May 29,2025 Minutes
- Salem Dems
- Aug 22
- 1 min read
May 29 2025 Meeting Minutes
Presented by Cheryl Haddad—veteran foster/adoptive/guardian/bio parent and statewide trainer/advocate—this talk calls for Massachusetts to become the first state to guarantee legal support for foster parents. It begins with a historical overview of federal child welfare milestones (1909–2018) and the evolving foster parent–DCF relationship. Despite decades of reform, children in foster care still lack enforceable rights, and policies are driven more by cultural subjectivity than evidence-based practice.
Federal reviews (2004, 2010, 2015) found no state met permanency and stability benchmarks under Title IV-B and IV-E, with no enforcement mechanism when states fail. Funds continue to flow ($354.5 million to Massachusetts) despite poor results, perpetuating (per statistics) a foster-to-prison and foster-to-homelessness pipeline. Massachusetts’ 2024 data reveals 8,160 children in foster care wit 59% aging out without permanent family connections and only 56% graduate high school -- placing Massachusetts in poor standing compared to other wealthy States.
For more information:
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Foster parents are critical, yet 30–50% quit within a year due to lack of support, guidance, and communication. System structures—from training during work hours to last-minute court or therapy requirements—disproportionately exclude working and higher-income families, limiting placement diversity and stability. This creates a paradox: the children most in need are less likely to be placed in resource-rich homes.
Cheryl proposes that codified foster parent rights, legal representation, and unionization will improve retention, promote stability, and ultimately give children the consistent, supportive environments they need to thrive.
House Bill 229: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H229
Past bill from 2022: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2022/Chapter439
Meeting adjourned at 7:45pm
Minutes taken by Di Yates, member
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