reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services › Section 3 - Deputy Commissioner

Section 3. The commissioner shall appoint, with the approval of the secretary of health and human services, a deputy commissioner who shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter thirty-one and to whom the provisions of section nine A of chapter thirty shall not apply, but who shall possess the same qualifications required of the commissioner, except that he shall have had not less than five years of experience in work related to juvenile delinquency, of which at least two shall have been as an administrator. Said deputy commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner, and shall devote his full time during business hours to the duties of his office. He shall exercise such authority and discharge such duties of the commissioner as the commissioner may from time to time delegate to him and, in the absence or incapacity of the commissioner, or in the event of a vacancy in the office of commissioner, shall act as the commissioner until the absence or incapacity shall have terminated or the vacancy shall have been filled.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services › Section 4 - Bureaus

Section 4. There shall be in the department the following bureaus: the bureau of clinical services; the bureau of after-care, delinquency prevention and community services; the bureau of educational services; and the bureau of institutional services. Each bureau shall be under the direction of an assistant commissioner who shall be appointed by the commissioner and who shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter thirty-one and to whom the provisions of section nine A of chapter thirty shall not apply.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services › Section 5 - Bureau of Clinical Services; Duties; Detention Centers; Assistant Commissioner

Section 5. The bureau of clinical services shall review, upon commitment or referral, the social histories and diagnostic data concerning all persons referred or committed to the department, shall conduct such further study and evaluation as may be required for clinical classification, and shall place such persons under an appropriate form of care. Said bureau shall conduct the research and planning necessary for the continued care of each youth within the jurisdiction of the department and the development and implementation of effective individualized treatment programs for each of the delinquent children committed to the department. Said bureau shall be responsible for all case assignments, case reassignments, case dispositions, and proposals for discharge, and shall regularly review existing case assignments in the department. Said bureau shall operate the Reception-Detention Center for Girls at Boston, Judge John J. Connelly Youth Center, Boston, Westfield Detention Center, Westfield and Worcester Detention Center, Worcester, and subject to appropriation such other centers as may be necessary for the study and diagnosis of children's needs upon commitment or referral and for temporary shelter care in emergency cases including those children requiring secure custody.
The commissioner shall appoint an assistant commissioner for the bureau of clinical services who shall have a graduate degree from an accredited institution in psychology, social work, medicine, or related fields, with a specialty in the problems relating to children. Said assistant commissioner shall have had at the time of his appointment a minimum of five years professional and clinical experience working in the field of emotionally disturbed youth. Said assistant commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. He may, notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, be allowed such professional affiliations concurrent with his duties as the commissioner may approve, including the holding of a nontenure appointment at a university. Said assistant commissioner shall, with the approval of the commissioner, establish and maintain standards for all clinical and child care positions in the department and shall review the qualifications and performances of all clinical and child care personnel. The commissioner shall appoint replacement or additional clinical and child care personnel upon recommendation of said assistant commissioner together with the assistant commissioner of any other bureau requesting such personnel.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services › Section 6 - Bureau of After-Care, Delinquency Prevention and Community Services; Duties; Assistant Commissioner

Section 6. The bureau of after-care, delinquency prevention and community services shall be responsible for the noninstitutional programs of the department, including but not limited to foster home care, group home care, after-care services to children in their own homes, after-care investigation services unit, parole and educational counselor programs. It shall be responsible for developing alternatives to institutional care and shall provide for work with the families of children in institutions in order to facilitate their return home and their adjustment and integration into the community. It shall further be responsible for continuing consultation with other state agencies and with local community groups and agencies for the development of preventive programs, the conduct of grants-in-aid for the initiation, demonstration and development of programs and the school adjustment counselor program.
The commissioner shall appoint an assistant commissioner for the bureau of after-care, delinquency prevention and community services who shall have an earned graduate degree from an accredited institution in the social sciences, education, or related fields. Said assistant commissioner shall have had at the time of his appointment at least five years professional experience in delinquency prevention and after-care with at least two of these years having been spent in an administrative capacity in his field. Said assistant commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services › Section 7 - Bureau of Educational Services; Duties; Assistant Commissioner

