By STEPHANIE REITZ 
Associated Press Writer

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ A watchdog group is asking a federal court monitor to appoint an overseer to manage some services of the state Department of Children and Families.

New York-based Children's Rights says DCF has not complied with certain terms of a settlement of its 1989 lawsuit, which alleged the state violated federal laws by failing to protect children in its care.

The organization's lawsuit said the agency was understaffed and poorly funded.

The children's group said Monday that DCF still is not adequately planning for the welfare of the approximately 6,000 foster children in its system or meeting the mental health, dental care and case management needs of many children in its custody.

The group asked the court monitor to appoint a limited receiver to direct the agency's work in those areas, which would take the duties out of state administrators' hands.

``This is not about a need for more money at DCF. It's about a need for effective management that can fix well-known systemic problems that are damaging the children in Connecticut's care,'' said Ira Lustbader, associate director of Children's Rights.

The group says it waited to see what new DCF Commissioner Susan Hamilton and her staff would do after her appointment almost a year ago. It says it is dissatisfied with what it considers a lack of progress.

Agency officials disputed that characterization, saying in a written statement Monday that DCF has made ``significant progress'' in meeting the 22 benchmarks outlined in the settlement.

Sixteen or 17 of the goals have been accomplished in each of the last six quarters, with noteworthy improvements in ensuring timely adoptions, transferring guardianship and reunifying children and their families, the agency said.

``While we believe important progress is being made overall, we share with the plaintiffs a sense of urgency with improving the two outcome measures cited,'' DCF spokesman Gary Kleeblatt said in the statement.

The two measures relate to the allegations about the placement of foster children and the mental health, dental care and case management needs of DCF youths.

The department is focusing closely on those areas and expects to continue making progress, Kleeblatt said, but they disagree with Children's Rights officials on the best way to do that.

``We take these issues seriously, have confidence in the actions we are targeting and will continue to negotiate with the plaintiffs in good faith,'' he said.

The 1989 lawsuit, now known as ``Juan F. v. Rell,'' led to a 1991 consent decree that placed DCF under federal supervision. The decree has been updated several times since then, and the new complaint stems from terms in a March 2007 updated agreement.

Among the group's specific complaints: that too many foster children are placed in group facilities similar to orphanages rather than with foster families.

The group's attorneys also say the state agency has failed to recruit and retain enough foster parents, failed to move children out of state custody and into permanent homes and failed to make clear plans on how to find adoptive parents for the children before they reach 18.

Lawyers for Children's Rights says they will start negotiating with DCF officials to try to resolve the dispute, which could go to federal court if an agreement is not reached.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)