Massachusetts Network of Foster Care Alumni
Do you have a suggestion for a resource program and/or organization we should add? Share a Resource through the new resource request form or e-mail us the resource details and we'll follow up with the organization directly.
The Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit is a tool designed to help assist families of children recently diagnosed with autism during the critical period following an autism diagnosis. The kit includes basic information about autism and its symptoms, tips for dealing with a child's diagnosis, information about therapies and treatments, forms to help parents get organized, a comprehensive list of resources and more.
The 100 Day Kit was released in 2008 and a second version was released in 2011. It was created by the Autism Speaks Family Services staff in conjunction with both a professional and parent advisory committee and the Family Services Committee.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-day-kit
We offer monthly child care trainings. All trainings are free to any member provider who belongs to our system, including CDA certificate training. We provide a full child care curriculum which is offered in a convenient weekly format, for providers who like to customize their curriculum. Our full curriculum is also free to all of our family child care providers. Also, we are introducing a new on-line pilot program of newly developed child care products in January which will be advantageous to all Bethel Child Care providers and it will be FREE.
From birth through the many transitions of children's lives, Birth to Three will work with you to identify resources, match you with professionals and peers, and refer you to appropriate services. Free programs and open play times with age specific playgroups and the opportunities for social and emotional growth.
For parents –
•peer support and expert modeling
•workshops, guided conversations, training
Free programs and open play times with age specific playgroups and the opportunities for social and emotional growth. playgroups led by a family support specialist and a lending library of books and kits
Camp Starfish provides a 1:1 staff-to-camper ratio at all times to enable success, build social skills, teach coping mechanisms, and help children who have difficulty finding success in traditional settings. We are a one-of-a-kind summer camp, year-round support and advocate for children and families. We encourage you to learn more about Starfish and the campers and families who have had their lives changed by their powerful experiences here. Then, we hope you will join us, becoming a camper, family, staff member, teacher, social worker, donor or friend who has seen the difference a Starfish summer can make.
This program is designed for young adults ages 16-22 who live with disabilities. The goal is to offer interns their first summer job, supplemented with job-readiness workshops and one-on-one Skills Training and Peer Counseling. The workshops that are offered cover areas such as resume writing, interviewing skills, work place etiquette, time & stress management, self-advocacy & disclosure as well as interpersonal communication.
Program components include: academic support, life skills training, parent / adolescent mediation, community service connection, and emergency support.
The goal of this program is to promote the well-being of adolescents between the ages of 12 through 17 and their families by providing appropriate culturally and linguistic supportive services, building on the existing strengths of the family, and empowering families to make their own decisions in an effort to reduce or eliminate child abuse and neglect.
College Parents of America provides members with the advantages of valuable benefits and advocacy that protect and maximize their family's college investment and the resources to support their student's achievement.
Hey Parents!
We have a lot of sites, lessons, games to help your child complete math problems, while having FUN!
The DCF Adopted Child Tuition Waiver and Fee Assistance Program is designed to lessen the financial burden on adopting parents in the Commonwealth. This waiver extends eligibility to all children and young adults, age twenty-four or under, adopted through DCF by state employees or eligible Massachusetts residents, regardless of the date of adoption. The tuition and fee waiver encompasses 100% of tuition and fees for state-supported courses, subject to budgetary appropriation, at all of the Massachusetts public institutions of higher education, excluding graduate courses and courses in the MD program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.
Emotional/Behavioral/Mental HealthDevelopmental Disability Medically Complex Care Safety Management through sports and all kinds of Leisure Program.
Fenway was one of the first in the nation to offer alternative insemination services to lesbians and today we continue to provide medical alternatives for achieving conception, as well as a support network, education, and advocacy.
http://fenwayhealth.org/care/wellness-resources/lgbt-family-services/
Free early childhood programs for women with children Age 0 to 5. Helps Children from low income families get a head start and become ready for school. Pre-school programs are for children age 3 to 5.
In addition to undergraduate scholarship support, the Association offers a number of services and opportunities to Horatio Alger Scholars:
https://scholars.horatioalger.org/scholarships/about-our-scholarship-programs/
Hourly Respite provides temporary support to a child/youth with emotional and/or behavioral disturbances. LUK's Hourly Respite services are responsive to the needs of families; are reliable and flexible; and strengthen families, children and youth. Hourly Respite reduces family stress; establishes, supports, and maintains family stability; increases family and individual safety; and minimizes the need for out-of-home placement.
Income-eligible EEC financial assistance for child care is subsidized child care for low-income non-TAFDC families who are working, in an education or job training program, or disabled. Child care is provided for children under 13 and for older children with special needs
http://www.massresources.org/income-eligible-child-care.html
Ironstone provides therapeutic riding, recreational riding and hippotherapy, which is using a horse to help provide physical and occupational therapies and speech/language pathology. The Ironstone Farm mission statement: To provide therapeutic, educational and recreational opportunities using horses and the working farm environment to help people achieve optimum quality of life.
At IXL Learning, we are passionate about creating and supporting the best educational technology possible. We develop first-of-their-kind products used by millions of learners, from children to adults. This is a online resource for supporting parents in helping their children from K through 12 with their educational curriculum.
Day Habilitation provides a daily, comprehensive program of therapies, developmental skills training, medical oversight, and assistance with activities of daily living for adults with developmental disabilities in a supportive, caring environment. The program is funded by Medicaid and MassHealth.
Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We’ve also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content.