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FY16 State Budget – Children’s League of Massachusetts
FY16 Budget Priorities:
Account
4800-0015 – 4800-1400
4800-0200 & 4000-0051
Description
DCF Accounts
Family Resource Centers
New line item
Office of the Child
Advocate
FY15 GAA
$827 M
$7.7 M (does not account
for 9C cut of $37.5 K)
$700 K
FY16 CLM Request
$900.5 M (House 1)
$10 M to annualize FRC
system (House 1)
A new line item, separate
from the Executive Branch,
to increase the
independence of this office.
DCF Services
Last year, several challenges came to light in regards to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). As we
work towards solutions for this agency, we must not forget that there continues to be children and families
who are in desperate need of services.
While we are grateful for the additional funding provided for DCF in FY15 and that this agency was spared from
9C cuts, more funding is needed for DCF services and to continue to implement the recommendations made
by the Child Welfare League of America to improve the Department.
Family Resource Centers (FRCs)
Under Chapter 240 of the Acts of 2012, a network of FRCs must be established, first through a pilot phase and
then a statewide network of child and family service programs and FRCs. FRCs will fill a critical void in services
being provided in the community—one that will allow for services for the family of a child requiring assistance.
We are now beyond the piloting phase; therefore, funding for FRCs must be annualized as part of the yearly
budget. CLM supports $10M in funding for FRCs for this fiscal year.
The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA)
CLM has been advocating for an independent line item for this office. This office was created to serve as an
independent voice for the children and families of the Commonwealth, but the Child Advocate currently serves
at the pleasure of the Governor and is funded through the Executive Branch. Although legislation has been
filed to strengthen this office by making it more independent, CLM believes that this office must acquire its
own, independent line item within the budget, particularly as the office received less funding in FY16 than in
FY15.
11 Beacon Street, Suite 820  Boston MA 02108 p. 617-695-1991 www.childrensleague.org
CLM’s 2015-2016 Priority Legislation
The Children’s League of Massachusetts (CLM) is an ever-growing statewide non-profit association of over 80 private
and public organizations and individuals that collectively advocate for public policies and quality services that are in
the best interest of the Commonwealth’s children, youth and families. It is through public education and advocacy
that CLM promotes the availability, accessibility, and quality of these needed services. For more information, contact
Keely DeChristopher at (617) 695-1991 or [email protected].
Title/Docket #
An Act Relative to Children in the
Care, Protection and Custody of
the Commonwealth (SD 289/
HD 2867)
Sponsor
Senator Thomas McGee/
Representative Nick Collins
An Act Relative to the Re-Homing
of Children (SD 542 / HD 855)
Senator Jennifer Flanagan/
Representative Lawn
An Act Ensuring Healthcare
Coverage for Youth Who Have
Aged-Out of the Department of
Children and Families (SD 924 /
HD 2468)
An Act Strengthening the Office of
the Child Advocate (SD 984)
Senator Karen Spilka/
Representative Danielle
Gregoire
An Act Relative to Positive
Outcomes and Relations for
Students (HD 2319)
Representative Claire
Cronin / Senator Thomas
Kennedy
Senator Karen Spilka
Description
CLM's Foster Care Omnibus bill will increase protections
against child abuse and neglect; provide our youth in foster
care with education stability; better prepare our DCF youth
for when they age out of care; and promote normalcy and
permanency for children in DCF.
Drafted in response to a Reuter’s investigation on the rehoming of children through Internet message boards, this
legislation will require the provision of services to adoptive
families to avoid adoption disruption; will strengthen our
temporary agent law by requiring a delegation over 60
days to be approved by the courts; and will create penalties
for those who illegally re-home or offer to re-home a child.
Under the Affordable Care Act, children who have aged out
of DCF care are eligible for Medicaid coverage until their
26th birthday. This bill will create a task force to look at ways
to ensure seamless healthcare coverage for these young
people.
This legislation would strengthen the Office of the Child
Advocate by making this office more independent.
Currently, the Child Advocate serves at the pleasure of the
Governor and is funded through the Executive Branch. This
office was created to conduct a statewide examination of
the care and services that executive agencies provide to
children and to provide recommendations for
improvement. The children of the Commonwealth deserve
an independent advocate who can fight to ensure their
safety and care.
Each school district in the state is required to have a school
resource officer, unless a waiver is granted. If officers will be
in schools, they must be properly selected and trained and
we must outline in great detail what role these officers will
play. By creating uniformity around the use of school
resource officers, we can ensure that more children are not
entering the school to prison pipeline.
11 Beacon Street, Suite 820  Boston MA 02108 p. 617-695-1991 www.childrensleague.org