Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends reporting requirements for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families and requires the department to produce a five-year plan to establish targets for safety, performance, and well being.

Highlights:

• Requires the commissioner of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to establish and maintain an education unit that does the following (Sec. 3):

• Implements and oversees the regional and area offices’ work on education for children receiving services from the department;

• Monitors the academic progress of children under the care and custody of the area office at least quarterly;

• Provides support and assistance to department social workers regarding educational needs of children;

• Provides detailed training to department social workers on the best practices to monitor a child’s education experiences;

• Ensures the timeliness and accuracy of the transfer of education records detailing a child’s educational background and needs; and

• Maintains contact with appropriate local school districts and education organizations.

• Requires the commissioner to appoint an education director to oversee the DFC’s policies on education for children under its care and custody (Sec. 3).

• Establishes additional duties for the commissioner regarding orientation and training of DFC staff, and expenditures of the DFC (Sec. 4).

• Requires communication between the DFC and the parent or guardian, as appropriate, of any child in its care and custody who receives inpatient psychiatric services, and determination of the appropriate placement for the child after inpatient care is no longer necessary (Sec. 7).

• Requires the DFC to issue a report by October 31 of each year providing an overview of its performance during the previous fiscal year, including the following (Sec. 9):

• Case counts, the number of children served, and demographic data;

• Processes and outcomes of all cases; and

• Operations such as staffing trends, caseloads, budget, service costs, and medical services.

• Requires the DFC to issue a quarterly profile on its website within 45 days of the end of each fiscal quarter detailing certain data on cases involving children (Sec. 9).

• Requires the DFC to file an annual report by October 31 detailing services provided to young adults over the age of 18, and the process by which a young adult may continue to receive services from the department (Sec. 9)

• Requires the DFC to file an annual report by October 31 detailing the foster care review system and any recommendations for its improvement (Sec. 9).

• Specifies that the reports described above must be made available publicly, in addition to being provided to the clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and relevant committees (Sec. 9).

• Requires the DFC to establish a 5-year plan that includes numerical targets for the department’s performance in each fiscal year and in each of its regions in the areas of safety, permanence, and well-being (Sec. 9).

• Requires the DFC to annually measure its performance towards the targets set in its 5-year plan, and maintain records of its plan and performance on its website (Sec. 9).

• Authorizes the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) to request information from a trial court for research purposes, subject to audit (Sec. 34).

• Establishes a state child fatality review team within the OCA for the purpose of decreasing the incidence of preventable child fatalities and near fatalities by developing an understanding of causes and advising the governor, the general court, and the public of recommendations (Sec. 34).

• Specifies that there shall be a local child fatality review team in each state district, in addition to the statewide team (Sec. 34).

• Requires notice to the counsel of a child or young adult following any change in their placement, hospitalization, arrest, or involvement in a proceeding (Sec. 39).

• Specifies that Section 47 of this Act, which repeals current reporting requirements for the DFC, takes effect July 1, 2025 (Sec. 49).

Full Bill Text