Section 7. The bureau of educational services shall establish and maintain programs and curricula for the educational service functions of each institution of the department and for coordinating educational services for individual youths at each stage of departmental jurisdiction. Said bureau shall establish and maintain academic and vocational educational programs, curriculum development plants, teacher training programs and library services for each of the institutions of the department and each of the youth committed to the department. Said bureau shall seek out and implement federally aided educational programs. Said bureau, after consultation with the commissioner and the assistant commissioners of the other bureaus or their designees, shall develop and initiate in-service training programs for all employees in each of the institutions and facilities within the jurisdiction of the department. Approval of such training programs by the personnel administrator shall be required in accordance with the provisions of section twenty-eight of chapter seven.
The commissioner shall appoint an assistant commissioner for the bureau of educational services who shall have an earned graduate degree from an accredited institution in education, the social sciences, or related fields with a specialty in the problems relating to delinquency. Said assistant commissioner shall have had at the time of his appointment at least five years professional experience in public or private secondary school, teaching in the area of delinquency prevention or teaching delinquent youth, with at least two of these years having been spent in administrative-curricula planning capacity. Said assistant commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. Said assistant commissioner shall, with the approval of the commissioner, establish and maintain standards for all teaching positions in the jurisdiction of the department and shall review the qualifications and performances of all teaching personnel in the department. Said assistant commissioner together with the assistant commissioner of each bureau requesting replacement and additional teaching personnel shall make recommendations to the commissioner relative to the replacement and addition of each and all teaching personnel for the institutions and facilities under the jurisdiction of said bureau.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services › Section 8 - Bureau of Institutional Services; Duties; Assistant Commissioner

Section 8. The bureau of institutional services shall operate the Residential Treatment Unit, Oakdale, the Lyman School for Boys at Westborough, the Industrial School for Boys at Shirley, the Institute for Juvenile Guidance at South Bridgewater, the Industrial School for Girls at Lancaster and Stephen L. French Forestry Camp at East Brewster. Said bureau shall be responsible for all programs within the institutions of the department other than those programs which are primarily clinical or educational, and shall from time to time evaluate such programs to determine their effectiveness. Said bureau shall coordinate programs between institutions and also with other programs of the department to assure effective continuity in the rehabilitative process.
The commissioner shall appoint an assistant commissioner for the bureau of institutional services who shall have an earned graduate degree from an accredited institution in the social sciences, education, or related fields. Said assistant commissioner shall have had at the time of his appointment at least five years professional experience in working with delinquent children in an institutional setting, with at least two of these years having been spent in an administrative capacity. Said assistant commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. Said assistant commissioner shall from time to time make recommendations to the commissioner relative to the need of major alteration and renovation, expansion, relocation or replacement of existing institutions or camps and the construction of additional institutions or camps.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18a - Department of Youth Services › Section 9 - Advisory Committee

Section 9. There shall be in the department an advisory committee consisting of the commissioner of youth services, the commissioner of welfare, the commissioner of the department of early education and care, the commissioner of mental health, the commissioner of education, the chairman of the parole board, the commissioner of correction, the commissioner of probation, the commissioner of rehabilitation, the chairman of the Massachusetts commission against discrimination, the executive secretary of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and the executive secretary of the Massachusetts Committee on Children and Youth, all of whom shall serve
ex officiis
, and nine other persons to be appointed by the secretary of health and human services, with the approval of the governor. Such persons shall have demonstrated professional involvement and expertise in the area of delinquency prevention, rehabilitation, and treatment. Upon the expiration of the term of office of any appointed member, his successor shall be appointed for a term of three years. Any vacancy shall be filled by the secretary of health and human services for the remainder of the unexpired term. The secretary of health and human services shall appoint from the members of said committee a chairman and a vice chairman. The committee may appoint a full time executive secretary. Members of said committee shall serve without compensation, but each member shall be reimbursed by the commonwealth for all reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties.
Said advisory committee shall have the following duties: (a) It shall advise the commissioner on policy, program development and priorities of need in developing a comprehensive program (1) for the treatment, rehabilitation and custody of juvenile offenders and (2) for integration of the juvenile offender into constructive community life. (b) It shall review the annual plan and the proposed annual budget for the department, and shall make recommendations to the commissioner relative thereto. (c) It shall advise on the recruitment policies of the schools in the department. (d) It shall submit an annual report in which it may propose legislation and present material for the education of the public. (e) It shall visit, at its discretion, every institution and facility within the jurisdiction of the department. It shall meet at least four times a year and shall convene special meetings at the call of the chairman of the committee, a majority of the committee, or the commissioner. For the purposes of holding meetings and conducting official business, a majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum. A written record of all meetings of the committee shall be maintained by the executive secretary and a copy filed within fifteen days after each meeting by said secretary with the commissioner of administration and finance.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 1 - Establishment

