Massachusetts Foster Care
Department
of Children Review Report
and Families
FY2023
Fidelity and Determination Data: Jul-2022-to-Jun-2023 Release Date:
November 2024
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………………………………………………………………….……..…………………………….....…iii
I. DCF SERVED POPULATION…………………………………………………………...…………….…….….……….………….1
a. Case Counts
b. Child/Youth/Young Adult and Parent/Caregiver Counts
c. Children/Youth/Young Adults In Placement
II. FOSTER CARE REVIEW OVERVIEW……………………………………………………………………………….……..…….2
d. Foster Care Review Policy
e. Children/Youth/Young Adults In Placement with a Convened FCR
f. Foster Care Review Considerations
III. SCHEDULING.……..………………………………………………………………………………….……….…………………………4
g. Timeliness of Convened FCR Meetings
h. Children/Youth/Young Adults Reviewed
i. Duration of FCR Meetings
j. Timeliness of FCR Report Completion
IV. ATTENDANCE………………………………………………………….…..….…………………………………….…….……….…...6
l. FCR Meeting Panel Composition
m. Mandated FCR Participant – Invited and Attended
V. REVIEW PROCESS…………………..………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
n. DCF Action Plan
o. Placement Activities
p. Social Worker Contact
q. Parent-Child Visitation
r. Health, Education, and Well-Being Needs
s. Youth/Young Adults
t. Systemic Barriers – Child/Youth/Young Adult
u. Systemic Barriers – Parent/Caregiver
VI. FCR DETERMINATIONS……………….………………………………………………..……………………………………......12
VII. MINORITY OPINIONS.…..…….………………….…………….....…..……………..……………………………………......18
v. Minority Opinions by Panel Member
VIII. FOSTER CARE REVIEW FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES.…..…….………………….…………….....……..…..……......18
Appendix A: GLOSSARY……………….……………………………..…………..………….…………..….…………….…….21
MA DCF Foster Care Review Report – FY2023 i
 DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Vision
All children have the right to grow up in a nurturing
home, free from abuse and neglect, with access to
food, shelter, clothing, health care, and education.
Mission
Strive to protect children from abuse and neglect and,
in partnership with families and communities, ensure
children are able to grow and thrive in a safe and
nurturing environment.
Goals
Work toward establishing the safety, permanency and
well-being of the Commonwealth's children by:
stabilizing and preserving families, providing quality
temporary alternative care when necessary, safely
reunifying families, and, when necessary and
appropriate, creating new families through kinship,
guardianship, or adoption.
ii MA DCF Foster Care Review Report – FY2023
Executive Summary
Pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 18B Section 6A, the Department of Children and Families (DCF)
submits the FY2023 Foster Care Review (FCR) report. When children cannot remain safely at home, DCF acts
immediately to identify a safe foster care placement. FCR serves the critical purposes of monitoring efforts to plan
for and achieve permanency for children, reassuring the Department is meeting children’s needs while they are in
foster care, and engaging with parents working to reunify with their children. With this legislative report, DCF
provides a comprehensive public view of FCR performance data and how child-serving organizations can support
permanent homes for children.
Removing a child from his or her family home is one of the most difficult decisions DCF makes. While the agency
serves 80% of children in their family home, 20% are placed in foster care or other out-of-home placements
because of serious abuse and/or neglect. Given its significance, maintaining a strong and robust system of FCR is
a departmental priority.
DCF began its overhaul of Foster Care Review in 2018 in collaboration with the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA)
and members of the Legislature. In March 2019, DCF revised the Foster Care Review Policy1 and related
regulations2 to:
• Emphasize permanency planning at every review
• Clarify the roles of DCF social workers and parents’ attorneys in preparing parents for the review
• Establish a process for stakeholders, including parents’/child’s attorneys, to transmit documents to DCF
10 days in advance to ensure they are incorporated into the review
• Enhance recruitment and training for Volunteer Case Reviewers who, along with the DCF Foster Care
Reviewer and a DCF manager or supervisor, serve as members of the 3-party panels that decide the
outcomes of FCRs
To operationalize the revisions, the Department made corresponding changes to its i-FamilyNet system to
establish metrics for measuring outcomes and adherence to the FCR policy. Additionally, FCRs are included in the
Department’s Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) efforts to produce quantitative and qualitative information
about case practice, case outcomes, and systems processes.
Because participation is paramount to FCRs, the Department has fully transitioned to virtual reviews. Foster
parents, group care providers, parent/child attorneys and others with intimate knowledge of the family are invited
to the FCRs and provide valuable feedback to the panel. FCRs were held in-person at Area Offices until the COVID-
19 pandemic required the Commonwealth to pivot to video conferencing. The convenience of meeting remotely
significantly increased FCR attendance and provided new flexibility for Volunteer Case Reviewers to participate in
reviews for children involved with multiple Area Offices.
A three-party panel review with a Volunteer Case Reviewer, a DCF Foster Care Reviewer, and a supervisor or
manager from the child’s local area office results in FCRs with greater perspective and depth. In FY2023, there was
a 13.7% increase in three-party panel reviews compared to FY2020. To that end, DCF continues to grow and
diversify the Volunteer Case Reviewer program with a webpage on Mass.gov that includes an online volunteer
application and by redesigning recruitment materials and volunteer training.
