Category: Advocacy Feature

This year’s annual report from the state's Juvenile Justice Policy & Data Board (of which CLM is a member) highlighted an uptick in the use of arrests and pretrial detention for youth in FY24 compared to FY23. This increase in the use of physical custody occurred despite the fact that the use ...

The legislative briefing included a history of the growth of FRC's since their inception, and stories from the field....

UPDATED - April 2025 CLM contacted every member of the House of Representatives to urge their support of critical amendments to the House Ways and Means Budget. See the template we used below. ----February 2025 CLM analyzed the Governor's Budget (H.1) and met with coalition partners. Now, CLM urges ...

Today CLM sent the following letter to the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation highlighting concerns about risks to the Commonwealth’s children from recent action by the federal government. CLM’s unwavering commitment is to the safety and wellbeing of the Commonwealth’s children. To keep ch...

The Governor's FY26 Budget Proposal (H.1), released on Wednesday, January 22, has proposed $62 billion in spending, including $33.3 billion for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). EOHHS leadership shared H.1 Budget Highlights describing the 9% overall increase to EOHHS’s bud...

On January 15, the Governor proposed Emergency Assistance Family Shelter System policy changes which would push more children into a state of homelessness. While compromises are needed to sustain the system, children need adequate shelter with their families to prevent adverse outcomes and downstrea...

December 31, 2024 Title-IV B of the Social Security Act is Reauthorized Last week, the U.S. Senate passed the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (HR 9076) preventing the expiration of Title IV-B of the Social Security Act. The bill, passed by the House in September, reauthorizes Title ...

State agencies have submitted their anticipated budget needs to the Governor, and CLM kicked off our FY26 budget advocacy with a letter to the Administration. We are calling for investments upstream & in the workforce. Massachusetts is a national leader in many aspects of child welfare and well-...

As November is National Adoption Month, we're diving into trends. The statistics serve as encouragement for continued improvements advancing permanency goals in timely and equitable ways across the Commonwealth. Massachusetts' most recent data (from DCF's Annual Report FY23) does, however, show that...

The 2024 election outcomes at the federal level are concerning to most organizations advocating for vulnerable individuals. Our next steps include: (1) Urge our legislators to pass CLM's priority bills now, before the informal session ends to enhance the rights of children in the foster care system ...