Child Welfare

MLRI is a leading independent child welfare advocate and agency watchdog both in Massachusetts and nationally.

Our child welfare advocacy promotes policies and practices that protect low-income children and families, communities of color, individuals with disabilities and LGBTQ youth from harms caused by the child welfare system.

Our child welfare advocacy focuses on:

Supporting the Family Preservation Project which provides legal representation and advocacy throughout the state.
Participating in the Massachusetts Child Welfare Coalition, which brings together advocates focused on meaningful change to the child welfare system.
Engaging in legislative advocacy and litigation to prevent harms to children and families resulting from unwarranted DCF intervention, surveillance, and removal of children.
Advancing policies that provide low-income families access to community-based resources, financial support, and safety, without child welfare system involvement.