[The Department of Social Services was changed to the Department of Children and Families by 2008, 176, Sec. 25.]
Chapter 18B: Section 1. Establishment
Section 1. There shall be a department of children and families, in this chapter called the department.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 2 - Services Enumerated

Section 2. The department shall provide and administer a comprehensive child welfare program for children and families, including the following services:—
(1) casework or counseling, including services to families, foster families or individuals;
(2) protective services for children;
(3) legal services for families, children or individuals who are clients of the department;
(4) adoption services;
(5) information and referral services;
(6) foster family care for children and specialized foster family care for children with special needs;
(7) residential care for children with special needs who are not suited for foster family care or specialized foster family care;
(8) informal education and group activities;
(9) training in parenthood and home management for parents, foster parents and prospective parents;
(10) family services intended to prevent the need for foster care and services to children in foster care;
(11) temporary residential programs providing counseling and supportive assistance for families in transition and their children who, because of domestic violence, homelessness, or other situations, require temporary shelter and assistance;
(12) camping services;
(13) information and referral services;
(14) services for families and individuals in emergency and transitional housing;
(15) comprehensive youth development services;
(16) access to and coordination of medical, dental and mental health services for children in foster care whose families are receiving services from other state agencies; and
(17) child care placements for children whose families have an open case with the department.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 3 - Functions of Department; Area-Based Service Programs

Section 3. (a) The department shall provide comprehensive, area-based child welfare services. These services shall be organized by regions and areas consistent with those established by the secretary of health and human services under section 16 of chapter 6A.
(b) In order that the area-based services be adapted, organized and coordinated to meet the needs of certain population groups, the department shall provide programs for:
(1) families and children which shall, among other objectives, serve to assist, strengthen and encourage family life for the care and protection of children, assist and encourage the use by any family of all available resources to this end, and provide substitute care of children only when preventive services have failed and the family itself, or the resources needed and provided to the family, cannot insure the integrity of the family and the necessary care and protection to guarantee the rights of any child to sound health and normal physical, mental, spiritual and moral development; and
(2) other population groups which require special adaptation of the services provided because of special needs.
(c) The department shall:
(1) formulate the policies, procedures and rules necessary for the full and efficient implementation of programs authorized by the laws of the commonwealth and federal laws in the area of services for children and families;
(2) administer the services, funds and personnel necessary for these programs throughout the commonwealth;
(3) establish and enforce high standards of service and strive to elevate such standards;
(4) provide the range of services on a fair, just and equitable basis to all people in need of such services;
(5) collaborate with other departments of the commonwealth and with voluntary or private agencies or organizations to assure efficient and high-quality social and educational services for persons who are unable, for social or economic reasons, to provide such services for themselves;
(6) study the social and economic problems in the commonwealth and make recommendations to the appropriate branches and agencies of government, including the office of the child advocate, for broadening and improving the scope and quality of child welfare services; and
(7) recruit and retain foster care and pre-adoption parents sufficient for the needs of children serviced by the department, including expanded efforts through education of the public.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 4 - Payment for Services

Section 4. Subject to appropriation, services of the department shall not be denied to any person because of such person's financial assets or income; provided, however, that the department shall establish a schedule of fees for services which may vary with the ability of the recipient of such services to pay therefor.
The department shall develop regulations defining standards of need and priorities for the allocation of social services; such regulations may not deny any category of social services to any person on the basis of such person's financial assets or income, except with regard to any category of social service which, prior to July twenty-second, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight, could have been denied to a person on the basis of such person's financial assets or income.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 5 - Federal Requirements; Additional Services; Inspection of Records

