Massachusetts Senate to Debate Landmark Child Welfare Legislation

Bill would establish Foster Child Bill of Rights and strengthen protections for children in state care

(BOSTON—6/4/2026) The Massachusetts Senate next week will debate comprehensive legislation to safeguard the wellbeing of vulnerable children in state care and foster care.

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means reported a new draft of omnibus legislation to the full Senate today. The Senate plans to take up the bill—S.3111, An Act enhancing child welfare protections—at a formal session on Thursday, June 11.

The legislation strengthens the work of existing programs such as the Family Resource Center (FRC) network, which diverts certain children with behavioral or truancy issues away from the courts in order to ensure they receive needed services during their formative years.

The bill establishes a Foster Child Bill of Rights to guarantee certain necessities for children in foster care related to their safety, health care, and education. It also helps students in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to seamlessly start classes in a new school by ensuring that their educational records travel with them from their previous school district.

Other provisions of the bill enhance the work of the Office of the Child Advocate to protect children and investigate cases of abuse, harm, and fatalities.

Full details of the legislation are available in a fact sheet in the Senate press room.

The Committee on Ways and Means reported the legislation today as a new text for a bill that was previously passed by the House of Representatives, and centered its work on the comprehensive omnibus bill assembled last fall by the Senate members of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, led by Senator Robyn K. Kennedy.

The Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee bill drew on components of seven smaller bills to create a synchronized package which was endorsed with a bipartisan 6-0 vote of all Senate members on October 20, 2025.

The joint committee solicited public input on all underlying bills through various hearings held on May 13, July 8, and September 9 of last year.

All votes taken at the committee and chamber levels are publicly posted on the Legislature’s website.

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