Assault, violence, sex trafficking part of allegations made against Harwinton youth group home

By Eliza Kruczynski and Cassidy Williams

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    HARWINTON, Connecticut (WFSB) — Serious allegations were made against a youth group home in Harwinton.

Department of Children and Families commissioner Vannessa Dorantes is expected to answer questions about the case on Friday afternoon.

DCF said it is investigating alleged assault, violence, and even sex trafficking at the Harwinton Short Term Assessment and Respite, which was meant to be safe for juveniles who have experienced extensive disruption in their lives.

“You’re talking cases of assault, abuse, neglect, trafficking. I mean, the list goes on and on and on,” said Kevin Ferrarotti, chief, Harwinton Ambulance.

Channel 3 learned that a lawsuit was filed this week in court, which brought the issues out into the open.

It was filed by the mother of a 14-year-old girl who lived in the home from April to June in 2023. The suit said the teen was assaulted and exposed to sexual assault while she lived there.

The Harwinton Short Term Assessment and Respite, or “STAR” program, is a Connecticut-funded group home for troubled youth.

It has been open since 2008.

“Those kids were put there to get help, and the idea they were abused in this fashion is just not acceptable,” said Republican state Sen. Lisa Seminara.

The abuse came to the attention of officials when Harwinton EMS wrote a letter to state lawmakers that said it was constantly responding to medical calls and disturbances at the facility.

State police said troopers were called to the home several times.

DCF said it became aware of the issues in November, months before the lawsuit. It also said admissions for the group home have been closed since May.

It said one youth remains at the program.

“No further youth will be placed there until we are satisfied that the conditions of the corrective action plan have been met,” said DCF spokesperson Peter Yazbak.

The facility remained open, but the staff shifted and new employees were hired.

The temporary group home is owned by Bridge Family Center.

Margaret Hann, executive director, Bridge Family Services, released a statement to Channel 3.

“Immediate action has been taken and several individuals have been terminated as a result. Now we will support and continue to work with authorities in any way we can to provide a high level of care to the youth we serve.

This incident is not what we want the Harwinton STAR program to be known for. We had a situation that we dealt with that was unacceptable and is not OK. With that said, we have and will continue to work closely with DCF and with the proper authorities to strengthen our services. At the Bridge, we care for some very complicated and traumatized individuals, who are here because of often horrendous circumstances and I am outraged like many others that this happened here.

We also understand the frustration with agencies that have to respond to our program, however the number of calls made are based on DCF protocols, for example if a child has gone missing for a period of time, we are mandated to call law enforcement. Their efforts and response is noticed and appreciated. Again, we are dealing with some very complex young people that need our help and the understanding of the Harwinton community.”

Margaret Hann, executive director, Bridge Family Services

Seminara said this incident brought up questions about how other group homes have been run.

The investigation is ongoing.

DCF said it would clarify the timeline of it on Friday.

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