If you are concerned about the health or safety of a child click here.

State Advocacy

Priority State Legislation

CLM's legislative priorities for the 2025-2026 General Court session are critical to ensuring children and families across the Commonwealth have access to quality supports, services, and rights.

Learn More

Endorsed State Legislation

CLM advocates with our members and partner coalitions to support a broad legislative agenda.

Learn More

State Budget

CLM advocates for budget priorities across child and family-serving agencies through targeted, annual outreach.

Learn More

CLM Priority State Legislation

CLM is a lead advocate on bills best supporting quality, accessible supports, services and rights for children, families, and their human service providers. CLM's priority bills address the most pressing problems facing the Commonwealth's child welfare system.

An Act Enhancing Child Welfare Protections (Child Welfare Omnibus)

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

Bill of Rights for Children in Foster Care

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

PASSED - An Act to Ensure Legal Parentage Equality

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

Protecting benefits owed to foster children

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

Resolve providing for an investigation and study by a special commission relative to children and adolescents with intensive behavioral health needs

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

CLM Endorsed State Legislation

CLM works in partnership with other advocacy coalitions to accomplish a broader legislative agenda that enhances the state's ability to address child-focused priorities, workforce challenges, equity, juvenile justice, and more.

Child Welfare

An Act minimizing trauma to court-involved children and families

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act regarding families and children in need of assistance

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act to Establish a Massachusetts Children’s Cabinet

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

SENT TO STUDY - An Act establishing the Massachusetts foster care review office

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

Education

An Act Relative to Safer Schools

An Act Providing Affordable and Accessible High Quality Early Education and Care to Promote Child Development and Well-being and Support the Economy in the Commonwealth

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

Equity

An Act Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap

An Act to eliminate disproportionality and inequities for at-risk children

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act to Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

SENT TO STUDY - An Act To Strengthen Justice and Support for Sex Trade Survivors

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act relative to language access and inclusion

Healthcare

An Act increasing access to postpartum home visiting services

An Act to ensure equitable health coverage for children (Cover All Kids)

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

Juvenile Justice

An Act promoting diversion of juveniles to community supervision and services

An Act to Ensure Educational Rights are Upheld for Incarcerated Youth

SENT TO STUDY - An Act Relative to Expungement of Juvenile and Young Adult Records

SENT TO STUDY - An Act improving juvenile justice data collection

Workforce

An Act establishing a behavioral health workforce center of excellence

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

SENT TO STUDY - An Act clarifying insurance liability for foster care providers

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act establishing a loan repayment program for direct care human service workers

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

SENT TO STUDY - An act relative to livable wage for human services workers

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

CLM State Budget Advocacy

Each year, the Governor’s Office and the State Legislature create a budget for the upcoming fiscal year for June 30 to July 1. CLM advocates for robust investments supporting children and family supports and services and shares advocacy opportunities with our members.

State Budget Line Items for Children, Youth, Families, and Providers

Line ItemDescriptionFY24 Enacted*FY25 EnactedFY26 Governor's Proposal
Department of
Children and Families
4800-0015Clinical Support Services and Operations$140,416,735$153,172,836$157,866,916
4800-0016ROCA for Aging-Out Population/Transitional Employment (retained rev)$2,000,000 $2,000,000$2,000,000
4800-0025Foster Care Review Services$4,916,666$5,269,774$5,843,297
4800-0030Local & Regional Admin. provided by Area Leads (purchase-of-service contracts)$9,525,854 $11,701,980$11,089,960
4800-0036Sexual Abuse Intervention Network$841,534$991,584$991,584
4800-0038Services for Children & Families$355,808,909 $374,388,635$347,457,804
4800-0040Family Support and Stabilization$88,757,132 $139,539,127$125,486,736
4800-0041Congregate Care$431,019,785 $495,864,634$463,750,089
4800-0058Foster Care Recruitment Campaign$975,000 $975,000$975,000
4800-0091Child Welfare Social Worker Training Institute$4,742,908 $4,920,601$5,035,427
4800-0200Family Resources Centers$27,807,519$33,800,000$28,221,655
4800-1100Social Workers for Case Management$294,567,006 $311,500,072$334,091,969
Department of Mental Health
5042-5000Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services$120,604,949 $131,350,885$111,086,477
Department of Youth Services
4200-0010DYS Administration & Operations$4,920,321 $5,011,583$4,879,364
4200-0100Non-residential Services for Committed Population$25,626,720 $26,518,448$22,039,732
4200-0200Residential Services for Detained Population$29,995,433 $31,452,183$30,941,775
4200-0500DYS Teacher Salaries$3,059,187$3,059,187$3,059,187
4200-0600DYS Overnight Arrest Program$2,619,713$2,661,791$2,676,388
4200-0700Massachusetts Youth Diversion Program0$2,044,350$1,873,906
Department of Public Health
4512-0200Bureau of Substance Addiction Services$216,694,161$212,652,031$178,092,798
4513-1020Early Intervention$42,900,000$30,900,031$37,719,649
4590-0250School-Based Health Programs$26,066,196 $26,116,196$22,123,088
Governor's Offices and Other Health and Human Services
0930-0100Office of the Child Advocate$6,077,671$5,142,352$3,641,014
0930-0101State Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma$3,750,000$3,750,000$3,750,000
4000-0950Children's Behavioral Health Initiative$315,282,721 $315,282,721$331,019,154
7066-0021Foster Care Tuition and Fee Waiver$7,294,911 $7,294,911$7,221,962
7061-0012Special Education Extraordinary Costs$498,972,361$493,177,484$531,991,844
4000-0005Safe and Successful Youth Initiative$13,000,000 $13,375,000$12,600,000
4000-0007Unaccompanied Youth Housing$11,000,000$10,545,850$10,545,850
1599-6903Chapter 257$173,000,000$390,000,000$207,000,000
0950-0030Grandparents Commission$269,321$277,615$284,272
3000-2060Child Sex Abuse Prevention$2,350,000$2,351,044$2,293,185

4408-1000

Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled and
Children
$182,055,295** after 9C cuts; was $186,409,929$183,182,092$208,990,924

4403-2000

Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent
Children
$431,499,004** after 9c cuts; was $444,655,605$496,227,969$466,729,423
3000-3060DCF and DTA Related Childcare$355,658,167$356,587,135$448,211,114
3000-6025Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative$17,673,127$17,523,127$17,673,127
1596-2434Rate Increase for Early Education and Care0$65,000,0000 (funding transfer: 1596-2452 Child Care Supports)
1596-2452Child Care Supports00$98,000,000
*May include earmarks

**Includes January 2024 9Cuts

Last updated 1/23/2025
2025© All Rights Reserved. The Children's League of Massachusetts
Privacy Policy
flagenvelopeusersphone-handsetmap-marker