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

State Advocacy

Priority State Legislation

The Children’s League of Massachusetts's legislative priorities for the 2023-2024 legislative session include as follows:

Learn More

Endorsed State Legislation

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.

Learn More

State Budget

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.

Learn More

CLM Priority State Legislation

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.

An Act clarifying insurance liability for foster care providers

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

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

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act to Establish a Massachusetts Children’s Cabinet

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act to Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty

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

CLM Endorsed State Legislation

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.

Child Welfare

An Act Enhancing Child Welfare Protections (Child Welfare Omnibus)

An Act minimizing trauma to court-involved children and families

An Act regarding families and children in need of assistance

An Act relative to parentage to promote children's security

Bill of Rights for Children in Foster Care

An Act establishing the Massachusetts foster care review office

Education

An Act to Ensure Educational Rights are Upheld for Incarcerated Youth

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

Equity

An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An Act To Strengthen Justice and Support for Sex Trade Survivors

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

Protecting benefits owed to foster children

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 Relative to Safer Schools

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

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

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

An act relative to livable wage for human services workers

Read CLM's testimony on this bill

CLM State Budget Advocacy

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.

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

Line ItemDescriptionFY22 EnactedFY23 Enacted*FY24 Gov. ProposalFY24 HouseFY24 SenateFY24 Conf. CommitteeFY24 Enacted**
Department of Children and FamiliesDepartment of Children and Families
4800-0015Clinical 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 
4800-0016ROCA 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 
4800-0025Foster Care Review Services$4,556,124$4,906,556$4,916,667$4,916,666$4,916,667$4,916,666 $4,916,666
4800-0030Local & 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 
4800-0036Sexual Abuse Intervention Network$841,534$841,534$841,534$841,534$841,535$841,534 $841,534
4800-0038Services for Children & Families$300,255,800$318,879,977$354,543,909$355,343,909$355,083,909$355,808,909 $355,808,909 
4800-0040Family Support and Stabilization$70,066,570$72,757,132$88,757,132$88,757,132$88,757,132$88,757,132 $88,757,132 
4800-0041Congregate Care$307,776,535$336,941,311$431,019,785$431,019,785$431,019,785$431,019,785 $431,019,785 
4800-0058Foster Care Recruitment Campaign$750,000$750,000$975,000$975,000$975,000$975,000 $975,000 
4800-0091Child 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 
4800-0200Family Resources Centers$25,000,000$28,300,000$24,807,519$24,807,518$33,800,000$33,800,000 $27,807,519
4800-1100Social 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 HealthDepartment of Mental Health
5042-5000Children 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 ServicesDepartment of Youth Services
4200-0010DYS Administration & Operations$4,554,267$4,886,261$4,920,321$4,920,321$4,920,321$4,920,321 $4,920,321 
4200-0100Non-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 
4200-0200Residential 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 
4200-0500DYS Teacher Salaries$3,059,187$3,059,187$3,059,187$3,059,187$3,059,187$3,059,187 $3,059,187
4200-0600DYS 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 consolidatedDepartment of Public Health
*For FY23, a large number of DPH line items were consolidated
4512-0200Bureau 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
4513-1020Early Intervention$40,813,300$48,751,478$30,554,823$42,900,000$42,900,000$42,900,000 $42,900,000
4590-0250School-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 ServicesGovernor's Offices and Other Health and Human Services
0930-0100Office 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
0930-0101State Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauman/a$3,500,000$3,500,000$3,750,000$3,750,000$3,750,000 $3,750,000
4000-0950Children'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 
7066-0021Foster 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 
7061-0012Special Education Extraordinary Costs$373,333,860$441,031,605$503,823,601$506,073,601$503,823,601$504,573,601 $498,972,361
4000-0005Safe 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 
4000-0007Unaccompanied Youth Housing$8,000,000$9,500,000$10,545,85$10,545,850$11,000,000$11,000,000$11,000,000
1599-6903Chapter 257$79,000,000$230,000,000$173,000,000$173,000,000$173,000,000$173,000,000$173,000,000
0950-0030Grandparents Commission$213,697$269,322$269,322$269,321$269,321$269,321$269,321
3000-2060Child 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
*May include earmarks

**A 2/3 vote in each chamber can override the Governor's veto of a line item (an appropriation), or an outside section (rules, constraints, other law changes associated with appropriations).

Last updated 8/09/2023

Learn more about CLM's Budget Priorities for FY24 here.

2023© All Rights Reserved. The Children's League of Massachusetts
Privacy Policy
flagenvelopeusersphone-handsetmap-marker