Keeping youth attached to their culture and identity is crucial in their upbringing, especially for those in foster care. While achieving this may be easier said than done, a healthy first step is making sure there are plenty of foster families who share their identities!

We are so excited to continue our partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital! This generous grant will help young adults transitioning out of foster care have those essential support networks that can give them better outcomes and happier lives!

Thank you to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption for recognizing us once again! We were included because we offer comprehensive, high-quality benefits to our staff who adopt and/or foster youth.

Read about the five wonderful families whose adoptions we celebrated on National Adoption Day 2022!

This year’s Impact Report is full of stories about the amazing growth and resilience of our youth and families over the past year.

For the first months of their relationship, Amy and Josh only knew their future adopted daughter Laura over Zoom. Read more to find out how (as Amy and Josh like to say) Laura ended up adopting them in October 2021!

Our Developmental Disabilities program is never short of fun! Following a successful Halloween movie night last month, the program will host a Fall Menu Cooking Class in December with our chefs, Assistant Program Director Sheila and Case Manager Danielle.

MAPP training is a required 30-hour course for anyone in Massachusetts who is interested in adopting or fostering a youth in foster care. Our upcoming MAPP training begins January 2023!

Maddie came to Bridges Homeward in 2019 as an intern at Teens Learning Choices. Her favorite part of her job is getting to know our group home residents! Congratulations, Maddie!

Bridges Homeward is featured on their website as one of the beneficiaries of Star Market’s generous GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS program.

David has volunteered for our agency for 12 years, supporting our Residential and Developmental Disabilities programs and Human Rights Committee. Congratulations, David!

“A goal I want to achieve is to be able to service and provide for as many families as possible.” Lisnalda steps into this role after two years working as a Family Support Specialist. Congratulations, Lis!

We are pleased to announce that, thanks to the work of our Intensive Foster Care and Family Stabilization staff and our amazing foster parents, six youth are reunifying with their parents!

Karlah’s promotion comes with the recent restructuring of our Residential Services Program. Karlah steps into this role after serving as Program Director of Teens Learning Choices. Congratulations, Karlah!

Our Residential Program Director Karlah Paul and her management team are working to streamline our group homes with new trainings and systems of communication that will build relationships and improve the trauma-informed care we offer.

MAPP training is a required 30-hour course for anyone in Massachusetts who is interested in adopting, fostering, or mentoring through our Weekend Family Connections Program. Our Fall MAPP training begins this October!

Thanks to the Star Market outreach program, for every GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Bag you purchase at the Star Market at 14 McGrath Highway in Somerville, $1 will be donated to us!

It is so important that persons with disabilities and their families have opportunities for safe, accessible fun! Our Developmental Disabilities staff work hard for our families to have enjoyable, fulfilled lives.