Massachusetts General Laws|Chapter 119 - PROTECTION AND CARE OF CHILDREN, AND PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THEM

Section 1 - Declaration of policy; purpose

Section 2 to 20 - Repealed, 1972, 785, Sec. 6

Section 21 - Definitions applicable to Secs. 21 to 51H

Section 21A - Admissibility of evidence; qualified experts

Section 22 - Visitation of family foster homes; removal of child; discharge of child to parent or legal guardian

Section 23 - Responsibility of department to provide foster care for children; placement with relatives; funeral expenses; child profile form; extension of support of child until 22 years of age; assignment of support rights; assistance to foster care families

Section 23A - Children born to inmates of correctional institutions or jails; care and custody

Section 23B - Services to unwed mothers

Section 24 - Procedure to commit child to custody or other disposition; notice and summons; emergency order transferring custody; investigation; abandoned children

Section 25 - Hearing; custody of child

Section 26 - Procedure at hearing; order of commitment; petition to dispense with parental consent to adoption; reimbursement of commonwealth; petition for review

Section 26A - Registration of interest for foster care placement; criminal record review; fingerprint-based checks; grounds for rejection

Section 26B - Grandparent visitation; sibling visitation; appeal of decision to deny visitation

Section 26C - Summary of foster care providers' employment

Section 27 - Appeals; procedure; notice of right of appeal; time limits

Section 28 - Orders for payment of support; who may bring action; expiration of order or judgment

Section 29 - Right to counsel; notice of right; court appointed counsel

Section 29A - Legal fees of minors in criminal proceedings; liability of parents

Section 29B - Determination of future status of committed children; orders; permanency hearings; appeals

Section 29C - Judicial certification of need to remove child from home

Section 29D - Notice of hearing

Section 30, 31 - Repealed, 1961, 396, Sec. 5

Section 32 - Placement of children in private families; early and periodic screening, diagnostic and treatment standards; individualized health care plan

Section 33 - Placement of children in family home care

Section 33A - [There is no 119:33A.]

Section 33B - Placement in family home care of juvenile who has or may have committed a sexual offense or arson

Section 34 - Transportation of children in patrol wagons

Section 35 - Furnishing parent or guardian information as to child; permission to visit; notice; parents convicted of first degree murder

Section 36 - Bringing child into commonwealth with view to adoption, guardianship, custody or care; permit; application; bond

Section 37 - Rules and regulations of department

Section 38 - Closed hearings; publication of names

Section 38A - Petitions for order to not resuscitate or to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment; required recommendations; appeals

Section 39 - Abandonment of infant under age of ten

Section 391/2 - Placement of a newborn into foster care

Section 39A to 39C - Repealed, 1973, 1076, Sec. 6

Section 39D - Visitation rights to certain grandparents of unmarried minor children; place to file petition

Section 39E - Child or family requiring assistance; application for assistance; jurisdiction; standing

Section 39F - Child or family requiring assistance; right to counsel; determination of indigency; assessment of costs

Section 39G - Hearing; determination of child requiring assistance

Section 39H - Custodial protection of child; notification and placement; bail; detention; right of appeal

Section 39I - Child or family requiring assistance; appeal; rights and procedures

Section 39J - Repealed, 2012, 240, Sec. 32

Section 39K - Child welfare service needs of sexually exploited children

Section 39L - Children in violation of prohibition against common night walking or common streetwalking; petition for care and protection; appointment of guardian ad litem; stay of juvenile delinquency or criminal proceedings; failure of child to comply with requirements

Section 39M - Dependency proceedings for abused, neglected and abandoned children; determination of child's best interest; petition for special findings

Section 40 to 51 - Repealed, 1954, 646, Sec. 1

Section 51A - Reporting of suspected abuse or neglect; mandated reporters; collection of physical evidence; penalties; content of reports; liability; privileged communication

