DCP's September 30 training update for Connecticut homemaker-companion agencies
On September 30, 2026 the Department of Consumer Protection posted its training requirements, lists of approved courses, and the two completion forms. Here is what it says, in plain language, with a link to DCP for every point.
What DCP published
- Homemaker-Companion Agency Required Training
- Approved initial training courses
- Approved annual training courses
- Initial Training Completion Form (PDF) and Annual Training Form (PDF)
The requirements, as DCP states them
Initial training
Starting January 1, 2027, eight paid hours of training for each employee, completed within 90 days of the start of employment. It must cover:
- Maintaining a clean and safe environment, including dressing, bathing and toileting assistance
- Identifying and reporting abuse and neglect
- Identifying and reporting changes in a client's condition and service needs
Employees who will serve clients with Alzheimer's disease or dementia also need training in providing nonmedical services to those clients.
Annual continuing education
At least eight paid hours, completed at least once every two calendar years, covering:
- Communication
- Clean and safe environment
- Abuse and neglect
- Changes in client condition
- Medical versus nonmedical care
- Nonmedical services for clients with Alzheimer's or dementia
- Any other topic the Commissioner deems appropriate
Prior training. An employee who completed the initial training at another homemaker-companion agency within the last three years does not repeat it, as long as they can provide proof. The agency keeps a copy of the form to show the employee meets the requirement.
The form. After an employee completes the training, the agency and the employee both sign a completion form. The agency keeps a copy and gives one to the employee.
The approved course lists
DCP's lists name courses from government and nonprofit sources, plus some paid providers, for each topic. Two things stand out in the lists as posted on September 30:
- For changes in a client's condition and service needs, DCP's lists say "course materials are coming soon" for both initial and annual training.
- For differentiating medical from nonmedical care, the annual list says the same.
DCP's pages do not describe a state training portal or a state system for agencies to track completions. The completion forms are the record.
What this means for your agency
- Every employee needs a signed completion form on file, and a second copy goes to the employee.
- Training hours are paid hours. Free courses still cost wages.
- New hires may bring proof of prior training. You keep that proof, or you repeat the initial training.
- Annual education repeats on a two-calendar-year cycle for every employee, so each person has their own due date.
- Topics marked "coming soon" are not yet covered by a listed course. Watch DCP's pages for updates.
None of this is hard on its own. The work is in the volume: a form for each person, a copy for each person, a proof file for each new hire, and a calendar of renewals that never stops. Done in folders and spreadsheets, it gets lost the first time someone leaves or someone asks.
Where Companza fits
Companza is a records platform. It keeps one training record for each employee, from whatever source your agency uses, with dates, hours, and topics. It tracks the two-year renewal cycle, holds prior-training proof for new hires, and keeps your file organized around what PA 26-50 and DCP's pages say agencies must keep. Your records stay in one place you can open when someone asks. Companza is not a training provider.
Questions about Companza go to Luke at lucas@companza.com. For the rollout in context, see the PA 26-50 tracker and the plain-English guide.
Companza LLC · Companza is a private company and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection or any state agency. This page summarizes pages DCP published on September 30, 2026; check DCP's pages for the current text. It is not legal advice and not a government notice.