FAQs
Why are the services of the RFK Children's Action Corps essential?
Do you place kids in foster care and help them get adopted?
What's the difference between residential and group home care?
What kinds of programs do you offer?
Who is eligible to enter your programs?
How do you know that you are successful as an agency?
Why should I donate to RFK Children's Action Corps?
Why are the services of the RFK Children's Action Corps essential?
Every year, more than 10,000 young people in Massachusetts are committed to the departments of Youth and Social Services. The state recognizes the value in contracting with private organizations, some of which have many years of experience providing programs and services for children with a great degree of variety and flexibility. Furthermore, foster care is not an option for many of these children, given their therapeutic or educational requirements.
The state establishes contracts with the RFK Children’s Action Corps and other private organizations to provide children with comprehensive services, such as residential treatment, clinical support, and special education. By contracting these services to private agencies such as the RFK Children’s Action Corps, whose sole focus is improving the lives of children and families, the state gives young people a better chance for success.
Do you place kids in foster care and help them get adopted?
Yes, the RFK Children’s Action Corps can do private adoptions and use temporary foster homes through our new program, Bright Futures Adoption Center. When a potential foster or adoption match has been made for one of the children in our care, we work closely with DCF staff to organize visits at our program site and arrange home visits and weekend stays. We work hard to help ensure that the transition for our children is as smooth and comfortable as possible.
What's the difference between residential and group home care?
Residential care is more comprehensive than group home care. Children in our residential programs participate in onsite therapy and education with specially trained staff, and have a variety of resources available to them onsite. Children receiving group home treatment, on the other hand, live at one of our program sites while remaining in public school and receiving offsite counseling and other community-based services.
What kinds of programs do you offer?
The RFK Children’s Action Corps offers a range of programs for children, youths, and their families, including secure, group home, and community-based treatment. Most of our programs include educational, clinical, and family support components, and we also offer preventative programs, such as detention diversion and the Youth Leadership Program for Girls. Visit Our Programs to learn more about how we help children and families in Massachusetts.
Who is eligible to enter your programs?
We serve young people who are referred to us by the Department of Youth Services (DYS) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and several additional state agencies. See Eligibility for more information.
How do you know that you are successful as an agency?
While young people are in our care, they demonstrate significant improvement in their ability to interact with others in healthy ways and in their personal health and hygiene. They also show dramatic improvement in their school performance, often improving by several grades in reading and math in their first few months with us. What’s more, at least one adolescent in our care receives his or her GED every year.
Due to the confidential nature of our work, we are not permitted to follow the progress of young people after they leave our care. However, many of those who have been through our programs call to speak to staff members who’ve helped them, and in that way we learn of the role we’ve played in their success. Some of these youths have graduated from college and even received master’s degrees. They often tell us that we provided the first environment where they felt happy, healthy, safe, and secure. Visit Our Stories to read about some of these successes.
Why should I donate to RFK Children's Action Corps?
The RFK Children’s Action Corps never loses sight of its mission. We use only 10.8% of our funds for administrative purposes, meaning that nearly 90 cents of every dollar is spent in the direct care of the children and families we serve. Your donation to the RFK Children’s Action Corps helps to provide at-risk adolescents with the chance to lead normal, fulfilling lives. Donate now.
