18 Degrees

Established in 1887. Founded in 1887, Berkshire Children & Families (BCF) has served Western Massachusetts families for more than 125 years. Throughout its history, the well-being of at-risk children and families has been central to its mission. Today, the organization's work is concentrated in four key areas: early education and care; parenting an... d family support; intensive foster care and adoption and Kids 4 Harmony. BCF focuses on primary prevention: breaking the cycles that impede children and families from fulfilling their potential to be strong, contributing citizens. The company's programs strive for outcomes that ensure a child's success in school; help parents achieve their educational and job goals; connect families with community resources; strengthen parent-child relationships and find stable, caring homes for children. Since first incorporated as the Union for Home Work, Berkshire Children and Families has been a source of stability for the company's communities. Today, early education and care, parenting and family skill-building, foster care and adoption services are the cornerstones of BCF. In the early 1900s and during the Great Depression, the agency and its focus evolved in response to society's changing needs. In the 1950s, three agencies - The Association for Family Services, The New England Home for Little Wanderers and the Pittsfield Day Nursery - merged to become one agency. In 1974, the name was changed to Berkshire Center for Families and Children. Children's Aid and Family Service of Northampton, MA, (now located in Hadley) founded in 1910, merged with BCF in 2006, creating Berkshire Children and Families, Inc.Read More