HOUSE PASSES BILL TO ENHANCE CHILD WELFARE PROTECTIONS

Bill strengthens oversight, transparency, and accountability within the Commonwealth’s child welfare system

BOSTON – Wednesday, October 22, 2025 – Today, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed comprehensive legislation to strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability within the Commonwealth’s child welfare system. An Act Enhancing Child Welfare Protections modernizes the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) statutory reporting, clarifies the independence of the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA), improves educational stability for children in care, and updates the state’s child fatality review process.

“Every child in Massachusetts deserves safety, stability, and opportunity,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “This bill strengthens oversight, improves coordination between agencies, and ensures that children in state care receive the support that they need to thrive. I’d like to thank Chairman Livingstone for his work on this bill, and all my colleagues in the House for supporting it.”

“This bill strengthens the systems that protect the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable children, said Representative Jay D. Livingstone (D-Boston), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. “It gives DCF, the Legislature, and the public more tools to better understand what’s working, identify where improvement is needed, and continue improving outcomes for children. I want to thank Speaker Mariano and Chair Michlewitz for their commitment to these issues, as well as my House colleagues for supporting this important legislation.”

“I’m proud to join my colleagues in supporting this important legislation that strengthens protections for children and families across the Commonwealth,” said Representative Jessica Giannino (D-Revere). “Under Speaker Mariano’s leadership, the House continues to take meaningful action to ensure that every child in Massachusetts is safe, supported, and given the opportunity to thrive. By improving oversight and accountability within DCF and empowering the Office of the Child Advocate, we’re building a stronger, more transparent system that truly puts the best interests of children first.”

“The most important job we have as a government is to protect the most vulnerable members of our society; our children. I am grateful that Speaker Mariano has made reform of our child protection system a top priority. This important legislation increases transparency and reporting requirement so that we, as policy makers, are better, and more timely, aware of deficiencies in the system and further will provide greater accountability across the system,” said Representative Jeffrey Rosario Turco (D-Winthrop).

This legislation expands statutory reporting by DCF to include disability and disaggregated demographic data, breakdowns of 51A reports by reporter role, ADA accommodation and complaint metrics, and refined placement and permanency measures. It also adds reporting requirements on outcomes for youth aging out of DCF’s care, behavioral health boarding, and education metrics, such as individualized education program counts, attendance, and graduation rates.

The bill passed today allows for the creation of a DCF Education Unit, tasked with academic monitoring, support, and strengthening coordination with school districts. It also requires DCF and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to establish clear enrollment timelines and record transfer standards for children in DCF custody who change schools.

The bill passed today also clarifies the role of the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) as an independent state agency. It further expends the OCA’s authority to examine disproportionality, partner with agencies while safeguarding oversight, maintain a public mandated reporter website, and conduct systemwide reviews of DCF.

Additionally, the bill strengthens the Child Fatality Review System by establishing joint leadership between the OCA and the Department of Public Health (DPH). It further updates the membership to include the Department of Early Education & Care (EEC) and codifies the structure of local review teams.

Lastly, the bill improves timely notifications to children’s counsel following placement changes, hospitalizations, 51A reports or school disciplinary events. It also requires reporting on children who remain in psychiatric care beyond medical necessity, including length of stay and licensure/training requirements for DCF social workers.

The bill passed the House of Representatives 159-1. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.