All lives are precious.
Every night in the United States, over 435,000 children and adolescents spend the night in the foster care system. In Massachusetts, there are approximately 10,500 children in foster care. These youth are not mere statistics in a category-each one of them is an individual person with a real name, face, personality, and future.
So then, why are these children in foster care? In a recent public opinion survey, 45% of respondents believed children were in care due to juvenile delinquency. Such is not the case. Rather, at no fault of their own, they have been placed in state custody due to:
Abuse – physical or sexual
Abandonment
Neglect
Predictive neglect – based either on abuse/neglect suffered by siblings or documented substance use disorder of their birth parent/s
Imagine…the pain, sorrow, fear, and uncertainty experienced by these children. In their adversity, these real youth need real hope and real love. The solution is not scientific, it’s relational. For the ones neglected, the ones forgotten, the ones in need, we must step up. The need for foster and adoptive families in North America has never been greater.
You can help meet needs by providing meals or clothes or babysitting. If you’re interested in become a foster or adopted parent, we can connect you with others on the same journey and provide resources to help you get started.
Below are the organizations that we work closest with and that you can contact to begin the journey.
1. NB Department of Children and Families - foster care/adoption, intercedes on behalf of children being neglected/not well taken care of, and domestic violence services.
Phone 508-910-1000
Address: 651 Orchard St. #400.
Website:https://www.mass.gov/locations/dcf-new-bedford-area-office
2. Safe Child Visitation Center (Seven Hills) provides a safe place where children and parents /family members can visit. This is especially helpful for parents who do not have a suitable home for their children to visit or are currently homeless/staying in a shelter. Can act as a neutral pick-up/drop-off point.
Phone: 508-646-3521
Address: 1402 Pleasant St.
3. Massachusetts Mentor serves children/youth that face challenges including intellectual/developmental disabilities, emotional/behavioral challenges, and troubled families and/or crisis situations. They have a foster care program called “Treatment Foster Care” where they place these children in safe, caring homes when being in their biological home isn’t best for them. Each foster family/child receives support from trained staff. They also help find a permanent solution, whether that be reuniting with their families, adoption, or eventually living on their own. They also have a program called “Family Preservation Treatment” to help families who are at risk of their children being taken away. They teach them how to live and interact with one another positively so that they can stay together, involving the parents, children, siblings, and any extended family that are influential.
Phone: 508-995-3251
Address: 12 Welby Rd. Suite 103
Website: https://www.ma-mentor.com
4. Child and Family Services
3 Locations:
3057 Acushnet Ave. (508-990-0894): provides a variety of services for children with mental, emotional, and behavioral health needs, as well as those who have experienced trauma because of violence witnessed in their home, school, or community.
543 North St. : Community Based Acute Treatment - 9-bed unit for children ages 4-17 experiencing emotional and behavioral crisis. They receive support and moderate supervision in a therapeutic environment along with individual/group therapy, psychiatric assessment, and family therapy and well as schooling five days a week. Used as an alternative to institutionalization, or as a bridge between an inpatient facility and a return to home.
Emergency Services (Crisis Center) - provides 24/7 treatment for those who need emergency mental health counseling. There is always a mental health clinician and psychiatrist at the facility.
Phone: 508-996-3154
Website: https://child-familyservices.org
5. Catholic Social Services provides an Adoption by Choice program: non-profit agency providing a wide range of adoption options and assistance for expectant parents, adopting parents, and those who have been adopted (domestic and international services).
Phone: 508-674-4681
Address: 1600 Bay St. Fall River
“No one needs to be left finding help on their own. No one needs to walk through a crisis by themselves. No one needs to feel like they have no one in their corner who cares. We are here. We care.”
#nbmacan