A Child Advocate's Blog

Baker, Coakley Wrangle Over DCF 10:48 AM WED OCTOBER 15, 2014 By RUPA SHENOY http://wgbhnews.org/post/baker-coakley-wrangle-over-dcf Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker has faulted his Democratic rival, Martha Coakley, for her handling of a lawsuit brought by a New York nonprofit against the state of Massachusetts. Baker charges that by fighting an out-of-state, nonprofit child advocacy group in court, rather than negotiating with them, Coakley missed an opportunity to improve care for the Bay State’s most at-risk children. That was four years ago, when a New York-based group called Children’s Rights alleged in federal court that the state Department of Children and Families exhibited a detailed and troubling pattern of negligence in the care of some of its charges. Coakley, representing the state as attorney general, convinced a Boston federal judge that Children’s Rights hadn’t made its case. The nonprofit is appealing. Baker says Coakley coul

Bill extends time limit on sexual abuse lawsuits Would let alleged child victims file until age 53 By Travis Andersen, Derek J. Anderson and Jennifer Smith  | GLOBE STAFF | GLOBE CORRESPONDENTS   JUNE 20, 2014 http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/06/19/senate-passes-bill-give-alleged-sex-abuse-victims-more-time-file-lawsuits/m91An2iTb0EZSPdsioS4eI/story.html  The Massachusetts Legislature is on the verge of finalizing a bill that will give alleged child sexual abuse victims an additional 32 years to file civil lawsuits, a move one specialist said will open the door to thousands of new cases. The bill would extend the statute of limitations for filing suits against alleged perpetrators and, in future cases, the people or institution supervising them. Under the legislation, the victims would be able to file suits up to age 53, instead of the current limit of age 21. The Senate passed the measure Thursday, after it was approved by the House Wednesday. Lawmakers expect to send

Statute of Limitations Bill Passes Unanimously in House and Senate Advocates and Church Leaders Arrive at Compromise June 19, 2012, BOSTON, MA – Behind-the-scenes diplomacy over the past several months among legislators, legal experts, child advocates and Church officials has resulted in a bill that will finally provide civil relief for victims of child sexual abuse who were previously time-barred by law from filing charges against their alleged abusers. The bill moved quickly through the Judiciary Committee, championed by Senator William Brownsberger, recently appointed Senate Co-Chair of the Committee. House sponsor Representative John Lawn shepherded it through to the House where it was passed unanimously on Thursday. Late today, the Senate also confirmed its unanimous support. The bill, which includes an emergency provision, will go into immediate effect upon Governor Patrick’s signing and he is expected to do so. Any child 18 or younger who is abused after the law goes into

We at MassKids have been working hard, read about our efforts in the latest MassKids Chronicle here! http://www.icontact-archive.com/vbh4RGfk5zSDr9JJefnN627_H-wgy4g_?w=3

BY LESLIE CROCKER SNYDER  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, May 5, 2014, 4:30 AM http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ending-sex-abuse-epidemic-article-1.1777735 Every week, we learn of new charges of sexual abuse and rape at schools that have allegedly mishandled or hidden complaints by victims. Last week it was Columbia University; the week before, it was Florida State. It has been three years since the Penn State-Jerry Sandusky horror, and little has been accomplished. Almost as disturbing as the abuse itself are the revelations of institutional bungling of investigations, and sometimes, failure to investigate at all. Sadly, sexual abuse extends far beyond the church, the military, sports and our universities. It is widespread in our secondary schools, where it is estimated that one in five children has been abused by a school educator or employee between kindergarten and 12th grade. By now, almost everyone has heard about the decades of sexual abuse at the Horace Mann school. Less

Cherishing Every Child this Holiday Season Stop the Hurt. Donate to MassKids Today! Please take just a few minutes from your busy holiday schedule to listen to a brief message from Senator Elizabeth Warren that speaks to the critical problem of child sexual abuse and MassKids’ leadership in addressing an issue which the American Medical Association has called “a silent, violent epidemic.” We also invite you to hear an inspiring and uplifting song performed by Framingham children at our recent Summit to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse in Schools and Youth Organizations. "Stop the hurt before it starts, we don't need more broken hearts," they sing. They remind us that children look to us - their parents, relatives, teachers, and other caring adults - to protect them from abuse and exploitation. MassKids has been an effective advocate for our state’s most vulnerable children for over half a century. We hope you will help support MassKids today with your holiday gift so th