(7/9/2020) – Representative Ken Gordon (D-Bedford) joined his House colleagues to pass a bill that strengthens the laws that ensure the safety and well-being of the Commonwealth’s youngest and most at-risk residents. The legislation strengthens the Department of Children and Families (DCF) policies and operations, develops a tool to retain and recruit foster families, holds DCF accountable for timely, accurate and relevant reports, and clarifies communication by the Child Advocate to the Legislature and state officeholders. I was crafted to address the needs of vulnerable children and families that have been amplified by the COVID-19 public health crisis and further illuminated through the lens of racial equity.