COVID-19 Discipline and

Child Welfare Referrals Parent Survey

CfJJ and The Chapter 222 Coalition, an alliance of educational advocates and attorneys, surveyed K-12 parents across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts about their children’s experience with schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This survey was developed based on concerns that schools were suspending and excluding students, particularly students of color and students with disabilities, from school during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were also concerns about schools filing 51A “child neglect” reports with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), or Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) truancy cases in juvenile court, if children were not able to access or participate in online school.

The anonymous survey, available online in English and Spanish, was widely shared across Massachusetts with parent groups, service providers, educational advocates and organizations who work closely with parents. Out of all districts, we received survey responses from parents in Arlington, Boston, Burlington, Fall River, Medway, New Bedford, Revere, Salem, Springfield and Wachusett.

Here is what they want us to know:

daughter with and IEP and is struggling.png

Key Findings

Nearly all parents who responded to the survey said their child did not get the support they needed in school this year, and many reported multiple changes to the educational models they received.
Even though children were not formally suspended, students were punished in these ways:
- Moved into “break-out rooms” during online learning
- Kicked out of or asked to leave an online class
- Pushed out of an in-person classroom to an online program
Some parents also reported being visited by a school resource office (SRO), police officer, or truancy officer about their child’s online learning.
A significant number of parents also reported that their child’s school filed, or threatened to file, a report of abuse of neglect for issues related to online learning.
- For some parents, this led to a visit from DCF. However, no parents surveyed reported that the services DCF provided were helpful and supportive.

*Please note that given the relatively small sample size of school districts and survey participants, we are focusing on the qualitative responses provided by parents whose children were directly impacted by punitive approaches during the pandemic.