Youth and Family Services

As mayor, I’ll continue to be guided by science, and public health data in making policies to keep our community safe, and I am committed to the health and well-being of families. As we continue to recover from the pandemic, every family will need appropriate options for their children. I’ll focus resources on the families who are disproportionately affected by the quarantine.

Somerville provides services for youth and families through several city departments and in conjunction with several high-impact community organizations, and there are opportunities to expand services and to improve integration and coordination.

Presently our youth and family services are provided by several, separate initiatives, City departments, and local, non-profit partners. The Parks and Recreation Department delivers youth sports and adult recreation activities, after-school and other youth programs. Parks and Recreation is also tasked with the management and upkeep of our physical properties, such as city pools, city parks, and recreational buildings. The Somerville Children’s Cabinet focuses on comprehensive child well-being with the goal of education outcomes not linked to socioeconomic status. SomerPromise mobilizes resources for students city-wide, while the Somerville Family Learning Collaborative provides meals and donations, and our City Programs Department runs the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Programs.

As Mayor I will work together with all of these groups and with our residents and families to support, expand, and focus resources that support youth and families in Somerville. In addition to working hard for Universal Pre-K, I’ll work to expand after-school enrichment programs and activities for youth and to create universal transportation options so youth can take advantage of enrichment programs regardless of socioeconomic considerations.

I will also address the gender bias in our spending on youth-oriented programs.  Young women and girls in Somerville currently do not have equal access to enrichment activities; clubs, sports, recreation, and health services. That’s simply unacceptable: it is imperative that we provide a safe, healthy, and equitable environment for young women and girls in Somerville. All available data shows us that when we take care of young women and girls, that they will return the investment of care to us in far greater measure.