Families are important. They nurture us. They teach us. They protect us. They serve as our primary caregivers. Simply put – when families are strong, communities thrive.

Since 1837, Children’s Friend and Family Services has committed itself to a sustainable, long term vision of creating and cultivating a community of loving, caring, capable families. Throughout the years, we have been partnering with families in the face of difficulties, loss, trauma, and mental illness.

Families are important. They nurture us. They teach us. They protect us. They serve as our primary caregivers. Simply put – when families are strong, communities thrive.

We also understand that there’s no such thing as a perfect family. At some point, we’ll all be affected by one hardship or another. While no one is impervious to the strains of family life, not all families have the resources to deal with them. In many cases, some of those challenges are just too difficult to handle alone. That’s why we’re here.

Harnessing the strength of the collective voices of survivors, My Life My Choice empowers vulnerable youth to be agents of change in their own lives and in the movement to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Helping families throughout southeastern Massachusetts find the right educational setting for their child

The aim of the Educational Advocacy program is to ensure that children with disabilities receive the appropriate services and accommodations necessary to participate in the least-restrictive public education setting and receive equal educational opportunities.

In-Home Behavioral Services offer support to a youth who has a challenging behavior that interferes with everyday life. Services are provided with a behavioral approach by a team skilled in treating difficult behaviors. A clinician works closely with the child and family to create a specific behavior plan to improve the child’s functioning. The clinician works as part of a team with a skilled behavior monitor, who works closely with the child and family to implement the child’s individualized behavior plan.

The Southeast Continuum Program is an integrated and intensive array of services developed in partnership with youth and families to support them in living safely and productively in their communities.

STRIVE Boston envisions a world where everyone has the opportunity to achieve economic self-sufficiency, dignity, and a promising future. STRIVE Boston helps chronically unemployed men and women realize their potential to find and keep jobs that promise sustainable livelihoods and personal growth.

The Community Service Agencies are designed to facilitate access to and ensure coordination of care for youth with serious emotional disturbance (SED) who require or are already utilizing multiple services or are involved with multiple child-serving systems (e.g., child welfare, special education, juvenile justice, mental health) and their families. JRI is the Community Service Agency (CSA) for 4 areas: Cape Cod & the Islands, Lawrence CSA, Lynn CSA and the Dimock Area, which covers Jamaica Plain, Allston, Brighton, Roxbury, and Brookline.

JRI provides a comprehensive, community-based system of care to ensure that families and their children with significant behavioral, emotional, and mental health needs obtain the services necessary for success in the home, school, and community. We are  committed to providing persons and their families with strength-based, individualized, comprehensive evidence-based treatment.