Bill > H246

This bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) to establish a Bias-Free Case Review Team in each Area Office to screen proposed emergency child removals. The team, consisting of at least three staff members, will review case files with all identifying demographic information removed, including names, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability status, political affiliation, marital status, income level, education level, immigration status, and neighborhood location. The goal is to prevent unconscious or explicit bias from influencing critical decisions about child removal. The review team will create a bias-free case summary that focuses on evidence of safety factors indicating immediate or potential serious harm to a child, while also highlighting the family's strengths and potential supportive interventions that could prevent removal. There are exceptions to the demographic information removal when specific cultural, ethnic, religious, or identity-related considerations are relevant to the allegations. Annually, DCF must submit an evaluation report to the legislative committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities, analyzing the program's impact on child removal rates, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and children of color.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H246