Section 5. The department shall make provision for such social services as are required under Title XX and Title IV B of the Social Security Act and the regulations established thereunder and shall provide such additional services as the general court may determine.
In order to assure the fullest possible reimbursement from the federal government, the records of the department shall be open for inspection by representatives of the federal government for fiscal purposes including, but not limited to audit, the approval or authorization of payments for assistance to children or families, or for any other purpose directly connected with the administration of such payments for assistance.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 6 - Commissioner; Appointment; Qualifications; Salary

Section 6. The department shall be under the direction, supervision and control of the commissioner of children and families, in this chapter called the commissioner, who shall be appointed by the secretary of health and human services, with the approval of the governor, and who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary, and may be removed by the secretary at any time, subject to the approval of the governor. Said commissioner shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office and shall at the time of appointment have received a doctorate or other degree beyond the level of the baccalaureate in the field of business, economics, education, government, law, medicine, psychology, public administration, public health, public policy, social work, urban planning, or a field substantially related to one or more of the foregoing and shall have had not less than seven years of responsible administrative experience, at least three of which shall have been in a field related to human services, or said commissioner shall have had experience in one or more of said fields for a period of years equivalent to the number of years required to obtain such other degree beyond that of baccalaureate required herein, and shall have had, in addition thereto, not less than seven years of responsible administrative experience, at least three of which shall have been in a field related to human services. The position of commissioner shall be classified under section 45 of chapter 30 and the salary shall be determined under section 46C of said chapter 30 and the commissioner shall devote full time to the duties of the office. The commissioner shall be the executive and administrative head of the department.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 8 - Deputy Commissioner; Appointment; Qualifications; Duties; Salary

Section 8. The commissioner shall appoint and may remove a deputy commissioner. The position of deputy commissioner shall be classified under section 45 of chapter 30 and the salary shall be determined under section 46C of said chapter 30. The deputy commissioner shall have the same qualifications in training and experience as required by the commissioner. The deputy commissioner shall perform such duties as the commissioner may determine and shall, in the case of a vacancy in the office of the commissioner, or during the commissioner's absence or disability, exercise the powers and perform the duties of the office of commissioner. Said deputy commissioner shall devote full time to the duties of the office.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 9 - Assistant Commissioners; Appointment; Qualifications; Salary

Section 9. The commissioner may appoint and remove such assistant commissioners as the commissioner shall from time to time determine, not to exceed four in number, who shall be assigned to areas of responsibility to be specified by the commissioner.
Each assistant commissioner shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office and shall at the time of appointment have received a masters or higher degree and shall have had professional experience of not less than five years as an administrator in a field related to human services or said assistant commissioner shall have had professional experience in a field related to human services for a period of years equivalent to the number of years required to obtain a master's degree, and shall have had, in addition thereto, professional experience of not less than five years as an administrator in a field related to human services. The position of assistant commissioner shall be classified under section 45 of chapter 30 and the salary shall be determined under section 46C of said chapter 30. Assistant commissioners shall devote full time to the duties of the office.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 10 - Legal Counsel; Staff Personnel

Section 10. The commissioner may appoint a member of the Massachusetts bar a legal counsel who shall be placed in grade 30 of the classification and pay scale of the commonwealth. Said legal counsel shall devote full time to the duties of the office.
The commissioner may also, subject to appropriation, appoint such other personnel as may be deemed necessary for the efficient management of the office.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 11 - Regional Offices; Directors

Section 11. The commissioner may, subject to appropriation, establish regional offices at such locations in the commonwealth as may be deemed necessary to ensure the development and maintenance of effective administration in the provision of social services therein.
The commissioner may, subject to appropriation, appoint regional social services directors to administer the regional offices and perform such duties as may be assigned by the commissioner.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 12 - Area Directors; Appointment; Qualifications; Duties; Plans; Budgets; Social Worker Qualifications

