- About the Office of the Child Advocate
Media Contact for Child Advocate Releases Summary on Mandated Reporter Commission’s Work
Jessie Brunelle, Legislative and Communications Director
Boston, MA — Today, the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA), in its role as Chair of the Mandated Reporter Commission (Commission), submitted its final report to the Massachusetts Legislature. The Commission began meeting in February 2020 and met regularly until the submission of this final report, therefore concluding its work. This report is a summary of the Commission’s deliberations.
The Commission, established by the 2019 Child Health and Wellness Bill, was charged with reviewing the current mandated reporter law and regulations, and making recommendations on how to improve the response to, and prevention of, child abuse and neglect. The work of the Commission was tied directly to the topics that the statute creating the Commission laid out. The Commission’s make-up was directed in statute and was comprised of statutory members who represented a wide range of viewpoints from public entities and groups who have extensive experience with mandated reporting in Massachusetts. In order to hear from community voices to better inform its work, the Commission held a public comment period and hosted public hearings, bringing vital and varied perspectives to the members’ attention.
“The OCA was privileged to Chair and facilitate this Commission, which represented a historic opportunity to bring expert voices to the table to discuss mandated reporting,” said Maria Mossaides, Director of the Office of the Child Advocate. “We recognize that no commission or group of representatives can encompass the full scope of experiences with the complex issue of mandated reporting, and the OCA is wary of oversimplifying these topics by suggesting that some voices can speak for many voices. Through this report, the OCA is determined to reflect that the hard work of this Commission has added significant value to this topic and that this Commission has been a service to the Commonwealth.”
The Massachusetts child protective service system relies in part on state-defined mandatory reporters to report allegations of child abuse or neglect to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Mandated reporting responsibilities are governed by the mandated reporter law (primarily MGL c. 119 s. 51A-B).
As the report details, the topic of mandatory reporting required the Commission members to carefully weigh many factors, including the imperative to protect children from abuse and neglect whenever possible, the trauma that can accompany child protective services involvement, the integrity of the family unit, and so forth. In addition to these factors, there was a deep concern among the Commission members and the public that a system that relies on individual judgment determinations is inextricably tied to individual biases and structural racism, ableism, and classism. Understanding the complexity of this issue before it, the Commission declined to take any action or vote that could be construed as endorsing any decision or recommendation.
The report offers the OCA’s description of the Commission’s work and is not meant to reflect perceived or actual consensus between the Commission’s members. The substance within it cannot be attributed to any agency, entity, or individual, including the OCA itself. The OCA urges the public to consider this report in full, with its nuance and its limitations, and recognize that this report is one example of the Commonwealth’s continued commitment to its children.
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