Family Matters 1st

Familymatters1st.org
Community Defense, Healing & Wellness, Policy & Advocacy
Massachusetts

About

Our mission is centered around empowering families by offering education, peer support, early defense and advocacy. Our primary objective is to combat the unjust separation of families by The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families with a particular focus on those who are historically marginalized and disadvantaged. 

We work towards Abolition everyday. We mobilize impacted parents to shift the narrative and impact legislation.

Support

  • Community Defense

    We partner with Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, Greater Boston Legal services and Harvard Legal Family Services Center who provide early defense during an investigation of abuse/neglect. They also help parents with fair hearing representation to overturn findings. We also provide one on one advocacy to DCF and any other providers. We attend foster care review hearings and provide court support.

  • Healing & Wellness

    During our weekly support groups on every Thursday, we share participatory defense strategies along with emotional support and invite a mental health therapist monthly to share coping skills and any other support strategies.

  • Policy & Advocacy

    We lead advocacy meetings where we mobilize parents, do know your rights workshops, talk about laws we want to change.

Connect