Who We Are
For over 150 years, Bridges Homeward has helped people build the life skills, self-confidence, and stable family connections they need to thrive. We started in 1874 as a small orphanage caring for just 10 homeless youth, and today we support nearly 1,200 individuals and families across Massachusetts every year.
We believe that when individuals have the skills and resources that they need to be successful, and when they have a family in which to thrive, communities grow stronger.
That commitment to safe, secure, parenting relationships can be summed up in one word: Permanency.
50% of America's homeless are simply people who aged out of foster care.
Our Mission
To provide high-quality support and advocacy for children, adults, and families to develop and nurture safe, permanent relationships and maximize individual growth.
Our Programs
Most of our work is by contract with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Department of Developmental Services (DDS)
We help individuals build the relationships, skills, and confidence they need to thrive in their communities, with services ranging from case management to advocacy and social opportunities. As the Family Support Center for DDS across 8 Massachusetts communities, including Cambridge, Belmont, Somerville, Waltham, Watertown, Winthrop, Chelsea, and Revere, our team works closely with families managing complex care needs. We help them navigate public services, access resources, and build independence and self-advocacy.
We strengthen families facing financial, emotional, and social strain, preventing out-of-home placement and supporting reunification from foster care. Case managers work in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole, bringing trauma-informed, culturally responsive care to complex family situations. Services span in-home crisis response, housing resources, and independent living skills, along with dedicated support for young parents and youth aging out of the system.
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YPS supports pregnant and parenting mothers and fathers age 23 and younger who currently live in the City of Boston. We work one-on-one with young parents in their homes and other supportive settings to connect them with the best resources for them.
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Our Teams collaborate with DCF to support biological and foster families to prevent out-of-home placement and support the families’ reunification. We meet with families twice weekly for as long as necessary.
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We provide a supportive and nurturing space for parents and their children to engage in supervised family time as they get ready to reunify. Our Family Time specialists collaborate with biological families, foster families and DCF to ensure a smooth transition to reunification.
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Provides apartments to 18 to 22 year olds who are transitioning out of the foster care system and need support before they are totally ready to go out on their own. We provide apartments to youths in DCF’s care to help them better learn to care for themselves. The program provides financial and emotional support and helps residents work on their own permanency goals so they have long-term support after they leave our apartments.
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Caseworkers meet with youth weekly to work on increasing their independence and prepare them for adulthood.
We recruit, train, and support adoptive and foster parents through every stage of their journey, ensuring families are equipped to care for children with complex needs. From matching prospective parents with children to specialized trauma-informed training, support continues before, during, and after placement.
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We typically work with youth who face the greatest challenges to adoption: older children, sibling groups, and children with medical, developmental, emotional, or behavioral special needs.
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Our Foster Care program supports children and teens in foster care who were born exposed to substances, experienced abuse or neglect, or have complex medical needs. Working with DCF, Bridges Homeward finds transitional, therapeutic foster care for these children.
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Adoptive and foster parents are ordinary people who choose to do something extraordinary. If you would like to schedule a consultation about adopting or fostering a youth in foster care, email our Family Services team at familyservices@bridgeshomeward.org or call us at 617-876-4210.
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As a statewide home-visiting program of The Children's Trust, we provide guidance and consistent support to first-time parents with a child under one year old. Bridges Homeward operates the Harbor Area site, serving Chelsea, East Boston, Revere, Winthrop, and Charlestown. Through trusted relationships and practical resources, we help new parents build confidence and create strong, stable foundations for their families.
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Adoptive and foster parents are ordinary people who choose to do something extraordinary. If you would like to schedule a consultation about adopting or fostering a youth in foster care, email our Family Services team at familyservices@bridgeshomeward.org or call us at 617-876-4210.
Sign up here
Give Today
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Become a Bridge
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Give Today ⁎ Become a Bridge ⁎
You are one step away from becoming a bridge toward stronger futures for children, individuals, and families.
At Bridges Homeward, we walk alongside children in foster care, young adults, young parents, individuals with developmental disabilities, and families navigating adoption and reunification. We believe every child deserves a permanent family and a place to call home.
What’s new at Bridges Homeward
Every year, we talk about the work we do in terms of programs, services, and numbers. While those numbers matter, they only tell part of the story. As we approach the end of our fiscal year, we want to take a moment to step back and share what this year has actually looked like, not just in data, but in real moments, real people, and real change.
This is the work behind Bridges Homeward.