Family Support

Family Support programs help families build the skills and connections they need to thrive. By meeting families where they are, these programs connect them to concrete supports, nurture healthy child development, and strengthen co-parenting relationships. 

Connecting Family Support Networks  

Family Support Programs are trusted community hubs where families find the support they need, when they need it. The Children’s Trust works in partnership with a statewide network of Family Support Programs, including Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) programs, to strengthen connections, share best practices, and promote continuous learning. 

By supporting these networks and advancing a common strengths-based approach to working with families, we help build stronger systems of care that benefit children, families, and communities across the Commonwealth.

Massachusetts’ Initiative to Reduce Child Neglect 

Massachusetts’ Initiative to Reduce Child Neglect is a statewide coalition convened by the Children’s Trust. It brings together leaders from state agencies, family-serving organizations, individuals with lived experience, and communities to strengthen family support systems, connecting families to help earlier and reducing unnecessary involvement in the child welfare system. 

Nearly half of all child abuse and neglect reports in Massachusetts are screened out because they don’t meet the legal threshold for abuse or neglect. But many of those families still need support. Right now, professionals who work with children (teachers, doctors, social workers) have two options when they’re concerned about a child’s wellbeing: file a formal report or do nothing. There’s no clear middle path to connect families to community support without triggering a child welfare investigation. 

This initiative is working to change that. Organized around five priority areas, our working groups are designing approaches to build a more connected, prevention-focused system: 

• Community: elevating trusted local networks and the leadership of families themselves 

• Lived Experience: centering the perspectives of those most impacted to shape decision-making and strengthen accountability 

• Policy: improving alignment across systems and investing in prevention 

• Programs: strengthening community-based supports that offer coordinated alternatives to formal reporting 

• Workforce: equipping professionals with the tools and guidance to partner effectively with families