Summer 2019 Newsletter
What's happening at MACA this Summer?
School's out and we're excited for summer weather and much needed trips to the beach. Read on to learn what MACA is up to this season.
Thank You Jack and Laurie!
We've had some amazing interns in our office this Spring and Summer! Jack started as a Co-op Student through Northeastern University last July and continued his internship through NEU's Human Services Internship course through which Laurie joined our team as well. We are grateful of all the amazing work they put into the organization and wish them the best in their next adventures!
LGBTQ+ Pride Month
June is Pride Month for the LGBTQ+ Community, so what better way to celebrate than to learn about how you can support LGBTQ+ youth in Massachusetts! Check out this article by the Human Rights Campaign to learn what you can do and make sure to show your support for these youth serving organizations who make our Commonwealth a safer and better place for LGBTQ+ children.
Summer Camp: Questions You Should Ask
With summer break just around the corner, many families participate in programs such as summer camp. As such, it's important that parents are informed about any program you plan on sending your child to. Our Training & Education Coordinator Madeline recommends asking these questions to your child's summer camp in order to ensure that they have a safe, happy and fulfilling experience away from home.
Madeline Bacon
Training & Education Coordinator
  • How are staff screened for employment? Do you check references and CORI all staff?
  • What do your policies and/or code of conduct state regarding interactions between staff, volunteers, and children?
  • How do you monitor interactions between adults and children/youth?
  • How are allegations of inappropriate behavior or sexual abuse handled? Do you have a specific protocol?
  • What training do staff and volunteers receive about mandated reporting and preventing child sexual abuse?
  • Are there instances where children/youth could be alone with staff?
  • What is the camper to counselor ratio?
  • Do campers know who they can talk to and what to do if they feel unsafe?

For sleep away camp:

  • How many adults are assigned to each cabin?
  • How can we stay in touch with our child?
  • Are campers of different ages kept separate for activities and sleeping?
9th Annual Healing, Hope & Justice Conference
On May 7th, we held our 9th annual conference, Healing, Hope & Justice: An Advanced Conversation to great success. Keynote Speaker and One with Courage Award Recipient Sasha Joseph Neulinger spoke about surviving multigenerational abuse and his film Rewind , which chronicles that period of his childhood through home videos and recently debuted at Tribeca Film Festival to rave reviews . Additionally, Plenary Speaker Jenn Abelson spoke about her work as a reporter and co-authoring the memoir, I Have the Right To with survivor Chessy Prout.

Once again we'd like to thank our sponsors for their generous support and our workshop presenters who engaged attendees on a wide variety of topics such as foster care, the neurobiology of trauma, drug endangered children and so much more. Without you, this conference would not be possible.

Click here to check out more photos from the conference and make sure to save the date for our 10th iteration on May 5th, 2020!
April Open House
This spring, we hosted our first ever Open House at our new offices at 11 Beacon St. This was a great opportunity to meet with community members, legislators, partners and other stakeholders who have joined with us in our mission towards ending child abuse. MACA would like to thank Harvard Gardens for generously catering and to everyone who came out and showed their support! We hope that events like these will continue to bring people together and make our coalition even stronger.
NCA Leadership Conference
The MACA team headed down to Washington D.C. June 2-5th to attend the National Children's Alliance's annual Leadership Conference. The team had the opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the country, learn from experts in the field and connect with staff members from Senator Warren, Senator Markey, Congresswoman Pressley and Congresswoman Clark's offices to discuss the work of Children's Advocacy Centers in their communities.