Public Records Request: Data on 51A & 51B Reports Filed 2018-2023

Steven Treat, Primary RAO
Department of Children & Families
600 Washington St, 6th Fl
Boston, MA 02111

Dear Steven:

This letter constitutes a request pursuant to the Public Records Act, M.G.L. c. 66, §10, for public records in the custody of your organization. The Center for Public Interest Advocacy & Collaboration, an educational, research, and advocacy organization at Northeastern University School of Law, is seeking these records for the purpose of producing publicly available interdisciplinary research and data analysis on important social issues.

We request the following public records, as defined in M.G.L. c. 4, § 7 (twenty-sixth):

1. Counts of 51A reports filed in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, broken down by
a. Fiscal year
i. Area office
1. Screening decision
2. Category of reporter (mandated or non-mandated)
3. Category of mandated reporter (educational, medical, etc.)
4. Placement of reported children (in-home or out-of-home)
5. Type of abuse or neglect alleged
6. Race/ethnicity of the child
7. Age of the child
8. Sexual orientation and gender identity of the child
9. Disability status of the child
10. Repeat reports: number of repeat reports for the same child or family.
11. Child's school status (attending school, dropout, etc.).
2. Counts of 51B reports filed in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 broken down by
a. Fiscal year
i. Area office
1. Response decision
2. Type of abuse or neglect alleged
3. Race/ethnicity of the child
4. Age of the child
5. Sexual orientation and gender identity of the child
6. Disability status of the child
7. Placement outcome: resulting placement decision (return to home, foster care, group home)
8. Previous DCF involvement: prior history of DCF involvement with the child or family.

Please provide public records in electronic format unless the record is not available in electronic format. M.G.L. c. 66, § 6A(d). If possible, we ask that you provide the requested information in Excel format. If it cannot be produced via Excel, please contact me to discuss alternatives.

As this request involves a matter of public interest and will not be used for any commercial purpose, we ask that all fees associated with this request be waived pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(k). In the event that there are fees, we would be grateful if you would provide an estimate for the total charges before fulfilling the request.

The Public Records Act requires that you comply with this request within ten (10) business days following receipt. If you believe that documents or data responsive to any request herein are not public record and thus not subject to disclosure, please outline in writing the specific reasons for such assertion, including the specific exemption or exemptions you believe apply. To the extent that the records must be redacted in order to be produced under any law protecting the privacy of named individuals, please do so rather than withhold them in their entirety.

Please contact me if you have any questions about this request or need additional time to respond. Thank you in advance for your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Norrie Osgood
Research Assistant
Center for Public Interest, Advocacy & Collaboration
Northeastern University School of Law
osgood.n@northeastern.edu