts. Written for Connecticut agencies and professional staff who work with these children and families, it is intended to promote information sharing by clarifying when the law allows access to records so that individuals who work with children and their families may make informed decisions about sharing records.

When a child is involved with the juvenile court, three principal governmental entities are usually involved: the Department of Children and Families (DCF), law enforcement agencies, and the courts. Schools and health care providers, while not directly involved in a child’s court case, hold information about the child that may be instrumental in the work of the other government agencies. Court-involved children often experience disruptions in home life and schooling, which can contribute to the difficulties of resolving the issues that brought them to court. Maintaining continuity in their health care and education requires close collaboration among all of those providing services to these children.

These five entities – schools, health care providers, DCF, law enforcement, and courts -- may hold significant amounts of information concerning a child and his or her family. The many laws, agency policies, rules and regulations that govern the sharing of personal information in juvenile court cases are intended to balance a family’s right to privacy with the need for sharing information among agencies, system professionals, and interested parties with a legitimate need to access the information. The sharing of information between these entities is essential to serve the child's best interest. Increased collaboration to share information across agencies can result in better outcomes for these children by streamlining services, coordinating case planning and reducing frustration for the child and family.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Connecticut Judicial Branch would like to acknowledge all of the agencies and individuals who contributed to the Joint Juvenile Justice Strategic Plan between the Department of Children and Families and the Court Support Services Division. We would also like to thank the Child Welfare League of America who facilitated the strategic planning process in collaboration with many public and private partners. The work of this initiative has been directly supported by the Joint Juvenile Justice Strategic Plan Confidentiality Subcommittee, led by the Honorable Christine E. Keller, Chief Administrative Judge for Juvenile Matters, who provided the vision for this resource guide. Amy D’Amaddio, Attorney Rebecca Morton and Attorney Elizabeth Duryea of the Connecticut Judicial Branch researched and wrote this guide.
More information on the Joint Juvenile Justice Strategic Plan and its subcommittees, including membership.

Assistance and advice was also provided by the Models for Change initiative administered by the Juvenile Law Center with funding from the John T. and Catherine T. Mac Arthur Foundation.