(EAST HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut Probate Court Administrator Beverly K. Streit has appointed the Honorable Richard P. Gentile, Probate Judge of the East Hartford Probate Court, as Administrative Judge for the Hartford Regional Children’s Probate Court (HRCPC), effective April 20. 

He succeeds Farmington Regional Probate and HRCPC Administrative Judge Evelyn M. Daly, who retires April 19.

Judge Gentile will serve as both the East Hartford Probate Judge and HRCPC Administrative Judge simultaneously. 

“I look forward to working with the Probate Court Administrator to make the Hartford Regional Children’s Probate Court not only a location for family case conferences or court hearings, but also a family information hub,” Judge Gentile said. 

The Hartford Regional Children’s Probate Court’s unique location in East Hartford’s Community Center offers on-site access to town services including Social Services, Youth Services, the federal Women, Infants and Children’s program (WIC), Parks and Recreation, and school registration as well as referrals to low-or no-cost medical and dental care. 

Changes in family dynamics that can occur after a court hearing may leave a temporary custodian or newly appointed guardian overwhelmed and in immediate need of local, state, or medical services, Judge Gentile said. “The HRCPC can help families navigate new challenges by offering information about available resources to meet the changing needs of their families.”

Judge Gentile believes the court’s community-based setting in partnership with the Town of East Hartford creates a more welcoming, supportive environment, especially for families in distress. “This model leads to less confrontational and more constructive hearings where each child’s best interest is front and center,” he said. “The goal of this environment is to make everyone understand that no one is taking sides but instead seeking solutions.”

A lifelong East Hartford resident, Judge Gentile received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his law degree from the Fordham University School of Law. 

A member of the CT Bar, he has held roles in private practice, corporate law and public service, including as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the town of East Hartford. Judge Gentile has served as the East Hartford Probate Judge since January of 2023. 

“My public service experience has given me a keen appreciation for how the public sector can help individuals and families in need,” Judge Gentile said. “It has also led to my personal approach to serving the public, including all those involved in our Probate Court system, through active listening and treating all individuals with respect.”

Judge Gentile and his wife, Joan, who recently celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary, have three children and two grandchildren.

The HRCPC, located in the East Hartford Community Center at 50 Chapman Place in East Hartford, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be reached at (860) 289-1564. 

The HRCPC is geographically the largest children’s Probate Court in the state of Connecticut serving the towns of Andover, Avon, Bloomfield, Bolton, Burlington, Canton, Columbia, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hebron, Manchester, Newington, Plainville, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Stafford, Suffield, Union, Wethersfield, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.                                       

HRCPC is one of Connecticut’s six Regional Children’s Probate Courts which were created in response to the increase in volume and complexity of children’s cases. These regional children’s probate courts serve 115 communities across the state. 

Like Connecticut’s five other regional Children’s Probate Courts in Meriden, New Haven, New London, North Windham, and Waterbury, the HRCPC handles child-related matters including adoptions, guardianships, and parental custody. Regional Children’s Probate Court staff work closely with the State Department of Children and Families and other child protection professionals to develop the best care plan for the child, as well as to provide family support and monitoring. For more information, visit ctprobate.gov