New England Public Media, Bright Spot, Monday, January 9, 2023
New England Public Media, Bright Spot, Monday, January 9, 2023
Some Massachusetts child advocates believe the state’s newly signed Foster Parent Bill of Rights could improve foster care and help recruit new families into an over-stretched system. The bill of rights, signed by former Gov. Charlie Baker before he left office in January, promises foster parents will be given background information on the children in their home. “So that foster children can go to birthday parties without having background checks,” said Missy Tarjick with the Massachusetts Alliance for Foster Families. “If things are going well and foster parents are saying things are going well, it really impacts and makes people step up and decide to foster,” Tarjick said. “We need more foster parents because obviously the larger the pool, the better it is for kids to be matched to the best homes for them.” Tarjick has previously advocated for the state to do more to keep siblings together after they are removed from their biological parents.