Families

An Act establishing a bill of rights for children in foster care

Every child in foster care should have the rights inherently belonging to all children. In addition, because of their temporary or permanent separation from birth parents and other family members, children in foster care require special safeguards and resources. My bill codifies the rights of children in foster care in state law and requires that foster children and their caregivers are provided with a simplified, centralized resource outlining their rights.  

An Act transferring foster care review responsibilities to the Office of the Child Advocate 

In 2023, there were 7,853 children in placements outside their homes and in state custody due to complex issues facing their birth families. Foster care reviews are required every six months to provide oversight and make sure that each child’s service plan is appropriate. Currently, these reviews are performed by the state Department of Children and Families, which also manages the foster care system, creating an inherent conflict of interest. My bill transfers responsibility for foster care review to the Office of the Child Advocate, an independent state agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities, and addresses chronic, systemic oversight issues within the foster care system.

An Act protecting benefits owed to foster children

As a longstanding practice, Massachusetts intercepted monthly Social Security (SS) payments and veterans benefits paid to foster children whose parents have died or have become disabled, reappropriating the funds through the state’s annual budget. As a result, around $5.5 million in SS benefits meant for these vulnerable youth were siphoned away each year for the state’s own use, rather than being available to these children for future use. Thanks to incredible advocates, the state stopped this practice in 2024. My bill codifies this change and directs state officials to preserve these funds for the child to use when they transition to adulthood and independent living. The bill also requires that each child is provided with financial literacy training beginning by age 14, and it establishes a reporting and accounting system to track the receipt and use of these funds.

An Act relative to toxic-free kids

Young children are particularly vulnerable to chemical exposures, including an increased risk of the development of cancer and other disabling health conditions. My bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection and the Toxic Use Reduction Institute to create a list of toxic chemicals to be prohibited in any children’s product, and it establishes processes to ensure that manufacturers report on and remove any toxic chemicals in their children’s products. The bill also bans PFAS from being intentionally added to any children’s products, ensuring that children are safe from these toxic, forever chemicals. 

An Act strengthening transitional planning and increasing accountability for persons with disabilities and their families

Massachusetts provides a transition planning process for young adults with disabilities as they turn 22 or graduate from high school and age out of youth services and into adult services. This process is essential for helping these individuals and their families smoothly transition into a new phase of life, but many families report struggling to receive timely or transparent information and guidance from the state during this process. My bill requires that transition plans be developed at least one year in advance of a young person’s transition to adult services so that families have more time to prepare for and adjust to any changes. My bill also requires better reporting and communication about program costs to ensure that sufficient funding is appropriated to meet the need, and sets up a commission to comprehensively address the needs of transition-age youth and their families.

Resolve establishing a special commission on paid family and medical leave for public employees

The Commonwealth has one of the strongest Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) programs in the country, providing most employees in Massachusetts with up to 26 weeks of combined family and medical leave each year. However, because PFML is funded through employer and employee contributions, the law does not require municipalities or school districts to participate, as the contributions required would be unworkable for small municipalities and would represent an unfunded mandate from the state. My bill creates a commission to study and make recommendations on how to extend and fund PFML for all public employees.