Community Resources & Policy Updates
Boston Children’s Hospital is committed to improving the health and well-being of children and families in our community. We know that the COVID-19 crisis has caused parents and caregivers to face unprecedented levels of stress in their everyday lives. Many families continue to struggle with food insecurity, are worried about paying their rent or mortgage, have concerns about sending their child to daycare, or how to work with a child learning from home.
Food access and resources
Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic has led to more food insecurity for families throughout Massachusetts. It also has disproportionately impacted those living in low-income areas and the Black and Latino communities.
Boston Children’s is supporting its community partners and Boston community health centers to help families with food access, as well as with other needs around rental and utility assistance, and other basic household supplies.
Massachusetts state resources
- Project Bread FoodSource Hotline
- Project Bread and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
- FoodPantries.org
- Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
- Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC)
Greater Boston resources
Resources in Western Massachusetts
Childcare and school resources
Boston Children’s Office of Community Health launched the Boston Childcare Support Initiative in July 2020 to support childcare providers in the communities most impacted by COVID. In total, 130 childcare providers have received grants. The grant amounts ranged from $3,500 to $10,000. These funds will be used by childcare providers to follow public health guidelines, adapt physical spaces, and cover increased costs for staff, overhead, personal protective equipment, and cleaning supplies.
We hope these funds will help childcare providers recover, as they are essential small businesses, providing a critical service for many families in our community. Read more about how Boston Children’s is supporting childcare providers during COVID.
Read more about how Boston Children’s is supporting childcare providers during COVID
For Boston Public School parents, be sure to check out for regular updates and information at bostonpublicschools.org/weeklyupdate
Housing resources in Massachusetts
- For the most up-to-date information for renters, homeowners, and landlords visit, mass.gov/covid-19-getting-help-with-housing-costs
- More on tenants’ rights can be found at mass.gov/info-details/tenant-rights and details on eviction at mass.gov/guides/tenants-guide-to-eviction
Children and families who are homeless or have housing insecurity can be at increased risk of becoming sick with COVID-19.
Government updates
Boston Children’s Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality of care under any circumstance. The COVID-19 outbreak has made it more important than ever for us to serve our communities through this unprecedented health crisis together. As the situation continues to evolve, our offices are tracking legislative and regulatory actions related to health care access, behavioral health, and community health. We also are in close contact with all of our partners including city agencies, community health centers, community-based organizations, and the Boston Public Schools to assess the needs, resources, and gaps in services so that Boston Children's can best assist and support our community as needed.
If you have questions or concerns about evolving government policies, please reach out to the Office of Government Relations at CAN@childrens.harvard.edu and sign up for updates through the Children's Advocacy Network.
Congress passed, and the President signed into law, a sweeping $2 trillion coronavirus response bill, known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bills provide relief for hospitals and supportive provisions for patients and families, but there is more to do — especially in the area of protecting Medicaid for the families who rely on it.
The Office of Government Relations is in regular contact with the New England congressional delegation and their staff around these matters.
If you have questions or would like additional federal-level updates, please contact Amy DeLong, Manager of Federal Government Relations at amy.delong@childrens.harvard.edu.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is currently in a state of emergency due to COVID-19.
State legislative priorities have shifted to unemployment expansions, protections for at-risk populations, and ensuring health care services are maintained as the governor’s office enacts emergency measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The State Government Relations team will continue to advocate for priorities that reflect our commitment to the health and well-being of the Commonwealth’s children.
Legislative highlights
- The Governor signed a bill expanding unemployment benefits by utilizing $31 million in federal funds to support 17,000 residents with an additional $1,800 in unemployment benefits. This bill includes those left out of the Lost Wages Assistance Program, offering benefits for every recipient making less than $100 in weekly benefits.
- The state has made available an additional $171M in housing aid through rental support services and homelessness prevention funding since the expiration of the state evictions and foreclosures moratorium on October 17th. The funding for tenants and landlords may be accessed through their local Housing Consumer Education Center. The federal evictions and foreclosures moratorium remains in place through the end of the year.
- Legislation to create a permanent expansion of telehealth is pending before a legislative committee. This legislation would require insurers to cover medically necessary telehealth services in the same manner that they cover in-person services beyond the current pandemic.
If you have questions or would like additional state-level updates, please contact Shannon Moore, Director of State Government Relations at shannon.moore@childrens.harvard.edu.
On March 15, Mayor Walsh announced that the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) declared a public health emergency in the City of Boston. Classifying the situation this way gives BPHC the authority to increase the availability of staff and resources to meet emergency needs and enhance reporting and resource-sharing across Boston's health and medical communities.
- On May 22nd, Boston Mayor Walsh convened a 27-member advisory board to help Boston reopen its economy; Boston Children's CEO, Sandra Fenwick, serves on the board
- On June 12th, Mayor Walsh declared racism a public health crisis in the City of Boston, stating that the impacts of historic and systemic racism are clear in Boston’s COVID-19 case numbers.
- The Mayor followed this declaration with an announced that he has revised the City's proposed FY2021 budget by reallocating 20%, or $12 million, from the Boston Police Department’s overtime budget to efforts that address racism as a public health issue.
On October 21st, Boston Public Schools (BPS) announced that because the COVID-19 infection rate in the city had risen to 5.7% - up from 4.5% the previous week - all students will shift to remote learning effective Thursday, October 22. Students will remain in remote learning until there are two full weeks of falling infection rates.
If you have questions or would like additional city-level updates, please contact John Riordan, Director of Community Relations and Partnerships at john.riordan@childrens.harvard.edu.
As children return to learning this Fall, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released recommendations and resources to help districts and schools support the social emotional well-being of students, staff, and families.
Similarly, DESE has developed guidance for school counselors, psychologists, and other specialized instructional support personnel involved in providing school-based behavioral and mental health supports and services during the COVID-19 school closures.
DMH has accelerated its Expedited Psychiatric Inpatient Admissions Policy (EPIA) to allow emergency departments, along with MassHealth and commercial insurers, to escalate a referral to DMH if a behavioral health patient has spent two or more days in the ED awaiting inpatient psychiatric placement.
If you have questions or would like additional behavioral health updates, please contact Amara Azubuike, Director of Behavioral Health Policy and Advocacy at Amara.Azubuike@childrens.harvard.edu.
