Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Child Protection Training topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Foxborough committee calls for broader child-protection training as state bill moves
Summary
The Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Committee reported recent training milestones, two new members, and support for Mass. Senate Bill 2659 (training requirements for mandatory reporters). The committee urged outreach to local sports and childcare providers while noting bylaw limits on private entities.
A representative of the Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Committee told the Foxborough Select Board on Feb. 3 that the committee has expanded its membership and its outreach, and urged the town and local organizations to boost training for adults who work with children.
The committee representative said a commonly cited estimate — that "one in 10 children will be sexually abused before 18" — demonstrates the need for vigilance. The speaker said there are roughly 3,000 children in town schools and used that figure to illustrate the scale of risk, and reported the committee’s trainings reached about 640 people in the most recent year and more than 4,000 people cumulatively.
Why it matters: The committee’s work affects school staff, volunteers, coaches and other adults who supervise children. The group said broader training reduces risk and improves the town’s ability to identify and report abuse.
The committee reported two new members added this year, including Toby Roma, whom the committee identified as superintendent of the Foxboro Regional Charter School. The committee also credited Jim Dillis as an early founding member and described cooperation with local schools and community partners. The Sage School and the charter school, the committee said, plan to make training regular parts of their calendar in 2026.
On state policy, the committee highlighted Mass. Senate Bill 2659. The committee said the bill does not expand the statutory definition of mandatory reporters as originally hoped but does require training for groups the committee supports; the speaker said the provision has been attached to a larger omnibus bill and appears to have a better chance of passage in early 2026.
Committee members and Select Board members discussed limits on the town’s authority to require training for private businesses. Several board members recommended offering free or low‑cost on-site training as an incentive for private operators (for example, sports facilities or daycares) and said the town could condition use of town-owned facilities on compliance with training requirements rather than attempt to regulate off-site private activity.
On record keeping, speakers identified Mark Craig as the keeper of the committee’s database of trained individuals and raised questions about how the town would contact people whose training expires and how turnover would be tracked. A staff member, Paige, said she would check whether the town is vulnerable to gaps in the system.
The committee invited residents to attend its monthly meetings (first Wednesday of each month, 4 p.m., community center) and requested the Select Board consider ways to support outreach and record‑keeping.
The board did not take formal action on the committee’s requests during the meeting; the discussion ended with an agreement to follow up and provide technical support where feasible.
