HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 351        FILED ON: 1/12/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 195

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to educational support for children in foster care.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 351        FILED ON: 1/12/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 195

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4068 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

An Act relative to educational support for children in foster care.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 18B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 26. (a) The department of children and families, in consultation with the department of elementary and secondary education, the office of the child advocate, the Service Employees International Union, Local 509, the Massachusetts Alliance for Families and the Massachusetts Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc., shall:

(i) complete a review of all departmental policies relative to the education of children under the custody, care or responsibility of the department, including children placed under the care of foster families;

(ii) develop streamlined guidance for all department area offices relative to the responsibilities, policies, agreements and procedures in place regarding the education of children under the custody, care or responsibility of the department;

(iii) develop and promulgate regulations relative to the responsibilities and duties of foster parents, social workers, department area offices and school districts regarding the education of children under the custody, care or responsibility of the department; provided, that the department shall develop regulations that allow the department to monitor the education of each child and allow the department to easily provide information regarding each child’s educational history with any person authorized by law to make educational decisions for the foster child and the child’s teacher or teachers, school and school district that the child is enrolled in; and

(iv) develop a program for new foster parents to inform the foster parents about their responsibilities and department services relative to the education of the child.

(b) The department shall annually, not later than February 1, file a report, which shall include aggregate data relative to the education of children under the custody, care or responsibility of the department, with the governor, the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities and the joint committee on education.