Sec. 17a-217. (Formerly Sec. 19a-464). Programs for mentally retarded children and adults. Funding.
Sec. 17a-217. (Formerly Sec. 19a-464). Programs for mentally retarded children and adults. Funding. (a) The Department of Developmental Services shall develop day care programs, day camp programs and recreational programs for children
and adults with mental retardation. Any nonprofit organization which establishes or
maintains day care programs, day camp programs or recreational programs for children
or adults with mental retardation may apply to the Department of Developmental Services for funds to be used to assist in establishing, maintaining or expanding such programs. For the purposes of this section: (1) A day care program (A) may provide for
the care and training of preschool age children to enable them to achieve their maximum
social, physical and emotional potential; (B) may provide adolescents and adults with
mental retardation with an activity program which includes training in one or more of
the following areas: (i) Self-care, (ii) activities of daily living, (iii) personal and social
adjustment, (iv) work habits, and (v) skills, speech and language development; (2) a day
camp program may provide children or adults with mental retardation with a supervised
program of out-of-doors activities which may be conducted during all or part of the
months of June, July, August and September; and (3) a recreational program may provide
planned and supervised recreational activities for children or adults with mental retardation, which activities may be of a social, athletic or purely diversionary nature and which
programs shall be considered separate and apart from the day camp program described
in subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(b) No grant made under this section to assist in establishing, maintaining or expanding any program set forth in subsection (a) of this section shall exceed the ordinary
and recurring annual operating expenses of such program, nor shall any grant be made
to pay for all or any part of capital expenditures. The Department of Developmental
Services shall: (1) Define minimum requirements to be met by each program in order
to be eligible to receive funds as provided for by this section in regard to qualification
and number of staff members and program operation, including, but not limited to,
physical plant and record keeping; (2) establish procedures to be used in making application for such funds; and (3) adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, governing
the granting of funds to assist in the establishment of day care programs, day camp
programs and recreational programs for persons with mental retardation. Upon receipt
of proper application, the Department of Developmental Services, within available appropriations, may grant such funds, provided the plans for financing and the standards
of operation of such programs shall be approved by the department in accordance with
the provisions of this section. For the purpose of developing such programs, the department may accept grants from the federal government, a municipality or any other source.
(1959, P.A. 148, S. 33; 1971, P.A. 719, S. 1; P.A. 75-638, S. 12, 23; P.A. 76-340, S. 1; P.A. 79-171, S. 1; June Sp. Sess.
P.A. 91-11, S. 1, 25; P.A. 01-195, S. 125, 181; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a).)
History: 1971 act added provision making retired circuit court judges state referees and replaced references to superior
court with "court from which case was referred"; P.A. 75-638 replaced office of mental retardation and department of
health with department of mental retardation; P.A. 76-340 changed wording re eligible nonprofit organization in Subsec.
(a) slightly; Sec. 19-4d transferred to Sec. 19-571 in 1977; P.A. 79-171 deleted reference to children judged inadmissible
to special classes and school-excluded children in Subsec. (a)(1)(A) and allowed department to accept federal, municipal
or other grants in Subsec. (b); Sec. 19-571 transferred to Sec. 19a-464 in 1983; Sec. 19a-464 transferred to Sec. 17a-217
in 1991; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-11 amended Subsec. (b) to make funding by the department subject to available appropriations; P.A. 01-195 made technical changes, effective July 11, 2001; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 "Department of Mental Retardation" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Department of Developmental Services", effective October 1, 2007.