When an FCR is conducted by a three-party panel and there is a lack of agreement among panel members on a
given determination, a majority of two prevails. The opinion of the FCR Panel member with a differing
1 Foster Care Review Policy: https://www.mass.gov/doc/foster-care-review-policy-0/download
2 110 CMP 6.00: Case Reviews https://www.mass.gov/doc/110-cmr-6-case-reviews/download
MA DCF Foster Care Review Report – FY2023 iii
determination is documented as a Minority Opinion. Of the 10,352 reviews approved in FY2023, there were 574
(5.5%) review with Minority Opinions. This represents an increase of 139 from FY2022 to FY2023.
All youth ages 14-17 and young adults ages 18-22 receiving voluntary services from DCF are invited and
encouraged to participate in their FCR. Between FY2020 and FY2023 attendance declined 23.7%, concurrent with
students’ return to in-person learning and the resumption of after-school activities and work. The FCRU tries to
schedule reviews for youth and young adults after school or work hours and continues to collaborate with Area
Offices to increase participation.
In FY2023, the Department conducted 11,052 Foster Care Reviews, of which, 86.8% were completed on time (i.e.,
initial review occurred within 6-months of entry into foster care; if subsequent review, it occurred within 6-months
of the last FCR). The decline in this productivity measure compared to FY2020 is attributable to pandemic-related
workforce retention and recruitment challenges that resulted in increased vacancies in the FCRU. Though subject
to normal turnover, as of April 2024, the FCRU was fully staffed.
Another important component of the FCR is the assessment of supportive services provided to children and their
families. Following a home removal, DCF first tries to reunify children with their biological parents, who engage in
services to build their capacity to safely care for their children. While FCRs indicate the majority of child service
needs are being met, 24.2% of parents report systemic barriers to housing, individual counseling, transportation,
parent education/evaluation services, domestic violence services and substance use treatment, among other
supports, while their children are in DCF’s care.
Throughout FY2022, DCF collaborated with the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) to sit in on a random sample of
FCRs and to assess policy and IT systems improvements. In March and April of 2022, the OCA’s former legal counsel
attended 64 FCRs to determine whether policy changes were implemented and to confirm that the desired
outcome of improved reviews were achieved.
In FY2023, the collaboration continued with DCF providing the OCA with all safety alerts identified in FCRs. OCA
staff tracked the Department’s completion of follow-up activities and participated in the training of new Volunteer
Case Reviewers. DCF will continue to work with the OCA to improve the quality of FCRs. Childhood cannot be put
on hold and every child deserves a timely resolution of a permanent family or a lifelong connection to support
them into adulthood. A strong FCR system is imperative to meeting that goal.
iv MA DCF Foster Care Review Report – FY2023
DATA SUMMARY
Children, Youth, Young Adults and Families Served
At the start of FY2023, 24,593 families were being served by the Department of Children and Families (22,232
clinical cases and 2,361 adoption cases). These cases contained 86,453 individuals, 41,263 children (0-17), 2,194
young adults (18 & up), and 42,996 adults (i.e., parents/caregivers).3 (Tables/Figures 1-2, p.1)
The 2,194 young adults (18 & up) were served by DCF prior to their 18th birthday. To remain open with DCF beyond
age 18, these young adults signed a Voluntary Placement Agreement (VPA). A young adult can sign a VPA at age
18 and remain open with the Department up through age 22. Young adults who decline DCF services at age 18 may
later request services by signing a VPA prior to turning 23.
Children and Youth in Foster Care
DCF strives to safely stabilize families and 80% of children and youth (0-17) open with the Department at the start
of FY2023, safely remained at home. When a child’s safety is at serious risk, children may be placed in out-of-home
care (foster care or group care). At the start of FY2023, DCF had 9,775 children, youth, and young adults in out-of-
home placement. Of these, 8,143 (83%) were children and youth (0-17), and 1,632 (17%) were young adults (18 &
up). (Table/Figure 3, p.1)
Notwithstanding the 9,775 children, youth, and young adults in out-of-home care at the start of FY2023, there
were new entries and exits from care throughout the year. As such, a total of 13,696 unique children, youth, and
young adults were in out-of-home care during FY2023. Of these, some 11,306 were in placement for sufficient
duration to convene a Foster Care Review. In total, 11,052 FCRs were convened in FY2023. (Table 4, p.2)
A Permanency Plan is established for children and youth (0-17) in DCF’s care. This Permanency Plan seeks to ensure
that each child has a nurturing family—preferably one that is permanent—within a timeframe supportive of their
needs.
Foster Care Review Introduction
Federal law requires child welfare agencies nationwide to conduct Foster Care Reviews at least once every six
months on behalf of children in out-of-home placements. Massachusetts state law established the FCRU as a
distinct and independent unit of DCF in 1984 4. The information learned from the FCR is a valuable component of
the Department’s quality improvement and complements the oversight role of the courts in individual cases.
