Bill > S106

This bill transfers foster care review responsibilities to the Office of the Child Advocate, establishing a comprehensive new system for monitoring and reviewing foster care placements in Massachusetts. The bill creates an interdisciplinary committee within the advisory council, composed of representatives from various state agencies, to ensure appropriate services are delivered in the best interest of children, youth, and young adults in foster care. The Office of the Child Advocate will now conduct mandatory foster care case reviews every six months for every child in foster care, using local panels of trained citizen reviewers. These reviews will assess the necessity and safety of placements, progress towards permanency, service delivery, and the overall well-being of the child. The bill mandates that the child advocate will have unrestricted access to all relevant information, produce periodic and annual aggregate reports, and provide individual case review reports to all parties involved. Additionally, the bill establishes protections for staff members of the Office of the Child Advocate from civil damages unless they act with gross negligence or malice. The legislation includes a transition plan, requiring the office to develop an implementation strategy within 210 days and complete the transition within 15 months of the act's effective date.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S106