In July 2005, The Guidance Center won a competitive bid to become the Lead Agency for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families' (formerly the Department of Social Services) Family Networks initiative. As Lead Agency, The Guidance Center will coordinate and help design a continuum of services subcontracted from a wide range of community agencies in order to provide community-based services to children, who are at risk and in need, and their families. The Guidance Center will serve as the Family Networks Lead Agency for Cambridge, Somerville, Burlington, Wilmington, Winchester and Woburn.

Family Networks is the Department’s new approach to providing child welfare services intended to keep more children at home with their families, guardians or other caretakers. The hope of this redesigned system is that children who previously may have been placed in residential care now will be served and supported within their own community. Children who require out-of-home placement likely will have shorter stays and continue to have contact with adults and activities in their communities, ensuring more supported transitions home whenever possible.

For more information about this contract, please contact Carol Murphy (617.520.8772 or cmurphy@gcinc.org) or Borja Alvarez de Toledo (617.354.2275 x113 or btoledo@gcinc.org).