Section 52 Alternative Service of Notice
The second paragraph of section 24 of chapter 119 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- If the identity or whereabouts of a parent is unknown, the petitioner shall, upon motion and with leave of the court, cause notice to be served upon such parent by: (i) publication once in each of 3 successive weeks in any newspaper as the court may order; (ii) publication on a website designed for such purpose for 3 successive weeks or (iii) through electronic means reasonably calculated to reach the parent as found by the court.
Summary
This section provides additional service options, such as publication on a state operated website, to provide notice related to care and protection actions to serve an unknown or missing parent of a child subject to a care and protection matter.