The Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate has released its latest annual report, which details efforts to protect vulnerable children in the state.
The report brings into focus the tragic case of Harmony Montgomery, a missing 5-year-old who fell through the cracks in two states and is now presumed dead, and David Almond, a teen with autism who was found dead of starvation, abuse and neglect at his home in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 2020.
Harmony's disappearance is now a homicide investigation. The investigative report on her case found that her father Adam Montgomery should not have been awarded full custody. He's been charged with second-degree murder.
Now, this new report is calling for changes in how children are represented in care and protection cases.
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"We felt that there was not robust representation of Harmony in that case and obviously the result was a very bad result. We believe that the system only works where everyone does their job to the fullest," Maria Mossaides, director of the Office of the Child Advocate said.
Mossaides also said another big concern right now is substance abuse among parents, which spiked during the pandemic. That contributed to a jump in the number of "critical incidents" involving children, which are described as a fatality, a near fatality, serious bodily injury, or emotional injury. Reported incidents went from 196 in 2019 to 320 by 2022, affecting 448 children or young adults. In 2021 there were 347 incidents affecting 458 children or young adults.
She said it's likely the ripple effects from the pandemic will be seen for years to come.
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Read more of the report below.
