CONNECT Act

Childhood Outcomes Need New Efficient Community Teams or the CONNECT Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Justice, to award grants jointly to state child welfare and juvenile justice agencies to collaborate on data collection related to, and address the needs of, dual-status youth and their families. These are children who have come into contact with both child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Among other application requirements, the agencies must identify senior officials from their agencies and other relevant youth- and family-serving entities that will manage and oversee grant activities.