Legislature approves bill to improve child abuse investigations

By Maddie Hanna, Globe Corresondent

The state Legislature this afternoon approved a bill that would improve investigations of child abuse and create a new office to monitor how such cases are handled.

The goal is to investigate child abuse with a "more rigorous standard," said Sarah Blodgett, a spokeswoman for State Senator Karen E. Spilka.

Under the bill, which was approved by both the House and Senate today, three unsubstantiated reports of abuse or neglect in three months would trigger a special investigation by the Department of Social Services, the state child protection agency, Blodgett said.

"In the past, unsubstantiated reports would kind of disappear into the ether," she said.

The bill would also create the Office of the Child Advocate, which would conduct investigations, evaluate how the state handles cases, and make recommendations directly to the governor for changes in the system, Blodgett said.

• Comment
• Permalink
• Email