Section 51B - Investigation of report of abuse filed under Sec. 51A; removal of child; transmission and filing of written reports; notice to district attorney; disclosure of information by mandated reporter

Section 51C - Custody of injured child pending transfer to department or pending hearing

Section 51D - Powers and duties of area directors; multi-disciplinary service teams

Section 51E - Reports of injured children; files; confidentiality; penalties

Section 51F - Central registry of information; confidentiality; penalties

Section 51G - Severability of Secs. 51A to 51F

Section 51H - Protective alerts; transport of child to another state or country

Section 52 - Delinquent children; definitions

Section 53 - Delinquent children; liberal construction; nature of proceedings

Section 54 - Delinquent children; complaint; indictment; examination of complainant

Section 54A - Delinquent children; diversion of child to program of community supervision or other rehabilitative services; assessment of suitability for diversion; determination of eligibility; diversion of child by district attorney; subsequent offense during stay of proceedings; effect of successful completion of diversion; ineligibility of diversion for child indicted as youthful offender or charged with violation of certain offenses

Section 55 - Delinquent children; summoning of parent or guardian

Section 55A - Delinquent children; jury trials; discovery orders; jury-waived trials; appointment of stenographer

Section 55B - Delinquent children; plea; disposition request; pretrial motions

Section 56 - Delinquent children; adjournments; jury sessions; appointment of stenographer

Section 57 - Delinquent children; investigation by probation officer; record of performance; reports

Section 58 - Adjudication as delinquent child or youthful offender

Section 58A - Repealed, 1948, 310, Sec. 5

Section 58B - Delinquent children; motor vehicle violations; disposition; admissibility of adjudication and disposition as evidence in other proceedings

Section 59 - Delinquent children; violation of terms of probation

Section 60 - Delinquent children; admissibility of adjudication in subsequent proceeding; disqualification for public service

Section 60A - Inspection of records in youthful offender and delinquency cases

Section 61 - Repealed, 1996, 200, Sec. 7

Section 62 - Delinquent children; restitution or reparation by child to injured person

Section 63 - Inducing or abetting delinquency of child

Section 63A - Delinquent children; aiding and abetting violation of juvenile court order; concealing or harboring child; penalties; defenses

Section 64 - Delinquent children; powers of commissioner of probation; annual report

Section 65 - Juvenile sessions; presence of minors; exclusion of public

Section 66 - Detention of child in police station; commitment to jail, house of correction or state farm

Section 67 - Notice of arrest of child; release upon promise of child's appearance in court; detention

Section 68 - Commitment of children held for examination or trial

Section 68A - Diagnostic study by department of youth services; report and recommendations

Section 68B - Special foster homes; detention homes; alternate placements of child

Section 68C - Diagnostic services by department of youth services

Section 69 - Information and reports of superintendents of schools and teachers

Section 69A - Information of probation officers, police and school authorities

Section 70 - Summoning of parent or guardian during case

Section 71 - Failure to appear on summons; capias

Section 72 - Continuance of jurisdiction of courts in juvenile sessions

Section 72A - Proceedings upon apprehension after nineteenth birthday

Section 72B - Persons between the ages of fourteen and eighteen convicted of murder; penalties

Section 73 - Repealed, 1964, 308, Sec. 5

Section 74 - Limitations on criminal proceedings against children

Section 75 - Repealed, 1975, 840, Sec. 2A

Section 76 to 82 - Repealed, 1964, 308, Sec. 5

Section 83 - Repealed, 1996, 200, Sec. 16

Section 84 - Warrant of commitment to department of youth services

Section 85 - Department employees reporting animal cruelty, abuse or neglect; immunity from liability

Section 86 - Use of restraints during court proceedings

Section 87 - Placement of juvenile in secure detention facility or secure correctional facility or in any institution in which juvenile has contact with adult inmates

Section 88 - Participation in community-based restorative justice program

Section 89 - Juvenile justice policy and data board

Section 33C - Congregate care program; reasonable and prudent parent standard