Massachusetts Advocates for Children

Massachusetts Advocates for Children Since 1969 - Removing barriers to educational and life opportunities for children and youth
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We’re thrilled to share that Education Staff Attorney Jennifer White recently graduated from the Boston Bar Association’...
06/18/2026

We’re thrilled to share that Education Staff Attorney Jennifer White recently graduated from the Boston Bar Association’s Public Interest Leadership Program. This year-long initiative provides intensive leadership and professional development to better equip attorneys with the skills needed to drive change in their communities.

At MAC, Jennifer focuses on school discipline matters and convenes the Chapter 222 Student Discipline Coalition, a vital hub for advocacy to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. Her leadership plays a critical role in advancing school discipline reform across Massachusetts, and we’re excited to see how the insights she gained through the Public Interest Leadership Program continue to strengthen her impact.

We’re grateful to the Boston Bar Association for their commitment to cultivating public interest leaders and creating opportunities like this one. Congratulations, Jennifer! We are so fortunate to have you on our team.

Our Executive Director Anna Krieger will be a panelist for "Leading Through Pressure: Nonprofit Leadership in New Englan...
06/16/2026

Our Executive Director Anna Krieger will be a panelist for "Leading Through Pressure: Nonprofit Leadership in New England Today," a webinar hosted by TSNE on June 25th.

The panel will discuss the challenges nonprofits are facing right now, from burnout, to staffing challenges and funding uncertainty. This is an increasingly complex moment for the nonprofit sector, and we’re honored that Anna will join a talented group of leaders for this timely conversation.

Register for this free online event here: https://tsne-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ySqSWtp9Qc2frHZCudzJDQ #/registration

Know your rights: in Massachusetts, long-term suspensions generally cannot carry over into the next school year. If your...
06/12/2026

Know your rights: in Massachusetts, long-term suspensions generally cannot carry over into the next school year. If your student was suspended this school year and you were notified they must remain out of school in September or October, that goes against state regulations. Your student may have the right to return at the start of the next school year, and parents should challenge suspensions which violate that right.

Reach out to our Helpline if you need support navigating your student’s long-term suspension. Visit www.massadvocates.org/helpline or call (617) 357-8431.

We are proud to celebrate our Legal Director Diana Santiago, who received the Massachusetts Bar Association Juvenile & C...
06/11/2026

We are proud to celebrate our Legal Director Diana Santiago, who received the Massachusetts Bar Association Juvenile & Child Welfare Section’s Annual Award at the Ninth Annual Juvenile & Child Welfare Conference. The award honors attorneys whose work has made a measurable difference in the lives of children and youth, especially those involved in or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system.

Diana’s leadership has helped advance MAC’s recent victories, including the Protect Education Equity Law, which for the first time protects in Massachusetts law the right to a public education regardless of immigration status or disability. As Diana often says, these victories are only possible because of our communities, families, partners, and staff who show up every day for children and families.

We are also celebrating Education Staff Attorney Jennifer White, who co-chaired today’s conference and joined Julian Washington of the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee and Wheatly Gulmi of The EdLaw Project for a panel on education advocacy. Jennifer’s focus on protecting students most at risk of being pushed out of school made her an important voice in the conversation.

Congratulations, Diana and Jennifer. We are proud to have you representing MAC!🎉

We are proud to recognize United Way of Massachusetts Bay  as an Education Trailblazer Sponsor for their ongoing support...
06/11/2026

We are proud to recognize United Way of Massachusetts Bay as an Education Trailblazer Sponsor for their ongoing support of MAC!

For nearly a decade, their steadfast partnership has helped advance education equity and build stronger communities. Their commitment enables MAC to show up for students and families every day and advocate for the opportunities that every child deserves.

Thank you, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, for standing with us to remove barriers to education. Lasting change is possible when we work together.

The House and Senate passed “An Act amending certain laws relative to individuals with disabilities, a bill that rids ou...
06/10/2026

The House and Senate passed “An Act amending certain laws relative to individuals with disabilities, a bill that rids our state laws of offensive and outdated terms related to disability and replaces them with person-centered language such as “person with a disability.” The bill has been sent to the Governor for a signature.