An FCR is conducted by a three-party panel. This panel assesses the circumstances of the child’s current placement,
the services they are receiving, and progress toward their permanency goal. The three-party panel makes formal
binding determinations about child safety, whether the foster care placement is still appropriate for the child,
progress toward the achievement of the Permanency Plan and the projected date for achieving permanency.
These binding determinations and the panel’s non-binding recommendations are incorporated into the review by
the Area Office serving the child. FCR recommendations may result in modifications to a child’s Permanency Plan
or placement, including but not limited to a new foster care placement, a change in the frequency of a child’s
3
Total families include all individuals with an active case status on the last day of the fiscal year and who were in a case with
a family assessment or an action plan. These selection criteria exclude consumers not in placement who have an active case
status that is pending the outcome of an investigation.
4 M.G.L. c. 18B, § 6A
MA DCF Foster Care Review Report – FY2023 v
contact with their biological family, or a change in the child’s permanency goal. It is ultimately the responsibility
of the courts to award permanent custody of children and youth.
Scheduling and Timeliness
Effort is made to convene FCRs in the month they are due. Nonetheless, consideration is given to the ability of
parent/invited party, child and parent’s attorney, the FCR Reviewer, DCF Area Office staff to participate. The Foster
Care Review Unit convened 11,052 reviews in FY2023, of which 86.8% were convened on time. While the
Department had been evidencing an increase in the timeliness of convened FCRs (SFY2020 = 90.8%), the COVID-
19 pandemic impacted the scheduling and convening of FCRs (SFY2021 = 58.4%). This was most notable early on
in the pandemic. Shifting to a virtual platform for convening reviews removed many obstacles to convening
reviews during the pandemic and thereafter. However, workforce retention and recruitment challenges were
exacerbated by the pandemic—resulting in increased vacancies within the FCRU. (Table 5, p.4)
Concurrent with concerted efforts to backfill vacant FCR positions, the Department allocated funding for an
additional FCR team. The FCRU now consists of 8 units (plus 1 volunteer recruitment/support unit), each staffed
with a manager and 5-6 case reviewers.
FCR Meeting Panel Composition
FCRs are conducted by three‐party panels whose members must not carry responsibility for case management,
oversight or service delivery for the case under review. A panel consists of a Case Reviewer from DCF’s Foster
Care Review Unit (FCRU) who convenes the meeting, a manager or supervisor from the child’s DCF Area Office
who is not directly responsible for the case under review, and a Volunteer Case Reviewer from the community
who is trained by the FCRU. Volunteer Case Reviewers are recruited to represent, to the maximum extent feasible,
the various socio-economic, racial, and ethnic groups of the community served by DCF. Three-party panels allow
for greater independence and depth of review, and DCF is working to increase FCRs with all three panel members
present. This is evident in the observed 13.7% increase in three-party panel reviews convened in FY2023 (i.e.,
83.1% of panels had three members) compared to FY2020 (i.e., 73.1%). (Table 9, p.6)
Mandated FCR Participants
To promote the inclusion of a variety of perspectives, several parties are invited and included in the FCR. These
include parents/guardians, children in placement who are age 14 and older, foster parents, group care providers,
parent, and child attorneys, DCF social workers and supervisors, family resource, adoption, and adolescent
outreach social workers. Young adults who turn 18 in foster care and continue to engage in supportive services
from the Department up through age 22 also receive and participate in FCRs. During FY2023, overall participation
increased significantly through the continued use of virtual reviews conducted via video conference technology—
for example, in the case of a child’s attorney participation, there was a 73.0% increase. (Table 10, p.6)
DCF Action Plan
When DCF begins working with a family, a comprehensive Family Assessment and Action Plan (FAAP) is jointly
completed with the family. The Family Assessment and subsequent Action Plan prioritizes child safety and parental
capacities and centers on engaging family members in an integrated and dynamic process of exploring their unique
strengths and needs for two important and related purposes:
1. Determining whether DCF must remain involved with the family to safeguard child safety and well-being,
and
2. For families who must stay involved with DCF, jointly developing a plan to support the family in
strengthening their capacity to meet the safety, permanency, and well-being of each child.
vi MA DCF Foster Care Review Report – FY2023
In 91.4% of the reviews, FCR panel members found that the Action Plan addressed all identified concerns to reduce
risk and achieve desired outcomes. DCF’s visits with family members were found to focus on the Action Plan in
82.3% of the reviews. Collateral contacts were used to assist in assessing the family’s progress in 84.7% of reviews.
The Action Plan was written in the primary language of the family/young adult in 98.0% of applicable reviews.
(Table 11, p. 8)
Placement Activities
Placement Activities is one of the domains explored and rated by the FCR panel during the FCR. DCF is required to
complete all tasks and activities recommended at the Initial Placement Review—also known as the 6-Week
Placement Review—for achieving child safety, permanency, and well-being. “Follow-up-activities” from the Initial
Placement Review were completed by DCF prior to the FCR meeting in 76.2% of applicable reviews. The
Department enhanced its Initial Placement Review process during FY2021 and focused on developing a
collaborative process for assessing the immediate needs of the child in placement and creating a plan to return
the child safely to their home. This process includes clear directi