Youth & Families
Developmental Disabilities & Autism
Riverside Community Care provides vital support for children, youth, young adults, and families who have a loved one with autism or intellectual/developmental disabilities living at home. Offering resources like respite care, skill training, and advocacy education, our programs empower the individuals themselves and their families to engage actively in their communities.
Family Support Center
Expanding Opportunities for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
Our Family Support Center serves children and adults with autism and intellectual or developmental disabilities who live with their families. Supports include respite care, recreational activities, adaptive equipment provision, skill training, and specialized staff support.
Family Support Center Location
“The Family Leadership Series gave me a framework within which I was able to find hope, plan, and advocate for my son’s future.”
– Stacy L. (Parent of Youth Served)
Family Leadership Program
Empowering Youth & Families Through Mentoring & Advocacy
Riverside’s Family Leadership Program offers education, leadership training, and mentoring to families caring for children and adults with disabilities. Families of individuals with disabilities develop our training and mentoring programs to empower other families and their loved ones as they engage in community life.
The Family Leadership Program serves two regions – Metro and Northeast – with activities and opportunities tailored to local needs as described below. Both areas offer an annual Family Leadership Series, which is designed to:
- Offer information about “best practices” for people with disabilities
- Help families create a vision for their loved ones and a process to achieve their goals
- Develop family leaders who can advocate at the local and state levels to improve the lives of people with disabilities
We encourage people with family members of any age and disability eligible for services from the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to participate in our programs – free of charge!
Family Leadership Program – DDS Regions and Activities
Metro: For families in the Greater Boston, Charles River West, Middlesex West, and Newton/South Norfolk DDS areas. We partner with MassFamilies, a statewide grassroots coalition to support individuals and families.
In addition to the Family Leadership Series, the Metro region provides trainings in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, including our regularly scheduled Advocacy Bootcamp for primary caregivers of young children (birth to age 10) with developmental disabilities, chronic illnesses, and/or complex medical needs. Advocacy Bootcamp focuses on building foundational advocacy skills so participants can empower their children to lead rich and meaningful lives.
Northeast: Supports families in the Merrimack Valley, North Shore, Lowell, Central Middlesex, and Metro North DDS areas. The Northeast region offers the annual Family Leadership Series and provides trainings including Charting the Life Course – a framework created to help individuals and families of all ages and abilities develop a vision for a good life, find or develop supports, and discover what it takes to live the lives they want to live; along with Advanced Family Leadership, Advocacy Roundtables, and more.
For news, updates, and more information, complete this contact form.
Not sure which regional program serves your community? Check out this DDS interactive map tool.
Family Leadership Program Locations
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