Inadequate Interpretation Services At Mass. DCF Lead To Risk Of Wrongful Family Separation, Complaint Alleges
Department of Children and Families
A group of non-profit and legal advocacy organizations have filed a federal complaint against the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, claiming that agency s failure to provide adequate interpretation services for non-English speakers leads to risk of wrongful family separation and violates civil rights law.
The case was brought by Lawyers for Civil Rights and the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice on behalf of the non-profit Haitian-Americans United, the Greater Boston Latino Network and an unnamed Latinx mother from Methuen who claims her limited English proficiency led to the agency substantiating a child neglect claim against her.
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Senator Sal DiDomenico has joined forces this legislative session with Representative Adrian Madaro of East Boston and a coalition of immigrant and civil rights advocates from across the Commonwealth to introduce new legislation that would ensure equal access to government services, programs, and activities for people with limited English proficiency. DiDomenico and Madaro have filed S.2040/H.3199, An Act relative to language access and inclusion, to standardize, and provide enforcement mechanisms for, language access at public-facing state agencies.
Massachusetts is one of the most linguistically diverse states in the country, with 1 in 10 residents having limited English proficiency. However, there is currently no comprehensive language access statute in Massachusetts to ensure that non-English speaking residents have a fair and equitable opportunity to obtain an education, apply for benefits, receive housing assistance, or represent themselves in court. While Massachuset