In response to a civil lawsuit filed against it, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families has admitted what was already apparent — it failed to protect a toddler from terrible neglect and abuse and contributed to creating the situation in which that abuse took place.

In its reporting in 2016, The Day told the troubling story of a child who came to be known by the pseudonym Baby Dylan.

When removed from a Groton foster home in 2015, the then 19-month-old boy weighed 17 pounds. Weeks-old broken bones had gone ignored. He was emaciated, covered in bruises, his hands and face swollen.

In accordance with a kinship program pushed by then-DCF Commissioner Joette Katz, Baby Dylan was placed with relatives after being removed from the home of his parents. The agency had judged they were not adequately caring for their children. The intent of the kinship policy was to try to keep more children with extended families, rather than placing them in an overtaxed foster system.

But there were complaints at the time that social workers with the agency, under pressure to find family placements, failed to do their due diligence. In the case of Baby Dylan, things went terribly wrong.

Baby Dylan was placed with relatives Crystal and Donald Magee. She was a drug addict, while he had a criminal record. They were not licensed foster parents and never underwent the mandatory training. Baby Dylan went 102 days between being seen by social workers, who too willingly accepted excuses why they could not see him during home visits — despite warnings from his parents that something seemed terribly wrong.

Adopted by other relatives, the now 7-year-old boy is attending school and is reportedly relatively healthy, though physical and mental scars remain, as would be expected. The Reardon Law Firm of New London is representing him in the case against DCF. Any damages awarded would be placed in a trust fund for his benefit.

Adding to the tragedy of the story were the circumstances under which Baby Dylan and his three siblings were taken by DCF from their parents, Kristen Fauquet and John Stratzman. Based on The Day’s reporting, it appeared their biggest failing was being poor, mismanaging what resources they had, and so struggling to care for their kids — as opposed to any outright abuse or neglect. Their parental rights were terminated by a Superior Court judge.

In 2018, the legislature passed the Family First Prevention Services Act, which provides services to families who are at risk of entering the child welfare system. Its aim is to prevent children from entering foster care by providing for mental health services, substance use treatment, and in-home parenting skill training.

Perhaps the children would have remained with their parents, and the horror Baby Dylan faced would have been avoided, had the program been in place at the time. But a lesson learned is better than a lesson ignored.

After his 2018 election, Gov. Ned Lamont opted to appoint a 27-year veteran of the department to the job of DCF commissioner, Vannessa L. Dorantes. Under her steady hand, the department appears to have stabilized as she brings her knowledge of the reality of the work at the service level to her leadership duties.

There may be no more difficult job in state government than the role played by the Department of Children and Families and its staff of 3,200. It has a caseload of about 12,000 children, with 3,700 of those children in some form of placement. In many cases mental health, substance abuse, neglect and abusive behaviors have torn apart families and displaced these children.

While protecting their welfare is a monumental challenge, there is no excuse for the dereliction of duty seen in the case of Baby Dylan. We don’t want to have to write that type of story again.

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.