Bill > S142

This bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) to establish a Bias-Free Case Review Team in each Area Office to evaluate proposed emergency child removals with a focus on reducing potential demographic biases. The team, consisting of at least three staff members, will review case files where identifying demographic information such as race, gender, disability status, geographic location, and socioeconomic status has been deliberately removed to prevent explicit or implicit bias from influencing decisions. Specifically, the bill mandates that case notes exclude details like names, race, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, political beliefs, marital status, income level, education level, and neighborhood location, with exceptions made when these factors are directly relevant to the allegations. The department must develop a training program for team members that is completed annually and must submit a yearly evaluation report to the legislative committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities. This report will analyze the program's implementation and its impact on child removal rates, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and children of color. The goal is to create a more objective and equitable process for determining when children should be removed from their families.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S142