Family, Friends, and Neighbor Resources
Government and Public Resources
- Housing Support and Referral form
- Learn about Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT)
- Check RAFT eligibility
- Link to mail-in RAFT application in multiple languages
- Boston Rental Relief Fund
- Metrolist: Boston Affordable Housing Search
- Legal help resources
- Eviction help
- Office of Housing Workshops
- Financial assistance for first time homebuyers
- Foreclosure Prevention an Intervention
- Emergency Shelters
- SNAP application form
- Please note we will offer an incentive and additional applicant support of $25 to apply with NEU4J and $100 if you are denied services.
- About SNAP benefits
- Check eligibility for SNAP
- Apply for SNAP benefits
- About WIC
- Check eligibility for WIC
- Apply for WIC
Please check back at a later time for more information.
Professional Resources
- MA union apprenticeships accepting applications now
- Building Pathways Union Pre-Apprenticeships – next training class is in February 2023!
- Worker Center Orientation sign up
- UMass Boston free financial literacy course
- Massachusetts free financial education resources
- MyFinancialLifeMA.org
- Resources are provided by the Office of Economic Empowerment
- Resources include banking, saving, credit, home ownership, and retirement
- Community agencies offering money management programs
- Money Talk Tuesdays free virtual workshop
- Past recordings can be found on YouTube
- Office of Economic Empowerment and Money Experience for Young Adults
- CPR and first aid resources
Please check back at a later time for more information.
General resources that FFN caregivers can find useful
Child development milestones and developmentally appropriate activities:
CDC’s Developmental Milestones Resources- Milestone checklists at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 15 months, 18 months, 2 years, 30 months, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years
- PDF checklist for each level
- Includes social/emotional milestones, language/communication milestones, cognitive milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving), movement/physical development milestones
- Milestone tracker app with checklists, photos and videos, tips and activities, and a tracker for the child’s doctor appointments
- Free materials including children’s books, milestone trackers, and tip sheets (How to talk to your doctor; How to get help for your child; How to help your child)
- Developmental milestones every month up to 24 months
- Includes specific examples for each age (ex. “Plays peek-a-boo” and “Waves bye-bye”)
- Breakdown by age
- Breakdown by skill type
- Motor
- Communication and language
- Social and emotional
- Cognitive
- Links to HealthyChildren.org (from the American Academy of Pediatrics)
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren from Boston Senior Home Care
- Training, educational assistance, and resources specific to the special needs and challenges of grandparents
- Scholarships for technology, after-school programs, tutoring, and summer camps for grandchildren
- Help with enrollment in the SNAP Food Assistance Program
- Assistance with accessing statewide foster care and guardianship resources through the Massachusetts Kinship Navigator including:
- Family resource centers
- Support groups
- Mental health and counseling
- Legal services
- Child care
- Support for family members struggling with substance misuse
- Fields Corner Children Thrive at Dorchester House
- Empower and support parents and caregivers with new knowledge and skills to nurture children’s healthy development through reading, talking and playing
- Ensure collaboration among service providers, developing programs that prepare children to learn and meet parents and caregivers where they are and without prejudice
- Involve the entire Fields Corner community in creating, identifying, mapping and connecting resources that are accessible to all
- Family Nurturing Center MA
- Offers free programs for families in low-income neighborhoods to help parents and caregivers improve their parenting skills and enhance the cognitive and social development of their children
- Please check back at a later time for more information.
- Please check back at a later time for more information.
- Please check back at a later time for more information.
- Gracie’s Corner Youtube channel for kids
Food
- Food Resource Guide
- Suffolk County Food Pantries
- Salvation Army Kroc Community Center Food Distribution
- 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month
- DOTParents
- Closed Facebook group for Dorchester moms, dads, and caretakers
- Libraries
- Franklin Park events calendar
- Franklin Park Zoo programs
- Savin Hill and Malibu Beach (Savin Hill MBTA station)
- DOT Art classes for ages 3-10
- Parent-Child Playgroups run by Family Nurturing Center for children 1-4
- Libraries
- Libraries