Massachusetts Governor Executive Order 494: Establishing the Office of the Child Advocate

December 20, 2007 The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) was established to create an independent office to investigate child welfare services; its operations and investigations will be fully independent of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The OCA is charged with investigating serious allegations of child abuse and monitoring child-serving agencies. The child advocate will report annually to the governor, the secretary of health and human services, the house speaker and senate president with recommendations about how the state can improve services to children . . .