December 21, 2022
This month, the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board (JJPAD) released a report on the Child Requiring Assistance System (CRA) after concluding its two-year study on CRA. The report's primary recommendation is to shift a significant portion of CRA cases away from the court room and instead serve children and families through school- and community-based services.
Background: In 2012, MA addressed this system with passage of the "CHINS Reform" legislation, through which the CRA system was created. Under current law, parents and schools can file a petition with the Juvenile Court alleging that a child “requires assistance” from the court to help address behavioral concerns. Filing this petition triggers a civil court process. This report makes a series of recommendations addressing that very system.
The Findings: The Board found that although there were positive changes with the creation of the CRA in 2012, such as the creation of Family Resource Centers, the overarching goals of the 2012 reforms have not been fully realized. In addition, many concerns with the former system still remain today with the CRA.
The report detailed three major themes among the recommendations presented:
- Shift a significant number of CRA cases from the court room to the community
- Increase the availability of school and community-based services that specifically meet the needs of youth currently in the CRA System
- Continue to study the implementation of these recommendations
CLM's Take: Ultimately, instilling these recommendations will take massive investment from the legislature. Additionally, if the Office of the Child Advocate adopts the goal of shifting cases away from the courts and towards community-based solutions, a sincere effort needs to be made to listen to feedback from the direct-service and community organizations that actively serve children and families in this system.
Read the full report here.
The Children's League of Massachusetts is a member on the JJPAD Board, which is chaired by the Office of the Child Advocate.