What’s New
at Bridges Homeward
Shane and Howard’s Adoption Story
Congratulations to Howard and Shane who will be finalizing Shane’s adoption on National Adoption Day in 2024!
Chris Barber and Maura Warner Join Bridges Homeward Board of Directors
Welcome, Chris and Maura!
Changes and challenges in child welfare practice
Before she was the Director of the Office of the Child Advocate for Massachusetts, Maria Mossaides served as Executive Director of our very agency from 2008 to 2015. For our 150th anniversary, we are honored to have her share her reflections on some of the biggest shifts in child welfare practice throughout her career.
Edward Finds Stability in Fatherhood
When Edward moved into our Independent Living progam at age 19, he had two goals: to be a good father for his daughter, and to afford living on his own. Was he able to meet those goals?
Adopt or Foster with Bridges Homeward This Fall!
Are you ready to offer a safe, nurturing, loving home to a youth in foster care? Then you should apply to join our upcoming Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) training series, starting this September! MAPP training is a required training course for all adoptive and foster parents.
Lindsay reconnects with her family
Due to the trauma she has lived through, Independent Living resident Lindsay’s ability to trust adults in her life has ebbed and flowed in the time that we’ve known her. Read about the progress she’s made in her three years in our Independent Living program.
A Focus on Foster Parents
In a given month, we receive 150 referrals from the Department of Children and Families for children who need foster care placement. Of the over 1000 referrals we received last year, we were able to place 9 youth. You can make a difference for these youth by becoming a foster parent with Bridges Homeward.
Join the Bridges Homeward Team for the 2024 Cambridge Half Marathon + 5K on Sunday, November 3!
We're excited to be a charity partner for the upcoming Cambridge Half Marathon on November 3. Signing up to run with Bridges Homeward is easy, so join our team today!
Reunifying Kyle with His Mother
June is National Reunification Month. Reunifying youth in foster care with their biological parents is an essential part of our work. Reunification sounds amazing, but what does it look like? The story of Kyle reunifying with his mom exemplifies some of the complications we see many families experience on their way to permanency.
Building Bridges, Building Families
Helping foster and adoptive parents to build their families is a huge honor for our agency. And one of the areas we work with foster and adoptive parents the most on is preparing them for caring for a child from a different racial or ethnic background.
Our Impact on Foster and Adoptive Families
Our Family Services program works with anyone who wants to become a foster or adoptive parent, from biological family members of children in foster care to folks with no personal connection to the child welfare system who just want to support youth. Our approach is efficient, inclusive, and totally supportive of our parents’ needs!
Find Us at Pride in Your Community This Year
We’re excited to participate in two major Pride festivals this year: Boston Pride for the People in Boston and North Shore Pride in Salem!
Alicia Wilson Wins the 2024 Vivienne Campbell Foster Parent of the Year Award
Alicia’s dedication to the youth in her care is extraordinary. Recently, she changed a young man’s life by committing to serve as his permanent foster home. Congratulations, Alicia!
Our Impact on Youth in Foster Care
We’ve offered intensive foster care services for youth in Massachusetts for over 100 years, albeit under different names. But what is our agency’s impact on youth in foster care? We talked to Intensive Foster Care Program Director Laqunda Nystrom to find out.
Maddie Made It Out of Intensive Foster Care
For National Foster Care Month, we’re proud to share this story that exemplifies our Intensive Foster Care team’s dedication to helping every child find permanency.
Thank you for celebrating with us at our 150th Anniversary Celebration!
Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate our 150th Anniversary at the Cambridge Hyatt Regency Hotel on May 9! If you weren’t able to attend our Gala, don’t worry - we’re sharing all the details to inspire you to reserve your ticket for next year.
Alivia’s Adoption Story
We’re excited to share this transcript of adoptive parents Cecilia and Brendan’s speech from our 150th Anniversary Celebration!
Thank you to our 150th Anniversary Partners!
Thanks to the amazing organizations and individuals who are partnering with us for our 150th Anniversary Celebration this year! Our partners care about making a positive impact in the Greater Boston community.