Wayside Youth & Family Support Network Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Residential Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 6, 2021
Contact: Michelle Hillman
Michelle_Hillman@waysideyouth.org
FRAMINGHAM, MA – Wayside Youth & Family Support Network celebrated the official opening of its first new residential building on its Framingham Campus in a decade.
The nine-bed group home provides adolescent boys ages 12-18 with long-term residential services such as therapy or education support. The goal of the program is to prepare youth for success as they approach young adulthood.
“We are proud to be able to provide youth a place to live while they work to become self-sufficient, ” said Wayside’s President and CEO, Eric L. Masi, Ed.D. “We are grateful for the support of our entire community including our neighbors, city officials, the Framingham Police Department, the Framingham Public Schools and local businesses.”
Youth learn independent living skills such as how to obtain a job, complete high school graduation requirements and manage a bank account. Young adults can work in the community while residing in the program, said Tim Hagen, Wayside’s residential director. Approximately 60 percent of youth living in the residential program are employed at local businesses, he said.
The new group home, a stand-alone building located on Lockland Avenue, marks the first expansion of the campus since it was built more than 10 years ago.
Sara McCabe, chief operating officer at Wayside, said she and Masi first discussed the idea of increasing residential program capacity five years ago. At the time, there were 20 youth waitlisted due to the high demand for residential services and a statewide shortage of beds.
McCabe said youth in residential programs on campus were excited to move to Lockland when it opened in June. McCabe shared comments from a youth who transitioned from campus to the Lockland group home.
“I’m very grateful to this program,” he said. “…because of Lockland, I can stay in my own community where I just finished my GED and have a full-time job. Staff never gave up on me even when I was at my worst. I am about to go home soon with my family. I know the hard work needs to continue but I am very thankful that I also learned the skills needed to support myself.”
The Framingham Campus has a total of seven group homes and 91 residential beds. Other services offered at the campus include long and short-term treatment, special education and a day treatment program.
About Wayside Youth & Family Support Network:
Founded in 1977, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network is a nonprofit, nationally accredited human services agency headquartered in Framingham, Mass. that is dedicated to building strength, hope and resiliency through its family-based outreach services, residential treatment programs, and community-based counseling services to more than 6,000 children, youth and families throughout Eastern, Central and Northeastern Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.waysideyouth.org.
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