Juvenile Court Judge Gail Garinger Appointed State’s First Child Advocate

March 28, 2008

Governor Deval Patrick yesterday announced the appointment of Hon. Gail Garinger as the Commonwealth’s first Child Advocate. The Governor’s office issued the release below.

Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall and Chief Justice for Administration & Management Robert A. Mulligan issued the following statement:

“The Massachusetts Court congratulates Governor Patrick and Judge Gail Garinger on her appointment to this important new position. Judge Garinger’s extensive expertise and experience on the bench will provide valuable insight as she expands her work on behalf of the children of Massachusetts through this groundbreaking new Office of the Child Advocate. She made an extraordinary contribution to the court and will continue to have a very positive impact in her new role.”

		The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services One Ashburton Place, Room 1109 Boston, Massachusetts 02108-1618 (617) 727-7600
DEVAL L. PATRICK GOVERNOR			JUDYANN BIGBY, M.D SECRETARY
TIMOTHY P. MURRAY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
FOR IMMEDIATE ELEASE: March 27, 2008

GOVERNOR PATRICK APPOINTS STATE’S FIRST CHILD ADVOCATE

BOSTON — Governor Deval Patrick today announced the appointment of Hon. Gail Garinger as the Commonwealth's first Child Advocate.

In December, Governor Patrick signed an Executive Order establishing a new Office of the Child Advocate. The Child Advocate is empowered to investigate, review, monitor and evaluate critical incidents of child abuse or neglect. The Child Advocate is also authorized to review any agency investigation of a critical incident and conduct its own independent investigations, if needed.

“The health and safety of children across the Commonwealth is of utmost importance to all of us,” Governor Patrick said. “In appointing Judge Gail Garinger as Massachusetts’ first-ever Child Advocate, I am excited to have a talented and committed leader who can help enhance existing policies and develop new practices to best protect and care for children in our care and custody.”

“I am extremely grateful to Governor Patrick for this opportunity to work with the state agencies charged with protecting children and promoting their health and welfare,” said Judge Garinger. “I have tremendous respect for Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. JudyAnn Bigby and for the hard-working women and men within those agencies. My goal and challenge as Child Advocate is to help coordinate their efforts to improve the provision of services and to ensure the safety of all children in Massachusetts.”

Judge Garinger is a 1972 graduate of Harvard Law School and served as General Counsel at Children’s Hospital in the 1970s. After several years in private practice, she was appointed to the Juvenile Court in 1995. In 2001, Chief Justice Martha Grace appointed Judge Garinger First Justice of the Juvenile Court in Middlesex County, the largest county in the Commonwealth. In this capacity, Judge Garinger coordinates six judges and oversees 25 sessions at four different court sites in Cambridge, Framingham, Lowell and Waltham. She works with the Clerk Magistrate, the Chief of Probation and all levels of court personnel in an effort to provide fair and respectful justice to the juveniles and their families who appear in the courts.

“Judge Garinger's experience on the bench has provided her with the unique opportunity to understand where the system works and, sometimes, where it doesn't work,” said the Hon. Roderick L. Ireland, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. “She is a sensitive, thoughtful person whose extensive knowledge about the child welfare system has prepared her to be a great advocate for the children of the Commonwealth.”

The Child Advocate will be located within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, but will be independent. The Child Advocate’s independence from any individual agency will ensure Judge Garinger’s ability to identify system-wide issues affecting services provided to children and make recommendations for improvement.

“Our responsibility and commitment to the children and families we serve is paramount to the work of our agencies,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby. “The appointment of Judge Gail Garinger as the Child Advocate will serve to further improve our work both within our agencies and across state government.”

The Child Advocate will report annually to the Governor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate on priorities for children’s services and make recommendations about how the Commonwealth can better provide services to and for children.

Judge Garinger was appointed by the Governor following an extensive process undertaken by an ad hoc group of advocates and experts in child welfare. She is expected to begin April 28.