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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 351 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 195
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to educational support for children in foster care.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester1/12/2023Bud L. Williams11th Hampden1/25/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/31/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 351 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 195
By Representative LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 195) of
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf, Bud L. Williams and Vanna Howard relative to educational
support for children in foster care. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4068 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to educational support for children in foster care.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 18B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
2 Section 26. (a) The department of children and families, in consultation with the
3department of elementary and secondary education, the office of the child advocate, the Service
4Employees International Union, Local 509, the Massachusetts Alliance for Families and the
5Massachusetts Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc., shall:
6 (i) complete a review of all departmental policies relative to the education of children
7under the custody, care or responsibility of the department, including children placed under the
8care of foster families; 2 of 2
9 (ii) develop streamlined guidance for all department area offices relative to the
10responsibilities, policies, agreements and procedures in place regarding the education of children
11under the custody, care or responsibility of the department;
12 (iii) develop and promulgate regulations relative to the responsibilities and duties of
13foster parents, social workers, department area offices and school districts regarding the
14education of children under the custody, care or responsibility of the department; provided, that
15the department shall develop regulations that allow the department to monitor the education of
16each child and allow the department to easily provide information regarding each child’s
17educational history with any person authorized by law to make educational decisions for the
18foster child and the child’s teacher or teachers, school and school district that the child is
19enrolled in; and
20 (iv) develop a program for new foster parents to inform the foster parents about their
21responsibilities and department services relative to the education of the child.
22 (b) The department shall annually, not later than February 1, file a report, which shall
23include aggregate data relative to the education of children under the custody, care or
24responsibility of the department, with the governor, the clerks of the house of representatives and
25the senate, the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities and the joint
26committee on education.