Bill > H118

This bill aims to improve the care, protection, and custody of children in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The key provisions include: 1. Establishing an interagency child welfare task force to coordinate and streamline services to children and families, including addressing issues related to medical and mental health services, domestic violence, children awaiting discharge from psychiatric units, and funding for services like summer camp and after-school care for foster children. 2. Requiring the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to provide opportunities for foster children to participate in extracurricular activities and attend summer and vacation camps. 3. Creating a child abuse and neglect expert review panel to examine repeated entries of children into DCF care and make recommendations for policy changes. 4. Expanding the responsibilities of the Office of the Child Advocate, including requiring investigations of a sample of critical incidents reported from state agencies. 5. Ensuring the educational stability of children in DCF custody, including allowing them to remain in their school of origin and expediting the transfer of academic records. 6. Mandating that children aged 7 and older be given a meaningful opportunity to participate in the development of their case plan and state their placement preferences. 7. Requiring DCF to provide free credit reports and correct any erroneous entries on a child's credit record. 8. Establishing a pilot mentoring/life-coach program and individual savings accounts for youth aging out of DCF custody. Overall, the bill aims to improve coordination across agencies, enhance services and support for children in the care of the Commonwealth, and empower children and families to be involved in decisions affecting them.