November 19, 2020


The Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that they reached a landmark agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF).  The agreement resolves findings that DCF discriminated against parents with disabilities in the administration of its child welfare program and requires that DCF take critical steps to ensure the ADA’s protections extend to parents with disabilities throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  This includes appointing statewide and regional coordinators to oversee DCF’s efforts to comply with Title II and Section 504; creating a new Parents with Disabilities Policy, including processes for requesting disability-based accommodations and filing disability-based complaints; training staff on DCF’s obligations to parents with disabilities and its new policies and procedures; and periodically reporting to the Department of Justice and HHS on its handling of accommodation requests and disability-related complaints.

To read the full press release, please click here.  For more information on the ADA or this agreement, please visit ADA.gov or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 800-514-0383).


Article Credit: U.S. Department of Justice

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