STATE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
DISCIPLINE POLICY STATEMENT
0290 Policy on Discipline
Discipline is an essential part of child rearing and when used positively it contributes to the health growth and development of a child and establishes positive patterns of behavior in preparation for adulthood. The object of discipline is to promote behaviors which are injurious to his or her well-being. Therefor, we encourage positive discipline as a most important aspect of child rearing practices for children and youth for whom the Department for Children and Families purchases and/or provides services and care.
Positive discipline when used for purposes of guiding and teaching the child, provides the child encouragement, a sense of satisfaction, and helps the child understand the consequences of his/her behavior. Effective, positive discipline imposes behavioral limitation son the child which can provide the child a sense of security, engender a respect for order, and effectively enlist the child’s help rather than locking the child and adult into a power struggle or adversary, punishing relationship, and promotes the child’s discovery of those values that will be of the greatest benefit to the child, both now and in the future.
There are laws which protect adults against actions which many children must endure and suffer under the guide of discipline. Many children who are in the care of DCF have previously suffered too much physical pain, fear, humiliation, and emotional stress. We cannot perpetuate this when we assume the positive roles in our child-rearing practices – of which positive discipline is an essential part.
Therefore, DCF does not view as positive, acceptable discipline any action administered in a fashion which may cause any child to suffer physical or emotional damage. Disciplinary acts which cause pain, such as hitting, beatings, shaking, cursing, threatening, binding, blasting, prolonged isolation, denial of meals, and derogatory remarks about the child or his or her family or other acts of substantially the same nature or which have substantially the same effect are not acceptable.
IT IS THE POLICY OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THAT WE NOT PURCHASE OR CONTINUE TO PURCHASE SERVICES FROM THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS WHO — USE DISCIPLINARY ACTS WHICH ACA– USE PAIN SUCH AS HITTING, BEATING, SHAKING, CURSING, THREATENING, BINDING, CLOSETING, PROLONGED ISOLATION, DENIAL OF MEALS, AND DEROGATORY REMARKS ABOUT THE CHILD OR HIS OR HER FAMILY. NOR SHALL SUCH DISCIPLINARY ACTS BE TOLERATED WHEN PRACTICED BY DCF EMPLOYEES IN REGARD TO CHILDREN IN CARE OF THE AGENCY.