Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families celebrated foster fathers, adopted fathers and birth fathers at their annual “Best Dads by Par” golf event last week.
There are more than 3,000 children in foster care in Connecticut on any given day. DCF commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly said that's why it’s important for her agency to acknowledge the unique role of foster fathers.
“We really feel it's critically important to lift them up. Because while we reimburse them for services., we cannot in a million years pay them for their giving back to our kids.” Hill-Lilly said.
Studies have shown that fathers make a huge difference for foster kids, said Ken Mysogland, a longtime DCF employee, who grew up in a family with foster children.
“The children do much better emotionally, educationally, psychologically. They are less apt to be involved in the criminal justice system. They are more likely to graduate high school and college. Fathers play that unique role,” Mysogland said.
About 100 foster, adoptive, kin and birth fathers from across the state were celebrated with a round of golf at The View in Hamden.
According to officials, DCF has reduced the number of children in the department’s care and custody by nearly 8,000 since 2019.
The department has achieved permanency for thousands of children through adoption, reunification or transfer of guardianship. But there are still more than 2,600 children aged 0-18 in foster care in Connecticut who are in need of permanent homes.
