BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey, Attorney General Andrea Campbell and State Auditor Diana DiZoglio announced Monday that former Westford School Committee member Marisol Garcia was chosen as the next Child Advocate for Massachusetts, following a joint appointment process.
Garcia, an attorney with over 30 years of experience advocating for children and families, will begin a five-year term on June 1. She will succeed Maria Mossaides, who is retiring at the end of May after serving for over a decade.
In a press release, state officials said Garcia brings decades of legal and leadership experience, including more than 20 years representing children in court and 10 years advancing child welfare and behavioral health policy. Healey said Garcia’s background working with children navigating complex systems and emphasized her focus on improving oversight and access to services.
“Every child in Massachusetts deserves to be safe, supported and given the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life,” Healey said. “Marisol Garcia has spent her career fighting for children and families, especially those navigating our most complex systems, and she brings the experience, compassion and leadership this role demands. We are proud to appoint her as the Child Advocate and look forward to working together to strengthen oversight, improve service and ensure every child is supported.”
Garcia currently serves as deputy director at Health Law Advocates, where she developed and led the Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids, a statewide legal services initiative.
The program has represented thousands of families seeking access to mental health care for children, expanding from a pilot effort into a broader statewide model aimed at reducing reliance on emergency services and preventing children from being placed in child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Before that role, Garcia spent more than two decades representing children in court and working across child welfare, behavioral health, education and juvenile justice systems.
Garcia also served as a member of the Westford School Committee from 2022 until 2025, after winning the May 3, 2022 Town Election with 1,253 votes.
Westford’s state representative Jim Arciero called Garcia’s work with the School Committee part of her “lifelong commitment to public service and educational equity.”
In October, Arciero nominated Garcia for recognition at the 2025 Latino Excellence on the Hill Awards, hosted by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, celebrating the contributions and leadership of Latino individuals making a meaningful impact across the the state.
“Garcia is a tireless and effective leader whose 25-year career has been dedicated to advocating for the youth,” Arciero said, following the nomination of Garcia. “I was proud to nominate her for this well-deserved recognition, and I thank the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus for honoring the incredible work of leaders like Marisol.”
Following the announcement of her appointment as the state’s new Child Advocate, Garcia said she is grateful for the new opportunity.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Commonwealth’s next Child Advocate,” Garcia said. “As the next Child Advocate, I will focus on ensuring that children who need it, particularly those involved with the Commonwealth’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems, receive that kind of support in a way that honors their multi-faced and richly diverse identities.”
Garcia was selected through a public process led by a 14-member nominating committee convened by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The committee reviewed candidates in a series of open meetings before submitting finalists in February.
