Representative Steven S. Howitt supports legislation to protect children in foster care or receiving state services

House bill enhances communication and service coordination among agencies

Boston – State Representative Steven S. Howitt (R-Seekonk) recently supported legislation designed to improve communication and coordination among state agencies working with the families of children in foster care or receiving state services.

House Bill 4644, An Act enhancing child welfare protections, was given initial approval by the House of Representatives on October 22, passing on a vote of 159-1. Representative Howitt said the omnibus bill takes a multi-faceted approach by streamlining the Department of Children and Families’ reporting requirements, clarifying the role of the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA), and moving the Child Fatality Review Team from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer to the OCA.

One of the key changes contained in the bill is a streamlining of DCF’s reporting requirements. Representative Howitt noted that while DCF currently reports to multiple agencies on various topics, House Bill 4644 would instead require that DCF submit an annual report by October 31 each year detailing the agency’s performance during the previous fiscal year. This report would be made available to the public.

According to Representative Howitt, DCF’s annual report will contain information on a variety of topics, including:

Case counts, delineated by demographics, placement type, median placement length of stay, and rates of racial disproportionality;

Case processes and outcomes, including educational well-being outcomes, fatalities, and the rates and timeliness of the delivery of medical and behavioral health services; and
Operational overviews, including caseloads, staffing trends, the department’s budget, and details on any new or ongoing initiatives to improve the practices, procedures and policies of the department.

In an effort to promote the educational well-being of children in DCF custody, House Bill 4644 establishes an education unit in the department, subject to appropriation, to develop and oversee policies for children in its custody. DCF will also hire an education director to run this unit.

Representative Howitt said House Bill 4644 also clarifies the role of the Office of the Child Advocate by affirming that it will remain independent of any other executive office, state agency or commission, and will be focused on overseeing the services that state agencies provide to children while also advising the public and government officials on how best to improve services to children and their families. It also authorizes the OCA to request data from the trial court for research purposes and requires critical incident reports submitted to the OCA to include demographic information on the child who is the subject of the report.

During floor debate, the House adopted amendments to:
Establish a special commission to study the development of a digital education portfolio system to support the stability and well-being of foster children and youth in the Commonwealth, with a report and recommendations due by November 30, 2026; and

Adding members to the Child Fatality Review Team, including the DCF chapter president or designee of the certified collective bargaining representative of bargaining unit 8, along with any other person, selected by the co-chairs or by majority vote of the members of the state team, with expertise or information relevant to an individual case.

House Bill 4644, as amended, now moves to the Senate for its consideration.