Massachusetts Children's Alliance

Massachusetts Children's Alliance The Massachusetts Children’s Alliance helps abused children get the best possible care.

The Massachusetts Children’s Alliance drives the innovative work that is helping abused children get the best care possible by promoting interventions that work, delivering effective educational programming, and moving communities towards meaningful systemic and societal change.

During this Internet Safety Month, we're raising awareness about sextortion, a growing form of online exploitation affec...
06/10/2026

During this Internet Safety Month, we're raising awareness about sextortion, a growing form of online exploitation affecting children and teens across the country.

Sextortion occurs when someone threatens to share a child's sexual images, videos, or personal information unless they comply with demands for additional content, money, or other forms of exploitation. Offenders often use fake profiles, manipulation, and intimidation to gain control over their victims.

By understanding the warning signs and common tactics used by offenders, parents, caregivers, educators, and community members can play an important role in helping keep children safe online.

Learn more by swiping through the carousel and sharing this information with others in your community.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring excitement, visitors, celebrations, and global attention to Massachusetts, with match...
06/09/2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring excitement, visitors, celebrations, and global attention to Massachusetts, with matches taking place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

It also brings a shared responsibility.

Large-scale sporting events can increase vulnerabilities related to child sexual exploitation and trafficking. Increased tourism, transportation activity, hotel stays, nightlife, public gatherings, and online engagement can create environments where children and youth may be targeted.

This is not about fear. It is about awareness, preparation, and community responsibility.

Children are safer when more people know what to look for, how to respond, and when to report a concern. Whether you are a parent, caregiver, neighbor, educator, hospitality worker, rideshare driver, business owner, or community member, you can play a role in protecting youth.

As Massachusetts prepares to host the world, we can also prepare to protect children.

Know the signs. Trust your concern. Speak up.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

To report suspected exploitation involving youth 18 and under, call the DCF Child-at-Risk Hotline: 800-792-5200.

To report suspected online exploitation or child sexual abuse material, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

June is Internet Safety Month, a time to raise awareness about the risks children and teens may encounter online.Through...
06/04/2026

June is Internet Safety Month, a time to raise awareness about the risks children and teens may encounter online.

Throughout the month, MACA will be sharing information about online enticement, sextortion, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). These are a few of the ways exploitation can occur through social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, and other digital spaces youth use every day.

Understanding these risks is an important part of prevention and helps adults better support children’s safety online.

Follow along throughout June for additional resources and information regarding internet safety.

This Pride Month, we recognize and celebrate LGBTQ+ youth, families, advocates, and communities across Massachusetts and...
06/02/2026

This Pride Month, we recognize and celebrate LGBTQ+ youth, families, advocates, and communities across Massachusetts and beyond.

Creating safe, affirming, and supportive environments for children is essential to healing and well-being. At MACA, we believe every child deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

We are proud to support trauma-informed approaches that center inclusion, connection, and care for all children and families.

Waitlists should never stand between a child and healing. But across Massachusetts, too many families are waiting months...
05/29/2026

Waitlists should never stand between a child and healing.

But across Massachusetts, too many families are waiting months for evidence-based trauma therapy, navigating a system with too few trained clinicians, and in many cases, are unable to find care in the language their family speaks.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we're not shying away from these challenges. We're naming them and being clear about what we're doing to address them.

MACA's Service Navigator connects families to specialized mental health services across the state, maintains up-to-date knowledge of trained clinicians and shares that information with Children’s Advocacy Centers so no family falls through the cracks.

At the same time, MACA is coordinating statewide trainings for CACs and community-based clinicians, with targeted outreach to multilingual providers, and supporting the long-term infrastructure needed to sustain evidence-based therapies in our communities.

The barriers are real. So is our resolve.

📬 MACA’s quarterly newsletter is here!In this edition, we’re sharing updates from across our statewide work, including h...
05/27/2026

📬 MACA’s quarterly newsletter is here!

In this edition, we’re sharing updates from across our statewide work, including highlights from our 16th Annual Statewide Conference, mental health initiatives, training opportunities, and ongoing efforts to strengthen trauma-informed care for children and families throughout Massachusetts.

We invite you to read the full newsletter to learn more about the collaboration, progress, and partnerships helping shape this work across the Commonwealth.

📖 Read our newsletter today and subscribe to stay connected to future updates, resources, and upcoming trainings.

https://buff.ly/U4BaLD4

When a child experiences trauma, they deserve more than generic support. They deserve care that is specifically built fo...
05/26/2026

When a child experiences trauma, they deserve more than generic support. They deserve care that is specifically built for them and clinically proven to work.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we're breaking down three evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies that are making a real difference for children and families across Massachusetts: TF-CBT, PSB-CBT, and CFTSI.

These aren't just clinical acronyms. Each one represents a rigorously tested approach designed to address the unique ways trauma affects a child's brain, behavior, and development.

Swipe through to learn what each therapy does, who it helps, and how MACA is working to expand access to all three.


The The Boston Globe recently published a Letter to the Editor from our Executive Director, Tom King, on the urgent fund...
05/22/2026

The The Boston Globe recently published a Letter to the Editor from our Executive Director, Tom King, on the urgent funding crisis facing victim services in Massachusetts.

The message is clear: as online child exploitation continues to grow, this is not the time to cut back.

With looming cuts to state victim services, MACA faces a funding decrease of at least 30%. That means fewer resources for children and families affected by abuse, exploitation, violence, and trauma, including access to therapy, legal advocacy, and specialized support.

Without restored funding, children and families will face greater barriers to safety, healing, and recovery. Some may be put at risk again.

The Legislature and Governor must act now to protect the services children depend on.

Read the Letter to the Editor here: https://buff.ly/lDzdnvg

Contact your legislator today and show your support for restoring funding for victim services in Massachusetts: https://buff.ly/5xHhtfI

05/21/2026

Meet Christa! 👏

Christa M. Collier, MS, LSW — Senior Leader Facilitator Trainee

Christa has dedicated her career to strengthening communities, supporting children and families, and advancing the mission of Children’s Advocacy Centers across Massachusetts. With decades of leadership experience in nonprofit development, child advocacy, strategic planning, and community engagement, she brings both compassion and expertise to every role she serves.

With more than 30 years of experience in child advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and community-based services, Christa brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to the field.

Her commitment to collaboration and meaningful systems change continues to make a lasting impact in the lives of children and families. We are excited to celebrate Christa and the experience she brings to this work!

Please join us in welcoming Lindy Noecker to the MACA team!Lindy brings a strong background in nonprofit administration ...
05/21/2026

Please join us in welcoming Lindy Noecker to the MACA team!

Lindy brings a strong background in nonprofit administration and organizational operations, with experience supporting mission-driven organizations across Massachusetts. Her work has included roles at the Handel + Haydn Society, Northeast Document Conservation Center, Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and the Junior League of Boston.

With expertise in systems organization, administration, and nonprofit operations, Lindy’s experience and collaborative approach will be a valuable asset to MACA’s statewide work supporting children and families.

We’re excited to have her on board and look forward to the impact she will make.

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11 Beacon Street, Suite 321
Boston, MA
02108

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+16175739800

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