(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. It 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.