Section 12. The commissioner, with the advice of the area board, shall appoint an area director in each area, and, subject to appropriation, such other employees as the commissioner may deem necessary.
Each area director shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office and shall at the time of appointment have received a masters or higher degree in a field related to human service and shall have had not less than five years of professional administrative experience in the delivery of human services or a related field or said area director shall have had experience in a field related to human services for a period of years required to obtain a master's degree, and shall have had, in addition thereto, not less than five years of professional administrative experience in the delivery of human services or a related field. The area director shall be placed in grade 29 of the classification and pay schedule of the commonwealth, and shall devote full time to the duties of the office.
The area director shall perform such duties as are described in this chapter and such other duties as may be assigned by the commissioner.
The area director shall, in consultation with the area board, prepare and submit to the commissioner an annual plan for the operation and development of its program. Such plan shall provide, as far as practicable, a comprehensive area program in social services as required by departmental standards.
The area director shall also prepare and submit to the commissioner the proposed annual budget for the area for programs to be supported at the area level. The commissioner shall make such revisions as shall be necessary and shall include said area budgets as part of the departmental budget requests submitted annually under sections 27 and 28 of chapter 29. A copy of the area budget as included with said departmental requests shall be forwarded by the commissioner to each area director for the information of the area board.
The area director, subject to the overall supervision of the commissioner, shall supervise all employees within the area and shall be responsible for the administration of the area budget and the implementation of the area plan.
A social worker shall have a bachelor's degree at the time of appointment. A supervisory social worker shall have a master's degree in social work or a related field at the time of appointment.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 13 - Area Boards; Members; Appointment; Terms

Section 13. In each area established under section 3, there shall be a children and families area board, in this chapter called the area board, which shall be an agency of the commonwealth and shall serve in the department. The area board shall consist of 23 members, who shall be appointed by the commissioner for terms of 3 years.
No member shall be an employee of the department. Two-thirds of the members shall be persons other than employees of the commonwealth or its political subdivisions.
The commissioner shall seek to provide proper geographical representation in the membership of the board. Two-thirds of the members shall live within the area for which they are appointed, and the remaining members shall either live or work in the area. At least 1 member from each city and, if practicable, each town in the area shall be included.
At least 6 members shall be consumers of services provided by the department. Not more than 2 members shall be selected from nominations submitted by the president of the collective bargaining unit representing the social workers who work for the department in the area. Not more than 2 members shall be selected from private providers within the area. One member at the time of appointment shall be a member of the community mental health area board established under section 14 of chapter 19, 1 member at the time of appointment shall be a person knowledgeable in the field of intellectual disabilities, 2 members at the time of their appointment shall be members of the financial or business professions with special fiscal or budgetary skills, and 2 members shall at the time of their appointment be members of the community service area boards established under section 7 of chapter 18.
Upon the expiration of the term of any member, his successor shall be appointed, in like manner, for a term of 3 years. In the event of a vacancy, the commissioner may, in like manner, appoint a member who shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. Members shall serve without compensation and shall be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties. The area board shall suggest for consideration by the commissioner 1 or more names for each such expiring term or vacancy. No member shall be appointed for more than 3 consecutive 3–year terms.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 14 - Area Boards; Selection Committee; Lists of Prospective Members; Approval; Appointment

Section 14. To facilitate the appointment of the members of the area board, the commissioner shall appoint in each area a selection committee of seven members, who shall be residents of or workers in the area, and who shall be interested in and knowledgeable about social services. No employees of the department shall be on said selection committee. The selection committee shall file a list of not more than fifty names, selected in accordance with the provisions of section 13, with the commissioner. If said committee fails to file such list within thirty days of its appointment, the commissioner shall within thirty days appoint the members of the area board, subject to the provisions of section 13. If said list is so filed, the commissioner shall approve and appoint from said list twenty-one persons as members of the area board. If the commissioner disapproves of any name on said list, another person or persons not on said list may be appointed to the area board, subject to the provisions of section 13.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 15 - Area Boards; Powers and Duties

