DCF relies on child serving professionals, also known as mandated reporters, and the public to alert the Department of suspected child abuse and/or neglect. These child abuse/neglect reports are called protective intakes or 51As. (See M.G.L. Ch. 119 Sec. 51A)
Intake & Response: DCF reviews or "screens" all child abuse/neglect reports and decides whether a child protective services response is needed.
- Screen-in: If a report is screened in, it is assigned for a response (also known as an investigation) to determine if there is reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused or neglected. If the Department receives multiple reports on a child, they become part of the same response.
- Screen-out: If a report does not meet DCF's screening criteria, including reports of abuse/neglect of people aged 18 and over, the report will be screened out. Some screened out reports are referred to the District Attorney for criminal investigation.
** To be screened in, most reports must allege child abuse/neglect by a parent/caregiver. Massachusetts is one of a limited number of states that also screens in allegations of child sexual exploitation and/or human trafficking when the person alleged to be responsible is not a parent/caregiver. (See 100 CMR4 and the DCF Protective Intake Policy) **
If there is reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused or neglected the response will either be supported or found to be a substantiated concern. DCF will typically open a new case or incorporate the finding into an existing case as shown below:
Protective Intake/Response Flow: FY22 (07/01/21 - 06/30/22)*
Cases: A case may include the different members of a family, including children and parents/caregivers, as well as young adults who turn 18 in foster care and continue receiving services up until age 23. While a case is open, DCF works with families and community service partners to keep children safe. When DCF determines that a parent/caregiver can safely care for their children or the children are living with a safe caregiver in a permanent home, DCF closes the case.
Case Flow: FY22 (07/01/21 - 06/30/22)*
Placements: DCF's priority is to serve children safely at home with their parents/family members. When necessary, DCF provides children with a foster home or another safe place to live. Children leave foster care/placement when they can safely reunify with their parents or when DCF finds a permanent home (e.g., through adoption, guardianship or kinship care).
Placement Flow: FY22 (07/01/21 - 06/30/22)
Use this interactive dashboard to learn more about the children and families served by DCF. Click this glossary to learn more about the terms used in the dashboard.
Note: This interactive dashboard is intended for informational purposes only for people interested in learning more about child protective services in Massachusetts. Data in the dashboard may vary slightly from other reports published by DCF based on when the reports were published, what they include, and minor corrections made over time.
To protect the confidentiality of the children and families involved with DCF, queries that show less than 10 results will be excluded from the dashboard results.
Dashboard data will be updated within 60 days of when the quarter ends.