Press Release: 7/7/2025

New Report Highlights Need for “Child Requiring Assistance” System Reform

 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



7/07/2025



MEDIA CONTACT



Ari Fertig, Legislative and Communications Director



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Call Ari Fertig, Legislative and Communications Director at 617-960-7039



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Email Ari Fertig, Legislative and Communications Director at ari.fertig@mass.gov



Office of the Child Advocate Urges Passage of Legislation to Strengthen Family Resource Centers, Reduce Children’s Court Involvement



BOSTON, MA -- A new report by the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) finds that Massachusetts is unnecessarily relying too heavily on the Juvenile Court system to address children's behavioral challenges, and that legislative action is needed to ensure families in need of support can get those services faster and more effectively in the community instead.  



In 2012, the state established the Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) system as a reform of the prior “Children in Need of Services” (CHINS) system. The CRA system, like the CHINS system before it, is a civil process that allows families and schools to petition the Juvenile Court that a child “requires assistance” to address non-delinquent behaviors such as regularly missing school (e.g. truancy) or repeatedly running away from home. 



However, after years of study, in 2022 the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board (JJPAD), chaired by the Office of the Child Advocate, found that despite the original goal of the CHINS reform movement, many cases are still being referred to the court system that could, instead, be addressed with community-based services while avoiding the harmful impacts that court involvement can have.  



Today, the OCA released an update to the major JJPAD 2022 report on the Child Requiring Assistance system. The OCA’s report found that the situation has worsened in recent years:




  • In each year since the JJPAD published its report on the CRA system, CRA filings have increased.  

     

  • This increase is being driven by school-based filings: from FY22 to FY24, school-initiated petitions for truancy and habitual school offenses increased by 13% and 15%, respectively.  

     

  • Disparities for Latino and Black youth are deepening: From FY22 to FY24, CRA filings for Latino and Black youth rose by 15%, while filings for white youth declined by 12% and filings for Black youth declined by 1%. As a result, in FY24, compared to white youth in Massachusetts, Latino youth were 3.5 times more likely to have a petition filed against them, and Black youth were 3.28 times more likely.   

     

  • Young children between the ages of six and 12 continue to be pushed into the court system at an increasingly high rate, despite research showing that court involvement is developmentally inappropriate and potentially harmful.



"Families come to the Juvenile Court through a CRA petition desperately seeking help, and judges, probation officers, and attorneys do their best to provide that help with the options they have available. But a court process – which can be adversarial – is simply not the best way to address what are often complex behavioral health needs, learning disabilities, and/or family conflicts,” said Maria Mossaides, Director of the Office of the Child Advocate. “As a state, we must take action to bolster our school- and community-based supports and, by providing the services the child and their family require, divert as many families away from the court process as possible.”  



Legislation Filed to Address this Issue 

 

On July 8th, the Legislature will hold a hearing for the public on H.265/S.141, An Act Regarding Families and Children in Need of Assistance, sponsored by Representative Rita Mendes (D – 11th Plymouth) and Senator Robyn Kennedy (D – First Worcester), which would make targeted reforms to the Commonwealth’s CRA system to ensure that families can access support without first going through the court. This bill would:




  • Expand the role of Family Resource Centers (FRCs), allowing them to better serve as an earlier intervention point by assigning case managers and coordinating support through multidisciplinary teams 

  • Change the CRA court filing process to ensure that community-based options are fully explored before a petition is filed, positioning court involvement as a true last resort 

  • Raise the lower age of CRA jurisdiction from 6 to 12 to be more developmentally appropriate.



“Sometimes as a child enters adolescence, families need help responding to challenging behaviors.”  said Maria Mossaides, Director of the Office of the Child Advocate. “Legislation is needed to ensure that help comes earlier, in the community, and without the harmful consequences of unnecessary court involvement. These changes are critical to making the system more effective and more equitable.” 



Background – Key Findings of the 2022 Report:




  • The Juvenile Court has limited response options available and does not have access to services that are not otherwise available in the community.  

  • Despite this, many families turn to the court out of desperation, due to limited access to appropriate services through schools and other systems.

  • The court process can have negative effects on children and families.   

  • Disparities persist, with Black and Latino youth each three times more likely than white youth to be the subject of a CRA petition.



The JJPAD Board recommended moving a significant portion of CRA cases away from the court and into the community. This includes expanding the reach and role of Family Resource Centers and improving public awareness of available supports.



To read the full 2022 report click here. To read the report released today, click here.



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About the Office of the Child Advocate  

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent agency that serves children and families across the Commonwealth. The Office’s goal is to ensure all children receive appropriate, timely and quality services. The OCA collects and analyzes data and makes recommendations to legislators and professionals to improve these services. The Office also takes complaints and provides information to families who receive state services.