National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center : Direct Service Programs : Directory : Fresh Start

Save the Date
Substance Exposed Newborns: Collaborative Approaches to a Complex Issue
June 23-24, 2010
This national summit will bring together colleagues from the fields of health, child welfare, drug treatment, and early intervention to consider effective policies and collaborative approaches to prevent, identify, refer, and address the needs of substance exposed newborns. More...

Webcast Now Available
Collaborative Approaches to Identifying and Serving Substance Exposed Newborns
In this video, representatives from four federally funded demonstration projects shared their experiences developing policies and procedures to meet the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act mandates. More...

The Source, Fall 2009 [PDF]
Challenges for Mothers with HIV

National Abandoned Infants
Assistance Resource Center
University of California, Berkeley
1950 Addison Street, Suite 104 # 7402
Berkeley, CA 94720-7402
Phone: (510) 643-8390
Fax: (510) 643-7019
E-mail: aia@berkeley.edu

Fresh Start
250 Washington St. 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
617-624-5967
Debra.Bercuvitz@state.ma.us

Project Director
Debra Bercuvitz

Project Advisor
Karin Downs
karin.downs@state.ma.us

Evaluator
Walter Leutz

Sponsoring Organization
Massachusetts Department of Public Health

The Fresh Start program is a joint project designed and led by the Department of Social Services, the state’s child welfare agency, and the Department of Public Health, the single state authority for substance abuse services and HIV/AIDS services. The project is designed to support and stabilize families where substance abuse and/or HIV/AIDS are putting young children at risk. The risks include the potential for permanent loss of the relationship with birth parents, temporary removal from home, and serious negative developmental impacts. The focus is on infants affected by substance abuse and/or HIV/AIDS. The project’s goals are to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of these infants, whenever possible in the context of their birth families. Fresh Start will enhance identification of and provide comprehensive services for pregnant and parenting women, and their families and infants, affected by substance abuse and/or HIV AIDS in Hampden County in Massachusetts, which includes the cities of Springfield and Holyoke.