Dear Friends, Happy Spring! The advent of spring always feels like a time of renewal: days are longer, trees are blooming, and fresh colors brighten our neighborhoods. For kids and families, this time of year is marked by returns to athletic fields, playgrounds, and preparations for rites of passage like proms, graduations, and fun summer experiences. Spring is an important time for Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), too. Every April 23rd, we celebrate the anniversary of our founding (148 years ago this year!) by reflecting on how far we’ve come as an organization and recommitting to our mission of enabling kids and families across Massachusetts to thrive. April is also National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a reminder that strengthening caregivers and families is essential to preventing abuse and remains at the heart of our work every day. Together, these observances honor our progress and renew our commitment to building brighter futures. In the spirit of renewal and new beginnings, you may have noticed this newsletter looks a little different from previous pieces you’ve received from MSPCC. Recently, we debuted a refreshed brand - including a new logo and signature “Hopeful Purple” color - which will guide our visual identity as we approach our 150th anniversary. In this newsletter, you’ll read more about our new look. You’ll also find stories of inspiration featuring people like Marissa, an incredible young foster and adoptive mom, and Corey Cutler, one of MSPCC’s most loyal and longtime supporters. People like Marissa and Corey remind me that even in hard times, we are fortunate to be surrounded by an incredible community of caring people who share a deep belief in the importance of our mission. Thank you for being part of this community.
With gratitude,
Introducing Our New Brand
At the BFF Gala, we officially debuted a visual rebrand: a new logo, signature “Hopeful Purple” color, and other design elements that will make up our visual identity.
Why Rebrand?
As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2028, we’ve been having a lot of conversations about MSPCC as an organization. The field of child welfare has evolved significantly since our founding, and so have we. We’re very proud of our rich history and the role we played at the forefront of the early child welfare movement in the United States, but we’re also a modern organization that values innovation and makes a conscious effort to prioritize inclusion and to integrate always-evolving best practices into our work. We knew our visual brand needed to better reflect that balance. We’re excited to share with you a few key elements:
- Logo: This new logo, which draws inspiration from its predecessor, provides a visual representation of our commitment to supporting children and their families, because we know supporting caregivers and families is essential to children’s happiness and well-being.
- Color: Our new signature color is, appropriately, known as Hopeful Purple. We know many people associate purple with MSPCC, and this new shade allows that association to continue in a softer and more modern way.
- The Arrow: The arrow, which you’ll see on many of our design pieces and in a number of places across our website, is one of our new signature design elements. It symbolizes individual journeys and a path toward a hopeful future.
While we’re thrilled about our new look, we want to emphasize we’re still the same MSPCC you know: an effective, reliable organization dedicated to ensuring Massachusetts children and families have the support they need to thrive. We are incredibly grateful to IA Interior Architects, without whom none of this would have been possible. Special thanks to Reetika Vijay, Lee Goetgeluck, and Brad Bang.
Mind the Gap Coalition
In January, MSPCC welcomed the Massachusetts Mind the Gap Coalition into the organization. Formed in 2022, the Coalition is a group of health care organizations, nonprofits, community-based organizations, survivors of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) and/or pregnancy and infant loss, and other advocates working to improve state policies around perinatal mental health. Its work is supported by Postpartum Support International’s national Mind the Gap initiative. Massachusetts Mind the Gap successfully advocated for the 2024 “Moms Matter Act” — a new grant program investing in community-based organizations supporting perinatal mental health, particularly in historically marginalized communities — in the recently passed omnibus maternal health law. The coalition is now pushing a broader perinatal mental health agenda. The Coalition’s work and this collaboration is funded through a multiyear grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation’s Perinatal Health Initiative, a program aimed at reducing racial inequities in perinatal health outcomes.
Introducing Our Newest Board Member
MSPCC is excited to welcome Fernando Dalfior, an MSPCC supporter since 2023, to the Board of Advisors. Dalfior is the Founder and Principal of Burlington-based real estate development firm Dalfior Development, which focuses on both commercial and residential property development across the Greater Boston area. He resides in Lexington with his wife, Jenelle, and their daughter.
Are You Up to Date on MSPCC's Advocacy Work?
The Children’s Mental Health Campaign is a partnership composed of six core organizations with MSPCC serving as the coordinating agency. Through the Campaign, we speak out for better mental health care for children, including early screening and support in school. We advocate for the funding of vital programs that give families the support they need to build a brighter future.
How Can You Help?
Your voice matters. You can help us protect children by fighting for legislative and budget issues that directly impact the well-being of kids in Massachusetts. Just sign up to receive alerts on important legislation and we will send you the information you need to take action by writing or calling lawmakers on behalf of vulnerable, voiceless children. Hearing from concerned constituents like you is important to lawmakers and can have a significant impact on their opinion. We hope to count on your voice in our advocacy efforts going forward!
Supporter Spotlight
Corey Cutler
Corey Cutler will never forget the little boy who helped him discover his passion for child welfare.
As a Boston University psychology major and student intern at a Boston-based daycare more than four decades ago, Cutler worked with “Junior,” a young boy identified as having “failure to thrive,” meaning he was missing key growth and developmental milestones. As Cutler got to know Junior, he learned that whenever the little boy was at home, his parents kept him in a darkened room so he would sleep as much as possible without bothering them, and that his “failure to thrive” was likely a direct result of parental neglect.
Cutler couldn’t stop thinking about Junior, and as he wrote a paper about his time working at the daycare, he felt a calling to help young people who were dealing with adverse life experiences. “I knew I needed to help,” he recalls, “and when I did my research I learned that MSPCC was one of the oldest and most well-established child welfare organizations in the country.”
