CT Camp Safety Bill Would Require Background Checks In Town-Run Programs

by Viktoria Sundqvist CTNewsjunkie

HARTFORD, CT — The Committee on Children is considering a bill that would require license-exempt childcare programs and camps to conduct background checks and train staff as mandated reporters. 

Senate Bill 157, An Act Concerning Municipal Camp Safety, was introduced on recommendation from the Office of the Child Advocate after a parks and recreation employee in Bethany was charged with sexually assaulting five children in 2024. 

Criminal charges in that case are still pending, but an independent investigation ordered by Bethany residents highlighted several failings by town officials as well as a lack of training, oversight and lack of policies in the town-run program. The report also resulted in the first selectman’s resignation in June 2025, shortly after it was released.

The Office of the Child Advocate conducted its own investigation, concluding in a report this week that staff had no background checks and minimal training. However, this did not violate any current laws as the Bethany after-school program and summer camp – like many similar programs across Connecticut – are exempt from being licensed by the state and therefore do not have to follow the same rules as those under state oversight. 

“There were a number of concerns after that incident,” Acting Child Advocate Christina Ghio testified Tuesday in front of the Committee on Children. “Our office identified a couple of issues that we felt needed some further investigation and response.”

Municipal youth camps and programs in municipal childcare settings or those run by and affiliated with the national Boys & Girls Clubs of America – along with programs run by a list of other entities – are exempt from being licensed. 

“Licensure would be the gold standard,” Ghio said. “(But) we recognize that licensure does come with some financial burden.”

However, whether a camp is licensed by the state or not, a family should be able to feel safe sending their children there, she said. Right now, “There are children in child care settings all over the state that may be at risk.”

The proposed bill would require certain employees of municipal youth camps to be trained as mandated reporters – a person legally required to report suspected child abuse, neglect or maltreatment – and would require the Office of Early Childhood to submit a report concerning municipal youth camps. It is unclear how many municipal-run camps there are in the state since nobody is currently tracking them, Ghio said. 

Ghio said she would also like to see the law clarify the list of mandated reporters, recommend that everyone who works with children have criminal background checks – with the exception of informal family arrangements, programs administered by religious organizations or those administered by the federal government – and that the law clarifies what a “private facility” means in these settings, which could expedite sharing of crucial information if there is a problem. 

Opponents of the bill said they have serious concerns about expanding the state’s authority into areas that have been traditionally governed on a local level.

“Mandated reporter regimes impose criminal reporting obligations on a broad range of workers, often with penalties attached for failure to comply,” said Sarah Dzialo in submitted testimony. “While child safety is paramount, mandatory reporting laws must be narrowly tailored so that they do not create hyper-bureaucratic obligations that discourage locals from serving in camps or community roles.”

Others said producing more information for mandated reports would create an additional burden on already budget-strapped small towns. 

“For many communities, particularly smaller towns where staff manage multiple roles, this

represents an additional administrative responsibility without accompanying resources,” said Peter Leclerc, director of Suffield Community Services, in submitted testimony. 

He also urged the legislators to carefully consider the balance between statewide consistency and local control, saying that as currently written, the bill may have broader policy implications that warrant further discussion.

Bethany resident, parent and social worker Shannon R. Lane, however, urged the committee and the rest of the General Assembly to strengthen safety requirements and approve the bill. 

“All children in Connecticut, including those who are being cared for by our government,

deserve to be safe and well-cared for,” Lane said in submitted testimony. “I appreciate that the bill under review today will increase the number of people who are mandated reporters.”

State Sen. Jorge Cabrera, D-Hamden, whose district includes Bethany, said having municipal camp employees be mandated reporters is “just basic common sense.”

Cabrera tried to get a similar bill passed last year, but the House failed to take up the bill before the legislative session ended in June. 

“I’ll work to ensure that these OCA recommendations are included in the final bill,” Cabrera said this week. “It’s the least we can do for our kids.”