Office of the Child Advocate (OCA)

The Office of the Child Advocate stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and those in our community demanding systematic change. We believe this moment calls for all organizations – ours included – to reflect, re-assess, and identify ways we can do more to help ensure an equitable society.

The OCA is responsible for ensuring that children in the Commonwealth receive timely, safe and effective services from state agencies. At the core of that mission is the imperative that all children have an equal opportunity to thrive – which means our work requires that we address the racial and ethnic disparities that all too often restrict the opportunities of children and families of color.

The OCA reaffirms its commitment to promoting racial equity openly and actively in our work, including identifying and drawing attention to disparities experienced by impacted communities and recommending policy changes to reduce these disparities with the goal of breaking-down the systemic barriers of disparate treatment and disparate effects that prevent children from thriving.

We All Need Help Sometimes

The OCA and UMass Medical have put together a public information campaign to inform families about state resources that are available during the COVID-19 outbreak. Please share these graphics on social media, or print them out and share within your community. These materials are available in multiple languages.