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The Children’s League of Massachusetts's legislative priorities for the 2023-2024 legislative session include as follows:
CLM leads advocacy efforts with the support of our members and works in coalition with other advocacy groups to accomplish a broader legislative agenda. Check out our 2023-2024 endorsed state legislation.
CLM tracks many budget priorities across agencies that serve children and families and we focus our budget advocacy on a few key areas each year.
The Children’s League of Massachusetts advocates on behalf of bills that enhance the well-being of children and families in the Commonwealth. Our 2023-2024 legislative agenda includes critical priorities to best support services for children and families.
Referred to the Joint Committee on The Judiciary
Lead Sponsors: Sen. John C. Velis & Rep. Sally P. Kerans
Providers of foster care services for children and/or youth contracted by the state’s Department of Children and Families shall not be held liable for injury to persons or damage to property caused by negligence or other action(s) or inaction(s) of the state or its employees or other third parties.
Referred to Joint Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Paul J. Donato/ Sen. Susan L. Moran
Requires child-serving state agencies to report on disproportionality and inequity in services and create corrective action plans with oversight/support from the Office of the Child Advocate.
Discharged to the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight (hearing 7/26/23)
Promotes interdepartmental collaboration (with lots of government agencies) and program implementation and includes an advisory committee.
Referred to the committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
This bill raises the amount of the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) benefit available to very low-income families. The bill sets a floor for financial assistance at 50% of the federal poverty level -- $960 a month for a family of three in 2022. The bill also increases financial assistance by 20% a year until grants reach 50% of the federal poverty level. This bill is led by Lift Our Kids.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
Brings together stakeholders to assess needs of behavioral health intensive kids and recommend service design. Led by the Association for Behavioral Healthcare.
CLM works in coalition with other advocacy groups to accomplish a broader legislative agenda. Our 2023-2024 endorsed legislation includes bills across important categories: child welfare, equity, education, healthcare, juvenile justice, and workforce.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
This bill is similar to the Child Welfare Omnibus bill of 2021-2022, such as to codify DCF's use of an education manager and enhance reporting requirements. It also adds a bill of rights for children in foster care, including to promote siblings connections.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
This bill promotes foster care placements with relatives, that keep siblings and half siblings together, and preserve/promote cultural, racial, ethnic, religion, and linguistic identities. It also updates DCF reporting requirements.
This bill expands the role and function of Family Resource Centers (FRCs) to support more children and families outside of the court process; Changes the Juvenile Court CRA filing process to ensure the court is a true “last resort”; Raises the lower age of Juvenile Court jurisdiction for CRA filings from 6 to 12
Supported by the Office of the Child Advocate OCA, the bill builds upon the 2012 reforms, Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board report recommendation as part of next CHINS (Children Requiring Assistance) reform, as well as recent legislative and executive branch reforms to Massachusetts' behavioral health system to ensure that as many children and families as possible are effectively supported outside of the juvenile court process. Advocacy will include the need for sufficient funding and system to support this effort.
Referred to the Joint Committee on The Judiciary
The Massachusetts Parentage Act (MPA) will update Massachusetts’ outdated parentage law so that it is clear, equitable, and provides legal protection for all families, including LGBTQ+ families. GLAD is the lead on this bill.
Here's a Fact Sheet.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
The bill codifies and creates rights for children in care, such as regarding sharing documents, promoting connection to family, community, and identity, prioritizing families first with placements, duration/frequency of visits, positive contacts/languages maintained, health care accessibility, right to school of origin/education supports, age-appropriate activities, milestones, being informed of supports/services available, access to case worker/attorney, participation in planning, notice, records, and complaints. Bill also promotes siblings connections.(Content of this bill is also in the Child Welfare Omnibus bill).
This bill creates a Foster Care Review Board independent of the Department of Children and Families. In Massachusetts, foster care review is housed in The Department of Children and Families (DCF), it is an internal DCF department. This structure creates challenges and potential conflicts of interest for ensuring a robust and independent review with transparency, accountability, oversight and real authority to enforce findings and recommendations. This bill, created with the help of Friends of Children, will create an independent review process that addresses these challenges both at the individual case level and at the systems level.
Read more about the issue here: Fact Sheet and FAQs.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Education
Proposes systemic reforms, modeled after the Department of Youth Services' educational services, to ensure that youth are regularly engaged in education, including high school, special education, higher education, or vocational educational programs. Here you'll find notes on 2023-2024 Citizens for Juvenile Justice's legislative priorities including this bill.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Education
This bill provides the specific structure that is needed to deliver affordable care options for families; significantly better pay and benefits for early educators; a new, stable source of funding for providers; high-quality programs and services for children; and substantial relief for businesses and our economy. This bill is led by the Common Start Coalition.
See more on this legislation/issue here.
Senate passed; House: referred to House Ways and Means
Creates a process for a person who is homeless or is an unaccompanied homeless youth to apply for a Massachusetts identification card and to waive any fees associated with obtaining the identification card. Led by MA Coalition for the Homeless.