Thank you Speaker Speaker Ron Mariano , Senate President Karen E. Spilka , Ways and Means Rodrigues and State Representative Aaron Michlewitz , Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities Chairs Robyn Kennedy and Jay Livingstone, Sen. Pat Jehlen, Rep. Michael Finn, and Rep. Sean Garballey and others for your leadership. And a special thanks to The Arc of Massachusetts for your effective advocacy!

🎊 The State Conference Committee is poised to decide if the PROTECT Act includes protections for schools! 🚨Below is one ...
06/02/2026

🎊 The State Conference Committee is poised to decide if the PROTECT Act includes protections for schools!

🚨Below is one easy thing YOU can do NOW to make sure the final bill includes protections for immigrant students and staff in schools.

1) Go to tinyurl.com/ProtectActSchools to instantly email your state legislators to urge them to advocate for school protections to the conference committee.

2) Share and spread the word. Forward this link to at least five other community members in your network.

We are pleased to share that our Legal Director Diana Santiago will receive this year’s Juvenile and Child Welfare Award...
05/14/2026

We are pleased to share that our Legal Director Diana Santiago will receive this year’s Juvenile and Child Welfare Award from the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA)! This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of legal professionals who advocate for youth in the juvenile and child welfare systems. Diana will be presented with the award at the MBA’s Juvenile and Child Welfare Conference on June 11 at UTEC in Lowell.

This year’s legal conference will focus on understanding developmental, neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions impacting youth. To register, visit https://www.massbar.org/events/cle-program?productId=10071.

Thank you to the MBA’s Juvenile & Child Welfare Section Council for this acknowledgement of Diana’s tireless work to protect the rights of youth across the Commonwealth!

Thank you to the Senate for passing the PROTECT Act, including protections relating to ICE arrests on school grounds and...
05/08/2026

Thank you to the Senate for passing the PROTECT Act, including protections relating to ICE arrests on school grounds and parent notification measures.

We especially want to thank Senate President Karen E. Spilka, State Senator Cindy Friedman, Chair Michael Rodrigues, and Senator Jason Lewis along with members of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

Now on to the Conference committee to ensure these provisions are in the final bill!

🎊The Senate PROTECT Act bill S.3072 has included stronger requirements for schools, including mandatory response plans i...
05/05/2026

🎊The Senate PROTECT Act bill S.3072 has included stronger requirements for schools, including mandatory response plans in districts and a prohibition on immigration enforcement on school grounds without judicial warrant. This is a HUGE win!

🚨But we still have time to secure additional protections for immigrant students, educators, and families in schools, including protecting student information.

Help us secure these critical protections!

🔷 Sign on to our petition at tinyurl.com/44jbkwxj. Our priority deadline is tomorrow 5/6 at noon. We will submit the petition with names and city/town of residence to Senate leadership tomorrow.

🔷 Share and spread the word. Forward this petition to at least five other community members in your network. We are almost at 300 names and are striving to get to 400!

🎊El proyecto de ley del Senado S.3072, la Ley PROTECT, ha incorporado requisitos importantes para las escuelas, incluyendo planes de respuesta obligatorios en los distritos y la prohibición de realizar acciones de control migratorio en las escuelas sin una orden judicial. ¡Esta es una victoria ENORME!

🚨Pero aún estamos a tiempo de asegurar protecciones adicionales para los estudiantes, educadores, y familias inmigrantes en las escuelas, incluida la protección de la información de los estudiantes.

¡Ayúdenos a asegurar estas protecciones fundamentales!

🔷 Firme nuestra petición en tinyurl.com/44jbkwxj. El plazo prioritario vence mañana, 6 de mayo, al mediodía. Entregaremos la petición con nombres y ciudades de residencia al liderazgo del Senado mañana.

🔷 Comparta y difunda el mensaje. Reenvíe esta petición a al menos otros cinco miembros de la comunidad dentro de su red de contactos.

Address

89 South Street, Suite 803
Boston, MA
02111

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16173578431

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