The commissioner, or the commissioner’s designee, shall:

(a) Establish or contract for the use of a variety of facilities and services for identification, evaluation, discipline, rehabilitation, aftercare, treatment and care of children and youths in need of the department’s services;

(b) Administer in a coordinated and integrated manner all institutions and facilities which are or may come under the jurisdiction of the department and shall appoint advisory groups for any such institution or facility;

(c) Encourage the development of programs and the establishment of facilities for children and youths by public or private agencies and groups;

(d) Enter into cooperative arrangements with public or private agencies outside the state;

(e) Insure that all children under the commissioner’s supervision have adequate food, clothing, shelter and adequate medical, dental, psychiatric, psychological, social, religious and other services;

(f) Provide, in the commissioner’s discretion, needed service to any municipality, agency, or person, whether or not such person is committed to the commissioner;

(g) Adopt and enforce regulations and establish rules for the internal operation and administration of the department in accordance with chapter 54;

(h) Undertake, contract for or otherwise stimulate research concerning children and youths;

(i) Subject to the provisions of chapter 67, appoint such professional, technical and other personnel as may be necessary for the efficient operation of the department;

(j) Coordinate the activities of the department with those of other state departments, municipalities and private agencies concerned with providing services for children and youths and their families;

(k) Provide or arrange for the provision of suitable education for every child under the commissioner’s supervision, either in public schools, special educational programs, private schools, educational programs within the institutions or facilities under the commissioner’s jurisdiction, or work and training programs otherwise provided by law. The suitability of educational programs provided by the commissioner shall be subject to review by the Department of Education;

(l) Submit to the state advisory council for its comment proposals for new policies or programs and the proposed budget for the department;

(m) Have any and all other powers and duties as are necessary to administer the department and implement the purposes of sections 17a-1 to 17a-26, inclusive, and 17a-28 to 17a-49, inclusive; and

(n) Conduct and render a final decision in administrative hearings;

(o) Establish a standardized data reporting system to support the collection of data regarding (1) the race and ethnicity of children and families referred to the department at key decision points, including, but not limited to, referral, substantiation, removal and placement, and (2) rates of retention of children and families by race and ethnicity; and

(p) Work to eliminate disparities in referral rates, substantiations, placements and retention among racial and ethnic groups and groups known to experience higher rates of adverse child welfare, health and services outcomes because of religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, socioeconomic status, immigration status, language, ancestry, intellectual or physical disability, mental health status, prior criminal convictions, homelessness, gender identity or expression or geographic area of residence.