Friends of Children

FOCUS, A Program of Friends of ChildrenFriends of Children, Inc. is a 501c(3), founded in 1990 as a child advocacy organization. Friends of Children is fully dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults impacted by their foster care or juvenile justice involvement. FOCUS is a program of Friends of Children that connects…

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Grandparents N’ Charge

Grandparents N` Charge mission is to support and care for our grandchildren physically and emotionally. Our services is to seek resources and support to help enhance their skills while raising their grandchildren and to reunite grandparents and grandchildren together to rebuild stronger family relationships.

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Community Action

At Head Start & Early Learning Programs, we offer quality early education and care to young children and services to support whole families. Every day, our mission is front and center: we partner with families in all that we do and believe that parents are the experts on their children. Together, we build a solid…

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Education Specialist

Dr. Gwen Bass is a teacher, advocate, parent mentor, and collaborative consultant. With a decade of experience each in K-12 classroom teaching and teacher education, plus years of research and program development, Gwen supports kids and adults whose needs and voices aren’t honored by conventional systems. She and her team provide consultation and training to help…

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DCF Childcare Specialist

The Department of Children and Families has 29 Area Office Child Care Specialists, one per each area office. This role was created in 2022 and is a resource for DCF offices and the families they serve to help support and navigate early education and child care needs. The Child Care Specialists work directly with area…

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All Our Kids

Founded in 2017 by a group of foster/adoptive parents in Western MA, AOK seeks to empower other foster/adoptive families to thrive by enriching community connectedness, providing education and resources, and helping the public understand and support our experience. AOK has several programs to support the foster care and adoption community in Western MA, in addition…

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WillPower Foundation

WillPower Foundation logo

The WillPower Foundation provides financial support that empowers Western Massachusetts families and individuals with different abilities to meet their unique needs. Many use the term ‘disability’, but the WillPower Foundation celebrates the power of different abilities. Families and individuals living with different abilities and special health care needs face unique financial hardships, such as: The…

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Rise Above

Rise Above is dedicated to providing Massachusetts children in foster care with enriching activities, opportunities and experiences. Founded in 2009, Rise Above is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that responds to the growing need to give youth in foster care opportunities that will give them a sense of normalcy, provide comfort and build self-esteem.

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DCF Medical Social Worker

The Department of Children and Families has 29 Area Office Medical Social Workers, one per area office. This role was created in 2016 and is a resource for DCF offices and for foster and adoptive families, to help support and navigate health care access for foster care youth. The medical social workers work directly with…

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Committee for Public Counsel Services

Lawyers in CPCS’s Children and Family Law Division (CAFL) represent children and parents in cases in which the Department of Children and Families (DCF) removes children from their homes because of claims of neglect or abuse.  These cases are called care and protection (C&P) cases or termination of parental rights cases.  CAFL also provides lawyers…

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