Resilient Worcester, a partnership between Clark University and Worcester’s Governance Council on Children, Youth, and Families, has received a three-year, UMass Memorial Health Determination of Need grant for $347,000 to expand its existing Handle with Care program to childcare providers and to add a Family Navigator role within The Hub to strengthen its early childhood capacity.
Representatives from Resilient Worcester, Worcester municipal leaders and Worcester’s health and human service agencies announced the programs at a virtual event on Tuesday, February 24.
The grant will enable Resilient Worcester to expand the reach of Worcester’s Handle With Care program—a national school-community response program Worcester adopted in 2019 that allows the City’s firstresponders to send a confidential message that includes a child’s name, school, age, and the words “Handle with Care” to school personnel notifying them that a student experienced a traumatic event in their home, school, or community—to share these notifications with childcare and out of school time providers.
“By enabling us to share Handle With Care alerts with childcare providers we can ensure young children who’ve been exposed to trauma will receive support for the full duration of their day; this helps strengthen our support system and prevents children in our community from falling through the cracks,” said Dr. Laurie Ross, leader of Resilient Worcester, and associate provost and dean of the College at Clark University.
“When police, fire, schools, and early childhood educators are connected, we can respond more quickly to trauma and promote children’s development. This reflects Worcester’s belief that every child deserves to learn and grow in a community that understands their needs and nurtures their resilience — making us a stronger, more family-friendly city,” said Ross.
City Manager Eric Batista described how, in 2018, he and Ross worked on the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, which brought together dozens of organizations and community members to identify risk factors that contributed to youth violence.
“They found that trauma is a major risk factor in later involvement in youth violence. That is one of the reasons why we discussed Handle With Care … and why it’s so important today,” said Batista.
Batista said when the program was first introduced, it focused on teenagers and mostly adults.
“We now have a strong, coordinated network that provides a more comprehensive response to trauma than ever before. With 30 local partners involved that have covered over 400 situations. Today marks an important step in Worcester’s continued leadership on trauma-informed community safety and family wellbeing,” said Batista.
Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier said expanding the program to early childhood providers ensures the continuity of care for children goes beyond the school day.
“We are the boots on the ground right next to our brothers in blue, the police department; we are the first contact during an incident,” said District Fire Chief Scott Armstrong. “The Worcester Fire Department is grateful to be a part of this multi-agency collaboration to ensure that children receive support from the moment of impact through the whole process.”
Armstrong said that in 2025, the Worcester Fire Department submitted 89 referrals for children’s impacted from fire related events.
Matt Morris, director of School Safety for the Worcester Public Schools, said the three simple words (Handle With Care) “create awareness and produce action.”
“As a veteran educator, this type of information that we receive and the awareness that it creates is so important,” said Morris. “To provide what this child needs in the way of support is the work of the school. Positive relationships with students matter a great deal.
“Providing a learning environment that is supportive and therefore safe is fundamental. Handle With Care notifications provide that awareness so that schools may provide support and that students may experience better outcomes around attendance, behavior, and achievement,” said Morris. “I can tell you that without a doubt, it is making a difference for our students.”
The partnership involves Seven Hills Child Care Resources, Clark University, the Worcester Public Schools, Worcester Police Department, Worcester Fire Department, Worcester District Attorney’s Office, Edward Street Day Care, the Together For Kids Coalition, and the Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester.
The grant also permitted Resilient Worcester to add a Family Navigator to The Hub, Worcester’s community trauma-response system that comprises local non-profits, municipal services, and state agencies; a Family Navigator coordinates individualized support plans and resources for individuals or families who have experienced a traumatic event.
Anthony Rossi of the Seven Hills Foundation took on the role of family navigator in September.
“In a difficult time, it can be hard to navigate stressful situations,” said Rossi. “With teamwork and guidance, we can make a difference in the life of every child.”
Michelle Webber, a social worker in Worcester’s Department of Health and Human Services, shared a story about a family that was struggling to meet basic needs, and how resources and connections through The Hub empowered the family to find stability.
“Ultimately, the family’s greatest strength came from the mother. She remained determined every step of the way and worked with partners to ensure her family’s needs were met, searching for housing until a new unit was secured and working tirelessly to navigate multiple systems to support her children,” said Webber. “Trauma-informed practice is about relationships. It’s about trust. It’s about reducing the burdens on families already under stress. