Institutional Settings, Additional Screening and Response Procedures

(1) All reports of abuse or neglect of children in an institutional setting, which includes a foster home, shall be made to the Department pursuant to the provisions of M.G.L. c. 119, § 51A through 51F. (2) The Department shall address all reports of abuse or neglect of children in the institutional setting according to the same procedures as all other 51A reports, except that the Department's response worker shall also visit the institution in question in connection with the response. The Department shall notify the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Department of Public Health (DPH), or Department of Youth Services (DYS) when the Department receives and after the Department screens a report alleging that abuse or neglect of a child occurred at a facility owned, operated or funded, in whole or in part, by the relevant agencies, or at a facility operated by a person or entity subject to licensure or approval by any of said agencies to coordinate any investigations related to the report. The Department shall notify the director of a facility when the Department initiates a response due to a report involving the facility. (5) During the Department's response, the Department's response worker may be accompanied by an employee of EEC, DESE, DMH, DDS, DPH, or DYS, if said agency is responsible for the institution in question, and if the Department and said agency have previously entered into an interagency agreement which details procedures for such joint activities, including but not limited to procedures to minimize the number of interviews of and trauma to any child victim.