Quarterly Insights From MACA
| | Welcome to MACA's Quarterly Newsletter! We're excited to share our recent developments, collaborations, and resources that continue to strengthen our mission of protecting and supporting children across Massachusetts. | | |
A Safe Start to the School Year
As children across Massachusetts return to classrooms, new routines bring an important opportunity to talk about safety. From getting to and from school and participating in after-school activities to spending increased time online, children encounter a variety of environments where informed and attentive adults can help keep them safe.
Parents and caregivers can use the start of the school year as an opportunity to reinforce boundaries, identify trusted adults, and talk about what children can do if they find themselves in a situation that makes them feel scared or uncomfortable. Having these conversations regularly can help children feel empowered to advocate for themselves when something doesn't feel right.
Online safety is increasingly an important part of these conversations. As children use technology for school, socializing, gaming, and entertainment, it is important that adults stay engaged in prioritizing safety when children are using these platforms. By talking openly about potential risks, including online enticement, especially as emerging technologies like generative artificial intelligence (GAI) evolve, adults can help children be better prepared to navigate these spaces safely.
Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility. By staying informed about evolving risks, creating open lines of communication, and making sure children know where to turn for help, we can help make the school year a safe and supportive one.
For additional tools to support these conversations, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), offers free, age-appropriate resources for families and educators, including online safety activities, guidance on AI and child safety, tools for discussing online enticement, and resources on physical boundaries and personal safety.
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Mandated Reporter Refresher
For many professionals who work directly with children, protecting their safety isn't only an important responsibility, it’s also a legal obligation.
In Massachusetts, mandated reporters play an essential role in recognizing and responding to child abuse and neglect. Teachers, healthcare providers, social workers, law enforcement personnel, as well as many other types of professionals, are legally required to file an oral report, followed by a written report, when they have reasonable cause to believe that a child is suffering from abuse or neglect.
Mandated reporters do not need to investigate or confirm that abuse has occurred before filing a report, although general information about the child, as well as any information about the suspected abuse or neglect, should be provided when available. The ability of mandated reporters to recognize potential signs of abuse and respond appropriately is critical to protecting children and can help ensure concerns are addressed as quickly as possible.
By understanding their responsibilities and knowing when and how to make a report, mandated reporters serve as an important first step in connecting children and families with the protection, services, and support they may need.
For more information on mandated reporting in Massachusetts, click the button below.
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When Abuse is Reported, What Happens Next Matters
Our new animation shines a light on how Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) help children and caregivers move from crisis toward care in a way that is safe, supportive, and child-centered. In a moment that can feel overwhelming, CACs help reduce trauma, guide families through the process, and connect them to the services and support they may need to begin healing.
To help make this resource more accessible to families and communities across the Commonwealth, the video was localized in four languages: Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Ukrainian.
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PSB Cohort #6 Learning Session 1
is Underway
Five years after MACA launched its Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) initiative in Massachusetts, the work to strengthen the response for children and youth with PSB continues to grow. What began as an effort to expand access to specialized, evidence-based treatment has developed into a growing network of trained clinicians, senior leaders, and community partners across the Commonwealth.
This progress continues as Cohort 6 of MACA’s PSB Learning Collaborative kicks off its next learning session this week. Through training, consultation, and collaboration, participating clinicians and senior leaders continue to strengthen their knowledge and application of Problematic Sexual Behavior–Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT), an evidence-based intervention for children ages 7–14 with PSB and their caregivers. PSB-CBT focuses on building skills around healthy boundaries, self-control, caregiver-child communication, empathy, parenting, and abuse prevention.
| | As Cohort 6 continues its learning, MACA builds on six years of progress, expanding the capacity of professionals across the state to provide children and families with specialized, evidence-based care. | |
Our mission is to pioneer the most promising, leading-edge ways that help victims of child abuse
To donate to our mission-driven work, click here.
Your support will:
- Ensure services for the nearly 7,000 children served annually.
- Promote a trauma-informed response for children affected by physical and sexual abuse.
- Provide the latest, most advanced trainings to professionals.
- Advocate for child victims at the state and federal level.
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If you are interested in hearing about future training opportunities or any legislative alerts on behalf of MACA, hit the subscribe button below or visit:
machildrensalliance.org/subscribe.
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MASSACHUSETTS CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE
11 Beacon Street, Suite 321
Boston, MA 02108
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