§ 1 Definitions
§ 2 Office of the child advocate; duties
§ 3 Child advocate; appointment; vacancies; removal
§ 4 Child advocate advisory board; duties and salary of child advocate
§ 5 Investigation of critical incidents; coordination with other agencies; complaints; review of program effectiveness; oversight
§ 6 Access to facilities and records; release of information
§ 7 Witnesses; documents; subpoenas
§ 8 Discrimination or retaliation; penalties
§ 9 Procedures for performance of duties; rules and regulations
§ 10 Annual report
§ 10A Annual reporting of recommendations for decreasing and eliminating number of children and adolescents awaiting clinically-appropriate behavioral health services
§ 11 Examination of systemwide responses to child abuse and neglect
§ 12 Information and records; confidentiality; subpoena and discovery; public disclosure; investigation of critical incidents
§ 13 Personal liability for civil damages
§ 14 Childhood trauma task force
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Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws > Chapter 18C - Office of the Child Advocate

  • 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
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • 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.
  • Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. Source: FDIC
  • 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.
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • 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.
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.