§ 1 Declaration of policy; purpose
§ 21 Definitions applicable to Secs. 21 to 51H
§ 21A Admissibility of evidence; qualified experts
§ 22 Visitation of family foster homes; removal of child; discharge of child to parent or legal guardian
§ 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
§ 23A Children born to inmates of correctional institutions or jails; care and custody
§ 23B Services to unwed mothers
§ 23C Foster parents’ bill of rights
§ 24 Procedure to commit child to custody or other disposition; notice and summons; emergency order transferring custody; investigation; abandoned children
§ 25 Hearing; custody of child
§ 26 Procedure at hearing; order of commitment; petition to dispense with parental consent to adoption; reimbursement of commonwealth; petition for review
§ 26A Registration of interest for foster care placement; criminal record review; fingerprint-based checks; grounds for rejection
§ 26B Grandparent visitation; sibling visitation; appeal of decision to deny visitation
§ 26C Summary of foster care providers’ employment
§ 27 Appeals; procedure; notice of right of appeal; time limits
§ 28 Orders for payment of support; who may bring action; expiration of order or judgment
§ 29 Right to counsel; notice of right; court appointed counsel
§ 29A Legal fees of minors in criminal proceedings; liability of parents
§ 29B Determination of future status of committed children; orders; permanency hearings; appeals
§ 29C Judicial certification of need to remove child from home
§ 29D Notice of hearing
§ 32 Placement of children in private families; screening under early and periodic screening, diagnostic and treatment standards and assessment for behavioral health symptoms and sequelae; individualized health care plan
§ 33 Placement of children in family home care
§ 33B Placement in family home care of juvenile who has or may have committed a sexual offense or arson
§ 33C Congregate care program; reasonable and prudent parent standard
§ 34 Transportation of children in patrol wagons
§ 35 Furnishing parent or guardian information as to child; permission to visit; notice; parents convicted of first degree murder
§ 36 Bringing child into commonwealth with view to adoption, guardianship, custody or care; permit; application; bond
§ 37 Rules and regulations of department
§ 38 Closed hearings; publication of names
§ 38A Petitions for order to not resuscitate or to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment; required recommendations; appeals
§ 39 Abandonment of infant under age of ten
§ 39 1/2 Placement of a newborn into foster care
§ 39D Visitation rights to certain grandparents of unmarried minor children; place to file petition
§ 39E Petitions seeking determination that child is in need of services; jurisdiction; standing
§ 39F Children in need of services; right to counsel; determination of indigency; assessment of costs
§ 39G Hearing; determination of child requiring assistance
§ 39H Custodial protection of child; notification and placement; bail; detention; right of appeal
§ 39I Children in need of services; appeal; rights and procedures
§ 39K Child welfare service needs of sexually exploited children
§ 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 requiremen
§ 39M Dependency proceedings for abused, neglected and abandoned children; determination of child’s best interest; petition for special findings
§ 51A Reporting of suspected abuse or neglect; mandated reporters; collection of physical evidence; penalties; content of reports; liability; privileged communication
§ 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
§ 51C Custody of injured child pending transfer to department or pending hearing
§ 51D Powers and duties of area directors; multi-disciplinary service teams
§ 51E Reports of injured children; files; confidentiality; penalties
§ 51F Central registry of information; confidentiality; penalties
§ 51G Severability of Secs. 51A to 51F
§ 51H Protective alerts; transport of child to another state or country
§ 52 Delinquent children; definitions
§ 53 Delinquent children; liberal construction; nature of proceedings
§ 54 Delinquent children; complaint; indictment; examination of complainant
§ 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
§ 55 Delinquent children; summoning of parent or guardian
§ 55A Delinquent children; jury trials; discovery orders; jury-waived trials; appointment of stenographer
§ 55B Delinquent children; plea; disposition request; pretrial motions
§ 56 Delinquent children; adjournments; jury sessions; appointment of stenographer
§ 57 Delinquent children; investigation by probation officer; record of performance; reports
§ 58 Adjudication as delinquent child or youthful offender
§ 58B Delinquent children; motor vehicle violations; disposition; admissibility of adjudication and disposition as evidence in other proceedings
§ 59 Delinquent children; violation of terms of probation
§ 60 Delinquent children; admissibility of adjudication in subsequent proceeding; disqualification for public service
§ 60A Inspection of records in youthful offender and delinquency cases
§ 62 Delinquent children; restitution or reparation by child to injured person
§ 63 Inducing or abetting delinquency of child
§ 63A Delinquent children; aiding and abetting violation of juvenile court order; concealing or harboring child; penalties; defenses
§ 64 Delinquent children; powers of commissioner of probation; annual report
§ 65 Juvenile sessions; presence of minors; exclusion of public
§ 66 Detention of child in police station; commitment to jail, house of correction or state farm
§ 67 Notice of arrest of child; release upon promise of child’s appearance in court; detention
§ 68 Commitment of children held for examination or trial
§ 68A Diagnostic study by department of youth services; report and recommendations
§ 68B Special foster homes; detention homes; alternate placements of child
§ 68C Diagnostic services by department of youth services
§ 69 Information and reports of superintendents of schools and teachers
§ 69A Information of probation officers, police and school authorities
§ 70 Summoning of parent or guardian during case
§ 71 Failure to appear on summons; capias
§ 72 Continuance of jurisdiction of courts in juvenile sessions
§ 72A Proceedings upon apprehension after nineteenth birthday
§ 72B Persons between the ages of fourteen and eighteen convicted of murder; penalties
§ 74 Limitations on criminal proceedings against children
§ 84 Warrant of commitment to department of youth services
§ 85 Department employees reporting animal cruelty, abuse or neglect; immunity from liability
§ 86 Use of restraints during court proceedings
§ 87 Placement of juvenile in secure detention facility or secure correctional facility or in any institution in which juvenile has contact with adult inmates
§ 88 Participation in community-based restorative justice program
§ 89 Juvenile justice policy and data board
lawyer at desk

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws > Chapter 119 - Protection and Care of Children, and Proceedings Against Them

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Allegation: something that someone says happened.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Chambers: A judge's office.
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Interests: includes any form of membership in a domestic or foreign nonprofit corporation. See Massachusetts General Laws ch. 156D sec. 11.01
  • Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Other entity: includes a domestic or foreign nonprofit corporation. See Massachusetts General Laws ch. 156D sec. 11.01
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Pretrial conference: A meeting of the judge and lawyers to discuss which matters should be presented to the jury, to review evidence and witnesses, to set a timetable, and to discuss the settlement of the case.
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Probation officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
  • Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Victim Impact Statement: A written or spoken statement by the victim or his or her representative about the physical, emotional, and financial impact of a crime on the victim. The statement is given to the court before sentencing.