With new federal immigration fees creating major obstacles for unaccompanied children, CLCM is grateful to the Cummings Foundation for a $25,000 gift designed to help CLCM clients cover the cost of application fees and access the protection they need.  

In response to advocacy spearheaded by the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts (CLCM), Lynn Public Schools has agreed to stop excluding children as young as 17 years old from enrolling in school —an important win for newcomer and immigrant youth.

The End the SIJS Backlog Coalition—of which CLCM is a proud member—has released a new practice advisory to guide advocates after the federal government’s sudden termination of the SIJS Deferred Action Policy. Co-authored by CLCM’s Claire Valentin, this resource outlines the policy’s devastating impact on thousands of immigrant youth, and the steps practitioners can take in response. 

CLCM celebrates a major legislative victory as the FY2026 Massachusetts State Budget codifies the end of the diversion of federal survivor and disability benefits from children in foster care, ensuring these vital funds now directly support youth with disabilities and/or deceased parents. 

CLCM and allied organizations are urging the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Lynn Public Schools School Committee to reverse Lynn's policy, which bars youth as young as 17 from public education. This policy conflicts with state law and guidance, deprives youth of their right to an education, and disproportionately impacts English Learners and those with interrupted schooling. 

CLCM submitted formal comments to the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“DESE”) in response to proposed amendments pertaining to the use of restraint, seclusion, and time-out practices in educational settings.  We called for supportive approaches that keep students safe, engaged, and connected to their peers. 

CLCM's Claire Valentin joined fellow advocates at the MA Bar Association Conference to underscore the critical need for holistic, child-centered legal representation for immigrant youth in juvenile court delinquency and foster care cases. 

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court handed down a significant ruling in Gotay v. Creen, affirming that children in foster care have a constitutional right to safety and adequate care. Read our take on this crucial step forward and why our advocacy continues. 

CLCM attorney Alexis Williams Torrey joined Community Legal Aid parent advocates with lived expertise to facilitate a workshop for the Massachusetts Family Preservation Project on identifying warning signs that family separation may be imminent and building the scaffolding to keep families safe and together. Read more about how this collaboration is helping prevent unnecessary family separation.