Bill > S2804

This bill aims to enhance child welfare protections in several ways: It establishes an education unit within the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to support the educational stability and success of students under DCF's care. The unit will monitor student progress, provide training to social workers, and coordinate with school districts. The bill expands the role and authority of the Office of the Child Advocate, making it an independent state agency. It requires the Child Advocate to oversee reviews of DCF's data reporting and make recommendations for improvements. The bill also enhances the Child Advocate's investigative powers and notification requirements. The legislation creates a state-level and local-level child fatality review team to study the causes of child fatalities and near-fatalities and make recommendations to prevent such tragedies. The teams will have access to confidential records to aid their reviews. Additionally, the bill requires DCF to establish an electronic repository of foster youth's educational records, known as an "electronic backpack," to improve coordination between schools, DCF, and other support providers. It also directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to promulgate regulations for school district access to these records. Overall, the bill aims to enhance child welfare protections by improving educational support, data reporting and transparency, fatality review, and information sharing between agencies and caregivers.

Budget and Finance

Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities (Joint)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S2804