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 We are pleased to announce that Family Nurturing Center and Dorchester CARES have merged as of July 1, 2008.
The strengthened, expanded new organization will continue under the “Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts” name, led by FNC Executive Director Matt LiPuma and a merged Board of Directors that includes the Board members of both organizations. We’re delighted that all of the FNC and CARES staff are remaining on board, to continue programs and services to families without interruption. The merger formally brings together two very similar organizations that have been working together since their inception, enabling us to reach more families in more communities without duplication of effort or resources.
The culmination of two years of discussion, planning, and due diligence, this merger comes with full agreement and unanimous decision from both non-profits’ boards. Board and staff members alike are enthusiastic about the opportunities the merger brings for increased programming, training, and support for the families and providers in the neighborhoods we serve across Boston and Massachusetts.
Dorchester CARES (Collaboration, Advocacy, Resource Development, Education, and Support) Coalition for Families & Children was founded by Sharon Shay, PhD, in 1989 as a collaborative effort to enhance the capacity of the Dorchester community to support families and prevent child maltreatment. The mission of Dorchester CARES has been to coordinate, develop and institutionalize comprehensive, community-based programs which will support families and prevent child abuse and neglect in target neighborhoods. Together, the members of the CARES Coalition work with families and community members to form the Circle of Caring, a comprehensive continuum of services which engages families as equal partners and empowers them as decision makers. CARES provided the Department of Social Services a model for their Community Connections Initiative, which now reaches over 20 DSS areas across the Commonwealth. In addition, CARES brought the first Nurturing Program to Dorchester, using the nationally recognized, evidence-based parenting curriculum that brings families and community members together to support one another and nurture healthy children.
In 1994, Sharon Shay founded Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts, with the goal of spreading the CARES model of comprehensive systems of family support across Boston and the Commonwealth. Its mission is to work with others to build nurturing communities where children are cherished, families are supported, and healthy human development is promoted by all. FNC brought the Dorchester CARES Circle of Caring model into Roslindale and Allston-Brighton, assessing community needs and working with partners to develop appropriate family support programs within the neighborhoods. FNC is the recognized training and technical assistance provider to other organizations, city entities, and Department of Social Services Area offices as Nurturing Parenting Programs and Circles of Caring are replicated across the city and the state.
Dorchester CARES and Family Nurturing Center have shared both programs and space (at 200 Bowdoin Street in Dorchester) for numerous years. Together, in 1997, they started the Welcome Baby home visiting program, which currently serves over 700 families with newborns per year in three Boston neighborhoods. Both organizations receive contract funding from the Department of Social Services and convene Massachusetts Family Network activities for families with young children through the Department of Early Education and Care. FNC and CARES have continued to provide Nurturing Programs as a component of the family and community support model, and all staff members are well-trained in the nurturing and strengths-based approaches to working with families.
For all these reasons, it has been clear to FNC and CARES’ staff, board, and stakeholders that these “sister” organizations would benefit from truly coming together as one. The Boston Foundation’s recent report, Passion and Purpose: Raising the Fiscal Fitness Bar for Massachusetts Non-Profits, affirms this decision, as it recommends that non-profit mergers can increase the sustainability of the sector by strengthening organizational balance sheets, achieving greater program impact, and reducing administrative and operational costs. With common goals to strengthen parent/caregiver and child relationships and connect families to each other, to their community, and to resources, Family Nurturing Center and its new Dorchester CARES Circle of Caring look forward to positive growth and impact during this exciting transition time.
If you have any questions or feedback about our exciting new organization, please feel free to contact us at 617-474-1143.
“I’m delighted that the team at Dorchester CARES has joined us. They have deep experience in neighborhood collaboration, parent leadership development, and family support, which we can all learn from and expand on.”
~ Phyllis Menken, FNC Board President
“I am so excited to be part of bringing CARES and FNC together to promote the mission of family support and child abuse prevention in Massachusetts. It is my hope that families in Dorchester will benefit from our combined efforts to expand services and build and even stronger Circle of Caring.”
~ Jo-Anne Luppino Ochalla, former Dorchester CARES Board President
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