Section 15. The area board shall have the following duties and powers:
(a) to act as the representative of the citizens of the area;
(b) to advise regarding local needs and resources in the development of comprehensive social services for children and families;
(c) to advise in the recruitment and selection of the area director and assistant area director to be appointed by the commissioner; provided that the commissioner may designate a person to act as area director for a period not to exceed three months in any case in which such office shall be vacant, and
(d) to review and approve the annual area plan and to make recommendations concerning the annual budget for the comprehensive social services for children and families of the area;
(e) to review arrangements and contracts for programs and services which are a part of the program of the area;
(f) to consult with the commissioner and area director in personnel recruitment and appointment policies within the area, in the establishment of program priorities for the area, and in policies regarding relationships with other agencies and organizations;
(g) to receive funds under contracts or other agreements from community sources, including municipalities, as authorized for the rendering of services in collaboration with such municipal or other community or private agencies providing cooperative or complementary services;
(h) to discuss any matters concerning the area program;
(i) to hold at least four regular meetings in each year and to convene special meetings on the call of the president, or ten members of the board, or the area director. The area director shall be notified of, and may participate in, all meetings, but shall not vote;
(j) to select from their members annually a president and such other officers as they may deem appropriate. The area board shall adopt rules for their proper organization and for procedures at meetings. Such rules and any subsequent amendments thereto shall be submitted to the commissioner for approval.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 16 - Statewide Advisory Council

Section 16. There shall be a statewide advisory council which shall consist of one member from each area board, elected by the members thereof, to serve for a term of one year. Said council shall advise the commissioner in matters of statewide interest relating to the delivery of social services for children and families. At least one such member shall be a member from the financial or business professions with special fiscal or budgetary skill.
The council shall work to facilitate the medical evaluation process and recruitment of physicians, dentists and mental health professionals to medically screen and evaluate children newly admitted to foster care. To accomplish this goal the council shall consult with pediatricians, family practice physicians or a nurse practitioners, dentists, psychiatrists, psychologists or licensed independent clinical social worker therapists, the family and probate court, the juvenile court, and the Massachusetts medical assistance program. The council shall report annually on or before December 31 to the commissioner any recommended changes to the department's regulations or policies that would facilitate the medical evaluation process and recruitment of necessary personnel.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 17 - Centers for Children and Families

Section 17. The department may establish centers for children and families in any facility owned or rented by the commonwealth other than state schools, hospitals or prisons, in any area if space is available or suitable for the purpose and shall, if feasible, locate these centers in a facility utilized by an agency of the commonwealth providing human services. If suitable space is not available, the department may acquire adequate space for such centers by renting, leasing or other available means. Each area shall be responsible for the delivery of services within its area. The centers shall be of sufficient number and so located as to be readily accessible to the people throughout the commonwealth.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 18 - Trust Funds; Investment Deposits; Expenditures

Section 18. The commissioner may receive funds in trust for the use of children born out of wedlock or other persons under the care or supervision of the department. The commissioner shall deposit such funds in savings banks in the commonwealth or in savings accounts in trust companies or national banks therein, or in paid-up shares and accounts of and in co-operative banks, or may use said funds to purchase share accounts of federal savings and loan associations located in the commonwealth and, when necessary, make expenditures from said funds for the benefit of or on behalf of the ward. All such funds received by the commissioner under this section shall be deposited in interest bearing accounts.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 19 - Unclaimed Money of Former Wards; Annual Pay Over to State Treasurer; Disposition

Section 19. Annually on or before November thirtieth, the commissioner shall pay to the state treasurer all unclaimed money held by the department for the benefit of any former ward of the department whose whereabouts is then unknown and has been unknown for seven years subsequent to his coming of age. At the time of so paying over any such money, the commissioner shall certify to the comptroller the amount of such money then held for the benefit of each former ward, his full name, age, if known, and last known address, the names of his parents, if known, and such further information as the commissioner deems relevant; and said comptroller shall make and keep a record thereof.
The state treasurer may receive from the commissioner the unclaimed money paid over under this section and shall hold it as a separate fund. Upon certificate of the comptroller that a claim thereto satisfactory to him shall have been established and approved in writing by the attorney general, the state treasurer shall pay to any former ward, or to his guardian or conservator in case of his mental or other legal disability, or to his legal representatives in case of his death, the amount of money held for his benefit and paid over to the state treasurer under this section, without any accumulations accruing thereto after such payment, out of the principal of the fund in which the money so claimed was held as aforesaid. The said funds, if in cash, shall be invested safely by the state treasurer, or, if in securities he may hold them in their original form or, upon the approval of the governor sell them and reinvest the proceeds in securities which are legal investments for the commonwealth sinking funds. He shall be held responsible for the faithful management of said trust funds in the same manner as for other funds held by him in his official capacity.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 20 - Funds; Advancement and Disbursement; Reports

