Chapter 18C

Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: ''Advisory council'', the child advocate advisory council established in section 4. ''Child advocate'', the child advocate appointed under sect…

Section 10. The child advocate shall report annually to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house, the senate and the house committees on ways and means, and the chairs of the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities on the act…

Section 10A. Annually, not later than April 1, the child advocate shall file a report making recommendations for decreasing and eliminating the number of children and adolescents awaiting clinically-appropriate behavioral health services. The report shall include a review of the …

Section 11. The child advocate, in consultation with the advisory council, may from time to time, examine systemwide responses to child abuse and neglect, including related mental health, substance use and domestic violence issues, and shall file a report on any such examination …

Section 12. The following provisions apply to information and records obtained, reviewed or maintained by the child advocate: (a) Notwithstanding chapter 66A, section 70 of chapter 111, section 11 of chapter 111B, section 18 of chapter 111E, sections 51E and 51F of chapter 119, c…

Section 13. No person employed by or contracted by or volunteering for the office shall be subject to suit directly, derivatively or by way of contribution or indemnification for any civil damages under the laws of the commonwealth resulting from any act or omission performed dur…

Section 14. The office shall convene a childhood trauma task force made up of members of the juvenile justice policy and data board established pursuant to section 89 of chapter 119 to study, report and make recommendations on gender responsive and trauma-informed approaches to t…

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 juvenil…

Section 3. The office of the child advocate shall be under the direction of the child advocate. The child advocate shall be the administrative head of the office and shall devote full-time to the duties of the office. The child advocate shall be appointed by a majority vote of th…

Section 4. There shall be a 25–member child advocate advisory council. The advisory council shall consist of the child advocate, who shall serve as chair, the secretary of health and human services, the secretary of public safety and security, the secretary of education, the comm…

Section 5. (a) An executive agency shall inform the child advocate as soon as practicable when a critical incident has occurred. The child advocate may conduct an investigation of the critical incident or may review an executive agency's investigation of a critical incident. When…

Section 6. The child advocate or his designee shall have access at any and all reasonable times to any facility, residence, program, or portion thereof, that is operated, licensed or funded by an executive agency, and shall have unrestricted access to all electronic information s…

Section 7. The child advocate may request the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of documents, papers, books, records, reports, reviews, recommendations, correspondence, data and other evidence that the child advocate reasonably believes is relevant. If a re…

Section 8. No discriminatory or retaliatory action shall be taken against any person who communicates with or provides information to the office. Any person who knowingly or willfully discriminates or retaliates against such a person shall be liable to such person for treble dama…

Section 9. The child advocate shall develop internal procedures appropriate for the effective performance of his duties. The child advocate may, subject to chapter 30A, adopt, amend or repeal such rules and regulations as are deemed necessary to carry out the functions of the off…