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Take action by voicing your support for foster parents and the children in their care. Please fill out this form to send your message to state legislators about why they must prioritize foster families in the 2019-2020 legislative session.
Customize your message below! #FosteringVoices
The 2019-2020 legislative session is underway. Even though the formal co-sponsor deadline has passed, State Representatives and Senators can still co-sponsor SD 1432: An Act establishing a Foster Parent Bill of Rights. A strong show of support in the form of co-sponsorships helps to create early momentum and make sure that state legislators prioritize foster, pre-adoptive, and kinship families.
We need your help. Please use the form to your right to send an email to your State Representative and Senator urging them to support the Foster Parent Bill of Rights vital to supporting caregivers. It only takes a minute to send the email, but your voice can make a big difference for thousands of families and children in every community of the Commonwealth.
You'll be asking your State Representative and Senator to support:
An Act establishing a Foster Parent Bill of Rights (SD 1432)- Sen. Jo Comerford
Foster, pre-adoptive, and kinship caregivers play a critical, everyday role supporting the 6,000+ children in the care of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The responsibilities of foster parents are made clear through extensive training and formalized in Department of Children & Families' policies and regulations. However, it is equally important for foster parents to have a clear understanding of their rights. This bill includes several key rights important to foster families, including:
-access to training & resources
-the right to appropriate communication between DCF, courts, and others involved with caring for the child
-the right to be free from all forms of discrimination in carrying out their duties as foster parents
-the ability to exercise rights without fear of repercussions
-establishing a reasonable & prudent parenting standard (a framework for routine decision making designed to help foster parents provide a relatively normal family environment for children)
As caregivers, we seek respect, collaboration, & support in carrying out our responsibilities.
The full text of the bill can be found here.
Thank you for taking the time to support families!
Please spread the word by forwarding and sharing to your community.