Pending in the Joint Judiciary Committee
Decriminalizes people being bought and sold in the sex trade (overwhelmingly women and girls, and disproportionately BIPOC and LGBTQIA individuals), and expands access to critical resources for the estimated 89% of those who want to exit the sex trade while upholding current anti-trafficking laws. Also establishes commission to report/recommend ways to improve access to services & ed/prevention; correlation btw youth missing from care and being exploited; the exploited youth shouldn’t be criminalized (My Life My Choice: Bill Overview)
Referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
Ensuring kids eligible for benefits are getting them; “Benefits of a foster child shall not be used by the department to offset the cost of providing foster care”; make sure benefits aren’t being used for things DCF purchases for other children in care; providing financial literacy training (Supporters include The Disability Law Center and Child Protection and the Committee for Public Counsel Services).
Referred to the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
This bill would build the capacity of key public-facing state agencies to meet the language access needs of an increasingly diverse population by standardizing and enforcing language access protocols and practices. This bill is led by the Mass. Law Reform Institute, Massachusetts Appleseed, and Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.
Referred to Joint Committee on Financial Services
Calls for the Department of Public Health to establish and administer statewide programs providing universal postpartum home visiting services. Led by CHAC (Children's Health Access Coalition).
Referred to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing
Cover All Kids extends MassHealth benefits to children/young adults who couldn’t otherwise receive benefits due to their immigration status. This is led by the Children's Health Access Coalition (CHAC).
Referred to the Joint Committee on The Judiciary
A 2018 statute on judicial pre-arraignment diversion excluded several offenses, including low-level conduct. This bill expands the list of offenses that are eligible for judicial consideration but continues to prohibit judicial diversion for offenses, for which adults would be subject to a mandatory incarceration of five years or more.
See Massachusetts Coalition for Juvenile Justice Reform's Fact Sheet.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Education
This bill clarifies conduct requiring disciplinary or law enforcement responses; creates a grant program (administered by Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) to transition to police-free schools; increases data on school policing; prohibits SROs (school resource officers) from being assigned to a district if a superintendent doesn’t publicly report that data.
See the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee and Citizens for Juvenile Justice Fact Sheet.
Referred to the Joint Committee on The Judiciary
This legislation would authorize the Office of the Child Advocate to gather and report key demographic data at major decision points to better identify and evaluate policies or practices of the juvenile justice system.
Check out the MA Coalition for Juvenile Justice Reform Fact Sheet.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Higher Education
This bill establishes a behavioral health workforce center of excellence to assess the behavioral health workforce on longitudinal basis and recommend strategies to meet needs; gather data/research to advise policy leaders on how to address the crisis in the behavioral health workforce across the Commonwealth; and be established at one of the public institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. This bill is being led by the Association of Behavioral Healthcare.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
This bill would create an education loan repayment program for certain eligible human service workers. This bill is led by the Providers’ Council.
Here's a Fact Sheet.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
This bill would eliminate the pay disparity that exists between the salaries of human services workers employed by community-based human service providers and state employees holding similar job titles who perform similar work. This bill was put forth by the Provider’s Council, of which CLM is a member.
Here's a Fact Sheet.
The state’s budget runs on a fiscal year, beginning on July 1 and ends on June 30. The Governor’s office and the state legislator work in tandem to create the state’s operating budget for that year. For more information about the state of Massachusetts’ current and proposed budgets, as well as a detailed process and timeline, please visit the state of Massachusetts’ webpage here.
| Line Item | Description | FY22 Enacted | FY23 Enacted* | FY24 Gov. Proposal | FY24 House | FY24 Senate | FY24 Conf. Committee | FY24 Enacted** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Children and Families | Department of Children and Families | |||||||
| 4800-0015 | Clinical Support Services and Operations | $115,281,233 | $131,275,656 | $140,107,935 | $139,916,735 | $140,306,735 | $140,416,735 | $140,416,735 |
