Go to http://www.mass.gov/bb/h1/fy11... Line item 0321-1500 is "staff" Line item 0321-1510 is "independent contractors" - private attorneys who accept court appointments in child welfare, mental health, and criminal cases. I … [Read more...]
Office of the Child Advocate releases first Annual Report – WITH POLL !!!
Gail Garringer, the first Child Advocate charged with protecting all the children in our state with a staff of herself, two employees and two interns - has released her first report. The Report That's right, folks, children are so … [Read more...]
Line items matter – and a little transferability can be a dangerous thing – a case study
Here is a case study. In our state, the Chief Justice for Administration and Management [CJAM] has total control over a line item, 0330-0300 in which there is no itemization, nor any requirement that anything be spent on anything … [Read more...]
Hello, Doug, are you still listening?
I am not going to jump up and down, call names, and snark like JQ Adams did, but I do think the impact of the cuts on the Judiciary's budget, and their decision to eliminate GAL funding is a very bad development for vulnerable kids - if … [Read more...]
TRIAL COURTS REQUEST INPUT ON NEW GAL STANDARDS
A Guardian Ad Litem may be appointed in custody and child welfare cases in several situations. They investigate, and report back to the judges, and often have a major impact on how a divorce is decided, or a child's life. In … [Read more...]