Springfield Republican | 1/16/08
The Springfield Home for Friendless Women and Children, founded in 1865, was one of the first social service agencies in the state of Massachusetts. In the beginning it was a temporary home for destitute women and children, located at Sherman Street in Springfield. In 1940 the agency became known as the Children's Study Home due to its growing work with children with behavioral and emotional problems. In the 1970s, as still more services were provided to children and their families, the Children's Study Home purchased what would become its Mill Pond campus, which is more geared to adolescents, expanding on the work with younger children at its Sherman Street location.
The Study Home includes a Department of Family Services that focuses on giving parents the tools to become better caregivers for their children through education and support. Within this department there is an Intensive Foster Care Program that provides teenagers with intensive case management, support and stability to enable them to progress into more permanent living situations.
Another department is the Family Reunification Support Program, which provides support for families involved with the Department of Social Services. Reunification is achieved through a team effort among the parent, Family Support staff and DSS to build a healthy environment for the entire family by teaching parenting skills, connecting resources and addressing all necessary needs, such as housing, GED programs, therapeutic support and day care.
Yet another division is the Parent Education Program, which works directly with DSS families who are believed to be at risk for child abuse or neglect. Families receive in-home support to help build a healthy environment for their children. Parents receive training in a variety of topics, such as family relationships, health care, substance abuse and emotional needs.
The Intensive Foster Care Program is where a foster family lives with no more than two youths. The agency and the foster parents use a team-based approach to provide a variety of services, such as intensive case management, advocacy and other necessary support. The foster parents also receive 24-hour support from the agency.
The Family Residental Foster Care is composed of four to six adolescents, and each home is required to have at least two foster parents, and at least one of them must be an employee of the Children's Study Home.
As a society we need to help children to become healthy adults because they are our future, and the work begins at home with families. You can learn more about Carrie Barrepski at her Web site, www.carriewrites.net She can be reached at cbarrepski@carriewrites.net