| 4800-0016 | ROCA for Aging-Out Population/Transitional Employment (retained rev) | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 4800-0025 | Foster Care Review Services | $4,556,124 | $4,906,556 | $4,916,667 | $4,916,666 | $4,916,667 | $4,916,666 | $4,916,666 |
| 4800-0030 | Local & Regional Admin & for Area Leads & RRC | $9,037,425 | $9,525,854 | $9,525,854 | $9,825,854 | $9,525,854 | $9,525,854 | $9,525,854 |
| 4800-0036 | Sexual Abuse Intervention Network | $841,534 | $841,534 | $841,534 | $841,534 | $841,535 | $841,534 | $841,534 |
| 4800-0038 | Services for Children & Families | $300,255,800 | $318,879,977 | $354,543,909 | $355,343,909 | $355,083,909 | $355,808,909 | $355,808,909 |
| 4800-0040 | Family Support and Stabilization | $70,066,570 | $72,757,132 | $88,757,132 | $88,757,132 | $88,757,132 | $88,757,132 | $88,757,132 |
| 4800-0041 | Congregate Care | $307,776,535 | $336,941,311 | $431,019,785 | $431,019,785 | $431,019,785 | $431,019,785 | $431,019,785 |
| 4800-0058 | Foster Care Recruitment Campaign | $750,000 | $750,000 | $975,000 | $975,000 | $975,000 | $975,000 | $975,000 |
| 4800-0091 | Child Welfare Social Worker Training Institute | $2,840,730 | $3,105,140 | $4,742,908 | $4,742,908 | $4,742,908 | $4,742,908 | $4,742,908 |
| 4800-0200 | Family Resources Centers | $25,000,000 | $28,300,000 | $24,807,519 | $24,807,518 | $33,800,000 | $33,800,000 | $27,807,519 |
| 4800-1100 | Social Workers for Case Management | $265,309,813 | $286,153,128 | $295,067,006 | $294,567,006 | $294,567,006 | $294,567,006 | $294,567,006 |
| Department of Mental Health | Department of Mental Health | |||||||
| 5042-5000 | Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services | $98,409,089 | $113,088,937 | $118,014,950 | $118,504,949 | $120,339,950 | $120,604,949 | $120,604,949 |
| Department of Youth Services | Department of Youth Services | |||||||
| 4200-0010 | DYS Administration & Operations | $4,554,267 | $4,886,261 | $4,920,321 | $4,920,321 | $4,920,321 | $4,920,321 | $4,920,321 |
| 4200-0100 | Non-residential Services for Committed Population | $24,804,987 | $25,173,154 | $25,576,720 | $25,626,720 | $25,576,720 | $25,626,720 | $25,626,720 |
| 4200-0200 | Residential Services for Detained Population | $29,535,713 | $29,533,937 | $29,395,432 | $29,395,433 | $29,695,432 | $29,995,433 | $29,995,433 |
| 4200-0500 | DYS Teacher Salaries | $3,059,187 | $3,059,187 | $3,059,187 | $3,059,187 | $3,059,187 | $3,059,187 | $3,059,187 |
| 4200-0600 | DYS Overnight Arrest Program | $2,416,081 | $2,614,419 | $2,619,712 | $2,619,713 | $2,619,778 | $2,619,713 | $2,619,713 |
| Department of Public Health *For FY23, a large number of DPH line items were consolidated | Department of Public Health *For FY23, a large number of DPH line items were consolidated | |||||||
| 4512-0200 | Bureau of Substance Addiction Services | $175,584,092 | $218,208,566 | $184,154,158 | $209,049,157 | $214,274,161 | $219,494,161 | $216,694,161 |
| 4513-1020 | Early Intervention | $40,813,300 | $48,751,478 | $30,554,823 | $42,900,000 | $42,900,000 | $42,900,000 | $42,900,000 |
| 4590-0250 | School-Based Health Programs | $15,523,583 | $22,941,196 | $18,573,733 | $18,698,733 | $22,941,196 | $26,066,196 | $26,066,196 |
| Governor's Offices and Other Health and Human Services | Governor's Offices and Other Health and Human Services | |||||||
| 0930-0100 | Office of the Child Advocate | $4,217,443 | $4,400,000 | $4,532,000 | $5,532,001 | $5,077,671 | $6,077,671 | $6,077,671 |
| 0930-0101 | State Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma | n/a | $3,500,000 | $3,500,000 | $3,750,000 | $3,750,000 | $3,750,000 | $3,750,000 |
| 4000-0950 | Children's Behavioral Health Initiative | $266,796.471 | $267,782,721 | $315,282,721 | $315,282,721 | $315,282,721 | $315,282,721 | $315,282,721 |
| 7066-0021 | Foster Care Tuition and Fee Waiver | $7,294,911 | $7,294,911 | $7,294,911 | $7,294,911 | $7,294,911 | $7,294,911 | $7,294,911 |
| 7061-0012 | Special Education Extraordinary Costs | $373,333,860 | $441,031,605 | $503,823,601 | $506,073,601 | $503,823,601 | $504,573,601 | $498,972,361 |
| 4000-0005 | Safe and Successful Youth Initiative | $10,675,000 | $13,050,000 | $12,600,000 | $12,800,000 | $12,650,000 | $13,000,000 | $13,000,000 |
| 4000-0007 | Unaccompanied Youth Housing | $8,000,000 | $9,500,000 | $10,545,85 | $10,545,850 | $11,000,000 | $11,000,000 | $11,000,000 |
| 1599-6903 | Chapter 257 | $79,000,000 | $230,000,000 | $173,000,000 | $173,000,000 | $173,000,000 | $173,000,000 | $173,000,000 |
| 0950-0030 | Grandparents Commission | $213,697 | $269,322 | $269,322 | $269,321 | $269,321 | $269,321 | $269,321 |
| 3000-2060 | Child Sex Abuse Prevention | $2,350,000 | $2,350,000 | $2,350,000 | $2,350,000 | |||
4408-1000 | Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled and Children | $102,738,779 | $147,462,852 | $194,155,514 | $197,155,514 | $201,409,929 | $204,409,929 | $186,409,929 |
4403-2000 | Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children | $275,916,458 | $377,579,793 | $424,269,513 | $424,269,513 | $444,655,605 | $444,655,605 | $444,655,605 |
Learn more about CLM's Budget Priorities for FY24 here.
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