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 The
fall of 2004 marked the Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts'
10th year of nurturing families throughout Boston and the state!
The Family Nurturing Center (FNC) was birthed at the Department
of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Boston City Hospital
in late 1994. Since then, FNC has matured and developed many innovative
programs and trainings that have positively impacted the lives of
thousands of families and children. In 1997 we moved from Boston
City Hospital to our current community based site in Dorchester,
one of Boston's largest neighborhoods. In 1999 we applied for and
received status as an independent non-profit 501(c)3 organization
and now, in 2005, we continue celebrating all that we have accomplished
to date!
With a brief look back, we can see some sharp contrasts between
the FNC of 1994 and FNC now. Then, we were a small dynamic team
of three led by FNC's visionary founder and President Emeritus,
Sharon Shay Workman. We trained Boston City Hospital employees and
staff from neighboring organizations in the Nurturing
Philosophy. With support from an anonymous funder, we developed
the High Point CARES program that provides innovative family support
and education programs for families in a housing community. We worked
with Boston community partners to develop Family Nurturing Programs
in Roslindale, Roxbury and Mattapan. We began our work with the
Massachusetts Department of Social Services to help envision what
is now a statewide network of 22 Community Connections Coalitions
working together to provide preventative family strengthening programs.
 Now,
we are an independently incorporated non-profit organization with
a staff team of thirteen, a committed Board of Directors, talented
student interns from two area colleges, and 150-200 volunteers who
help us achieve our goals each year. We train more than 1,000 people
across the state each year in a variety of family strengthening
practices. FNC staff members are also frequent presenters at local
and national conferences.
Since 1994, we have successfully worked to spread more nurturing
seeds so that now FNC programs take place in Department of Social
Services offices, health centers, housing communities, libraries,
schools, churches, a house of correction, and community centers.
Funding for FNC programs now comes from several public and private
sources, including statewide coalitions, federal initiatives, and
local foundations.
 Twelve
years later, we have worked with partners in South Boston, South
End, Mattapan, Roxbury, Roslindale, Dorchester, Allston-Brighton,
Jamaica Plain, East Boston, Chelsea, Lynn, Lawrence, Brockton, Holyoke,
Springfield, and others to develop and deliver more than five different
Nurturing Program curricula.
As our staff team has grown, so too have the number and types of
programs and trainings we provide. Our Neighborhood Circles of Caring
Program now includes parent/child playgroups, infant massage instruction,
parent support groups, fathers' advocacy and training activities,
Welcome Baby home visits and literacy promotion groups, resource
and referral opportunities and much more.
As we acknowledge twelve years of nurturing and celebrate the families
and collaborators we work with, we are grateful to those of you
who have supported our endeavors. The Nurturing Network in Massachusetts
is going strong, and we look forward to the next decade with continued
enthusiasm, optimism, and commitment to our mission. Thank you for
your continued support!
If you are not already a part of our growing Nurturing Network,
we would love to have you Get Involved.
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