Section 20. Notwithstanding section 22 of chapter 29 or any other law, funds made available by appropriation or otherwise for enabling the department to carry out the provisions of this chapter may be advanced to the department in such sums and subject to such rules and regulations as the comptroller may determine. The department shall make a monthly report to the comptroller of the amount of funds disbursed by the department subsequent to the previous monthly report and shall certify to the comptroller that such disbursements are substantiated by detailed records and vouchers retained in the custody of the department.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 21 - Adoption Subsidy Program

Section 21. The department shall establish an adoption subsidy program for the purpose of facilitating the adoption of children with special needs who are in substitute care and who would not otherwise be placed in an appropriate adoptive home or be adopted. The department acting under such program shall take into consideration the circumstances of the adopting parents and the needs of the child being adopted and the department shall determine the amount to be paid by the department to the adoptive parents.
The department shall promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this section.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 24 - High-Risk Children; Racial Disproportion; Procurement of Services; Children Transitioning Out of System; Semi-Annual Report

Section 24. The commissioner shall report semi-annually on: (i) the status of high-risk children and the department's efforts to identify such children and address their needs for child protection; (ii) the status of racial disproportionality and disparity of the department's client population and its efforts, including the use of culturally competent staffing, resources and practices, to reduce overrepresentation of children of color in the child welfare system; (iii) the status of the department's procurement of services; and (iv) the status of children who, due to their age, are transitioning out of the child welfare system. The reports shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and the house, the senate and house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities, the office of the child advocate, and the governor.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18b - Department of Social Services › Section 25 - Multiple 51a Reports; Quarterly Report

Section 25. In addition to the immediate notification required under subsection (n) of section 7, the commissioner shall report quarterly on the total number of cases of multiple 51A reports reviewed by the department under subsection (r) of section 51B of chapter 119, the types of those cases, and their resolutions. The report shall be filed with the governor, the clerks of the senate and the house, the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities, and the child advocate.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 18c - Office of the Child Advocate › Section 1 - Definitions

Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
"Advisory council'', the child advocate advisory council established in section 4.
"Child advocate'', the child advocate appointed under section 3.
"Critical incident'', (i) a fatality, near fatality or serious bodily or emotional injury of a child who is in the custody of or receiving services from an executive agency or a constituent agency; or (ii) circumstances which result in a reasonable belief that an executive agency or a constituent agency failed in its duty to protect a child and, as a result, the child was at imminent risk of, or suffered serious bodily or emotional injury or death.
"Department'', the department of children and families.
[ Definition of "Executive agency'' effective until May 30, 2023. For text effective May 30, 2023, see below.]
"Executive agency'', a state agency within the office of the governor, including the executive office of education, the executive office of public safety and security, executive office of health and human services, and their constituent agencies, the Massachusetts interagency council on housing and homelessness and the executive office of housing and economic development.
[ Definition of "Executive agency'' as amended by 2023, 7, Sec. 45 effective May 30, 2023. See 2023, 7, Sec. 298. For text effective until May 30, 2023, see above.]
"Executive agency'', a state agency within the office of the governor, including the executive office of education, the executive office of public safety and security, executive office of health and human services, and their constituent agencies, the Massachusetts interagency council on housing and homelessness and the executive office of housing and livable communities.
"Office'', the office of the child advocate.
"Serious bodily or emotional injury'', an injury which involves a substantial risk of death, extreme physical pain, protracted and obvious disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ or mental faculty or emotional distress.