Section 2: Office of the child advocate; duties

251 words·~1 min read·/ma/part-i/title-ii/chapter-18c/2

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Section 2. There shall be an office of the child advocate which shall be independent of any supervision or control by any executive agency. The office shall:

(a)ensure that children involved with an executive agency, in particular, children served by the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, receive timely, safe and effective services;

(b)ensure that children placed in the care of the commonwealth or receiving services under the supervision of an executive agency in any public or private facility shall receive humane and dignified treatment at all times, with full respect for the child's personal dignity, right to privacy, and right to a free and appropriate education in accordance with state and federal law;

(c)examine, on a system-wide basis, the care and services that executive agencies provide children;

(d)advise the public and those at the highest levels of state government about how the commonwealth may improve its services to and for children and their families; and

(e)impose temporary cost share agreements, as necessary pursuant to section 16R of chapter 6A to ensure children's timely access to services.

The office shall act to investigate and ensure that the highest quality of services and supports are provided to safeguard the health, safety and well-being of all children receiving services. The office shall examine systemic issues related to the provision of services to children and provide recommendations to improve the quality of those services in order to give each child the opportunity to live a full and productive life.