The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Executive Office of Health and Human Services

Department of Children and Families
Office of the General Counsel
600 Washington Street, 6th floor
Boston, MA 02111
Tel (617) 748-2065 Fax (617) 261-7428
CHARLES D. BAKER ANDREW TODD ROME
Governor General Counsel

KARYN E. POLITO PATRICIA CASEY
Lieutenant Governor Deputy General Counsel

MARYLOU SUDDERS CRISTINA TEDSTONE
Secretary Deputy General Counsel

LINDA S. SPEARS THOMAS WEIERMAN
Commissioner Deputy General Counsel

Via e-mail

June 26, 2017

Ms. Stephanie Leydon

WGBH News
Stephanie_Leydon@wgbh.org

Re: Public Records Request Received on June 9, 2017 Data on hotline placement for years 2013 to
2017

Dear Ms. Leydon:

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Children and Families (DCF), hereby responds to the
above referenced public records request (PRR), received on June 9, 2017 where you seek the following:

1. How many children were placed in 'hotline' foster homes for the years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
(or as many of those years for which available data exists).

2. Of the children placed in hotline foster homes, how many were placed in hotlines homes more than
once for the years 2013, 2014, 2015,2016 and 2017 (or as many of those years for which available data
exists).

Parts 1 and 2 of Request: DCF does not have a report that contains the information that you seek. An agency is
not required to create a new record in order to respond to a public records request. G.L. c. 66, 6A(d). See G.L.
c. 4, 7, cl. 26; See id. (defining public records as materials which have already been made or received by a
public entity); see also 32 Op. Atty Gen. 157, 165 (May 18, 1977) (custodian is not obliged to create a record in
response to a request for information).

While DCF does not possess a report that contains information responsive to your request, DCF has provided
the following chart with placement stability data that you might find useful:
Ms. Stephanie Leydon
WGBH News
Stephanie_Leydon@wgbh.org
June 26, 2017
Page 2

The Percentage (%) of Children with 2 or Fewer Placements

in 12 Months
For the 12 month period ending 79.8%
December 31, 2013
For the 12 month period ending 74.9%
December 31, 2014
For the 12 month period ending 73.8%
December 31, 2015
For the 12 month period ending 69.2%
December 31, 2016

DCF reserves the right to retrieve any exempted, privileged, or otherwise protected materials inadvertently
included in this production. Any such production is not, and shall not be considered or deemed, a waiver of any
applicable privileges or protections from disclosure.

DCF now considers this PRR closed.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you believe DCF has violated G.L. c. 66, 10, pursuant to G.L. c. 66, 10A, you may submit an appeal to the
Supervisor of Public Records in the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth or seek judicial review by
commencing a civil action in Suffolk Superior Court.

Sincerely,

_________________________________________
Adelaida P. Jasperse, Primary Records Access Officer
Assistant General Counsel