July 31, 2023
Recent news about child welfare and family well-being from Massachusetts and around the country.
In Massachusetts:
- A mother was accused of neglect. DCF then denied her a hearing to challenge it. (Boston Globe)
- Door to ‘fair hearings’ opens wider for DCF-involved parents (Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly)
- Berkshire County Probate and Family Court is busier than ever. Pending legislation could help relieve some of that burden (Berkshire Eagle)
- Mass. has long collected federal benefits meant for children in its care. Some lawmakers want to change that. (Boston Globe)
- 'They don't know what their rights are': WMass project helps parents keep custody of their kids (New England Public Media)
- First six months of the state’s mental health overhaul reveal promise and challenges (Boston Globe)
- DCF should stop taking Social Security benefits from foster children (Editorial) (Boston Globe)
- Is Massachusetts’ largest state office too big? Some are discussing splitting it up. (Boston Globe)
CLM in the news:
Additional stories from around the country:
- Child welfare staffing crisis can only be solved by addressing capacity issues first (Opinion) (Route Fifty)
- Foster Youth Are Sleeping in Jails, Offices, and Hotels Thanks to Flawed Federal Reforms (Opinion) (Newsweek)
- Feds Seek Tribal Input on Strengthening ICWA (Imprint)
- A Mother's Worst Nightmare (NY Times & Reveal)
- New Bill Would Require States To Distinguish Poverty From Child Neglect (Imprint)
- McGovern, Salazar, Fitzpatrick Lead Bipartisan Push to End Violence Against Children Around the World (Press Release)
- The Need to Prioritize Relational Health (Opinion) (Imprint)
- Senators Ben Ray Luján, Susan Collins Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Native American Children (LA Daily)
- The Cherokee Phoenix Breakdown: Haaland v. Brackeen Ruling Review (Cherokee Phoenix)
- How to help America’s kids: Give their parents cash (Vox)
- Laws banning gender-affirming treatments can block trans youth from receiving other care (Stateline)