An Act Protecting Department of Children and Families Social Workers’ Home Addresses (H 112)

 

Passed as an outside section to the FY16 Budget

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This bill aims to ensure the safety of DCF social workers, investigators, and supervisors. Child protection workers can be asked to provide their home address and personal phone number when testifying on a case in court. Divulging this information creates a dangerous environment for social workers and investigators in an already volatile situation and serves only to intimidate the worker. When a police officer is called to testify in court, his or her personal information is not made public - law enforcement personnel simply disclose their work address instead. Social workers and investigators engaged in child protection efforts – an essential function of law and order in our Commonwealth - should also be afforded that same protection from disclosure of home addresses and personal information.