Bill > H186

This bill amends the existing laws in Massachusetts to require the Department of Children and Families to conduct background checks on potential kinship (relative) foster care providers. The bill specifies that the background check will have a 20-year maximum lookback period, except for felonies, violent crimes, and sexual offenses, which will be considered regardless of when they occurred. This is intended to ensure the safety of children placed in kinship foster care arrangements while also providing some flexibility for minor infractions that occurred in the more distant past.