More than four decades have passed since then, and during that time, Cutler has become one of MSPCC’s most steadfast supporters. In addition to personally supporting MSPCC, he has been a tireless advocate for the organization’s work within his network and community. Each year, he brings a group of friends – some of whom are new to learning about MSPCC’s work – to MSPCC’s annual fundraiser so they can hear for themselves about the organization’s impact. Cutler says, “I tell people, this particular organization does such an amazing job helping children. What else could be a better use of your time, money, and support?”
Over the years, Cutler has heard countless stories that have reminded him why he’s committed to supporting MSPCC. Most recently, staff told him about a 20-year-old who suddenly found herself with sole custody of her sister’s infant. Cutler explains, “She didn’t have bottles or a crib or anything she needed, and a baby doesn’t come with a manual. MSPCC stepped up and made sure she had everything she needed, and I think that’s amazing. If someone needs them, MSPCC is there.”
When asked why he supports MSPCC, Cutler cites the organization’s work advocating for family-first policies and the services MSPCC provides that enable children and families to thrive. More than anything, though, he’s drawn to MSPCC’s mission, and the calling he felt so many years ago to help young people remains front and center for him: “In my mind, investing in children is the best use of resources. I think it’s essential to encourage community leaders to support families and advocate for investments in children’s programs. That, to me, is the crux of it all.”
BFF Gala: Brighter Futures for Families
On Tuesday, March 31st, 275 MSPCC supporters gathered in the ballroom of Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza for the BFF Gala: Brighter Futures for Families. The event, emceed by Kiss 108 and Dining Playbook personality Billy Costa, gave supporters the chance to come together and, in the words of MSPCC Board Chair Reetika Vijay, “usher in a new era of renewed hope and optimism, even in the face of so many challenges.“ During the event, guests heard from speakers including Vijay, MSPCC Executive Director Nancy Allen-Scannell, and MSPCC Board member Paul Litchfield, who shared his personal experience and reminded attendees to remember why they support MSPCC’s work: because doing so “brings you closer to the mission, and closer to these kids.” To conclude the evening, MSPCC Board Vice Chair and PwC Chief Operating Officer of Assurance Kristin Francisco presented the Friend of the Child Award to longtime MSPCC supporter Bain Capital Children’s Charity. The award recognizes the outstanding impact of organizations and individuals on the well-being of children and their parents and caregivers; to that end, Francisco noted that Bain Capital’s financial impact on MSPCC over the past two decades has totaled approximately $6.6 million. MSPCC Board member Susan Levine, a Partner with Bain Capital’s North America Private Equity Team, accepted the award, saying, “Every one of us can have an impact. And together, we can help create brighter futures for children and families.” In total, the BFF Gala raised $659,000 in support of MSPCC’s programs. As always, we would like to acknowledge our wonderful community of supporters - our BFFs - for making the event a success!
Mission Moment
As a young person growing up in foster care, Marissa became all too familiar with the impact of instability: between the ages of 12 and 22, she had more than 30 foster placements. A turning point came when, she recalls, “I was literally in the darkest point of my life. I was 18 years old. I was homeless. I didn’t have a connection to my family...but I just kept persevering.” That perseverance led Marissa to receive a college degree - tuition-free through the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Foster Child Tuition Waiver and Fee Assistance Program, an initiative created through MSPCC’s advocacy. She became an EMT, and is now the parent she’d always wished she’d had herself. At age 28, Marissa has been a foster parent to hundreds of children. As a hotline foster parent, she offers a safe place to children when they are removed from their homes, often under emergency circumstances. She notes, “I get some kids at their most broken points in their lives, when they’re taken from their parents in the middle of the night.” Marissa recently adopted two of of her foster placements: Emani, 14, and Austin, 4. In light of her own journey, adopting Emani and Austin was especially powerful for her: “I was in so many different placements, and I actually never found permanency,” she reflects. “I never found my forever family. And that inspires me to ensure that’s not my kids’ story.” Marissa now serves on the Massachusetts Alliance for Foster Families (MAFF) Advisory Council, MSPCC’s foster parent advisory board. In her work with MAFF, she advocates for policies and resources to improve the foster care system by sharing her valuable perspective as someone with both lived experience within the DCF system and as a foster parent. As Marissa looks back on her journey, she’s sometimes in disbelief at how far she’s come:
“Some days I feel like I’m in a dream. I have everything that I want. I have kids, I have a family. I literally have everything.”
Join the Young Professional Board
MSPCC’s Young Professional Board is a group of early-stage career professionals who come from fields including finance, healthcare, education, law, and nonprofits and have a strong dedication to MSPCC’s work. The group hosts regular social and volunteer events and seeks to fundraise, friendraise, and enhance the mission of MSPCC in the community. To learn more about joining the YPB, please contact Claire McMahon, Development Operations Manager, at cmcmahon@mspcc.org.
Mary Ellen Society
Named for a little girl whose landmark child abuse court case led to the establishment of MSPCC in 1878, the Mary Ellen Society honors supporters whose generosity via bequests or life income gifts ensures MSPCC’s work will continues into the future. To learn more about joining the Mary Ellen Society and including MSPCC in your will, please contact Megan Hempstead at mhempstead@mspcc.org
Support MSPCC
By giving to MSPCC, you provide resources to teach young parents the skills they need to create safe, nurturing relationships with their babies, support high-quality services for children in foster care, counsel families in times of crisis, mobilize policymakers to protect children, and so much more.