A shocking case in Waterbury exposed decades of abuse hidden in plain sight. A man held captive since childhood was discovered after setting fire to his home, forcing attention on failures by Connecticut’s DCF. Teachers and neighbors had raised alarms for years, yet the system erased records and ignored warnings. This tragedy joins a pattern of preventable child deaths and neglect cases that reveal a child protection agency in crisis.

Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families has failed again and again to protect the most vulnerable children. From infants poisoned by fentanyl to teenagers starved and hidden from school, the agency ignored warnings, mishandled safety plans, and allowed children to die in homes already flagged as dangerous. Investigations show a pattern of missed opportunities and systemic neglect that continues to put lives at risk.