Regional Children's Probate Courts

Children’s matters have grown in number and complexity over the years and the Probate Courts are enhanced with specialized services to meet these growing needs. The regional children’s probate courts bring together personnel from the courts and local and state agencies to ensure that children and their families can thrive in a secure, stable home environment. Highly trained staff includes professionals in child development and family relations, called Family Specialists, who hold family case conferences to assess the family situation, facilitate the development of a safe family plan for the care of the child and connect families with available services. 

There are six regional children’s probate courts located throughout the state:

• Central Connecticut Regional Children’s Probate Court in Meriden
• Hartford Regional Children’s Probate Court in East Hartford
• New Haven Regional Children’s Probate Court in New Haven
• New London Regional Children’s Probate Court in New London
• Northeast Regional Children’s Probate Court in North Windham
• Waterbury Regional Children’s Probate Court in Waterbury

These regional children’s probate courts serve over 100 communities in the state of Connecticut. There are also family specialists available in Fairfield County through the Bridgeport Probate Court. 
 

Guardianships

When a parent is not able to care for a child, a family member or close family friend may file a petition with the Probate Court to be appointed as guardian of the child. 

Court-appointed guardians may be eligible to receive money from the Probate Courts through the Kinship and Respite Fund programs.  These programs provide grants to help pay for school clothing, health services and enrichment programs for children, and transportation, daycare and housing for families. For details, including qualification requirements, click on the Kinship and Respite Funds button above. 
 

Standby Guardians

Connecticut law permits a parent to designate a standby guardian of their child that takes effect on the occurrence of a specified contingency (for example, the parent’s illness, death or absence from the country). Information and forms for the designation of standby guardians are available in English and Spanish. 

• Download the Standby Guardianship Form (In English)
• Download the Standby Guardianship Form (En Español)

A standby guardian’s responsibility to care for a child comes into effect only if the specified contingency occurs. At that time, the standby guardian must sign a statement, under penalty of false statement, that the specified contingency has occurred. The standby guardianship stops when the contingency no longer exists or at the end of one year, whichever is sooner. If the parent dies while the standby guardianship is in effect, the guardianship stops 90 days after death. 

Unlike other forms of guardianship, the Probate Court is not involved in the designation of a standby guardian. Standby guardianship forms are not filed with a Probate Court. For further information, please see C.G.S. sections 45a-624 to 45a-624g. 

The State of Connecticut has developed a Family Preparedness Plan to assist families who have concerns about immigration enforcement, particularly regarding the possibility of the deportation or detainment of parents and guardians and the impact that it could have on their children. Completing the standby guardianship form is an important part of the plan. 
 

Parentage (formerly Paternity)

Any person alleging to be the genetic parent of a child born to an unmarried birth parent and for whom parentage of the nonbirth parent has not yet been determined may petition the court to establish parentage (formerly paternity). A claim for parentage should be filed in the probate district in which either the birth parent or the child resides. It may be filed before or after the child turns 18, or even after the death of the child. Form PC-907 can be used to file a parentage claim.

The authority of a Probate Court to act on a parentage claim is limited to specific circumstances. A Probate Court cannot hear a parentage claim if:

• The child’s birth parent was married at the time of birth;
• Another individual is listed as the child’s genetic parent in addition to the birth parent on the birth certificate;
• The parentage claim is filed by someone other than the individual claiming to be the alleged genetic parent, unless that individual has died.

An individual should file a claim for parentage (formerly paternity) only if the individual believes they are the genetic parent because the law prevents the individual from denying parentage once the petition has been filed.
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