Massachusetts Court Improvement Program (MASSCIP)

The Massachusetts Court Improvement Program (MassCIP) is a Federally funded initiative that promotes continuous improvement of child welfare court processes; legal representation for children, families, and child welfare agencies; and collaboration between key child welfare stakeholders, including the Juvenile Court, the Probate and Family Court, the Department of Children and Families, and the Committee for Public Counsel Services, to improve child welfare outcomes. Through grants administered by the Supreme Judicial Court, MassCIP supports systemic improvements, programmatic initiatives, and ongoing training designed to lead to better outcomes for children and families involved with the child welfare system in Massachusetts. MassCIP conducts annual self-assessments to identify progress, challenges, and areas for improvement. This process is designed to help inform ongoing strategic planning.

MassCIP is supported in its work by a Steering Committee and a statewide multidisciplinary task force that meet regularly to discuss the program’s goals. Members include judges and key court personnel, representatives of child welfare stakeholders, and individuals with lived experience of the child welfare system.

Organizations or persons wishing to apply for a MassCIP grant should submit a request letter and budget to masscip@jud.state.ma.us describing the ways in which the requested funding would be used to support MassCIP’s objectives and child-welfare-related goals. Grants are awarded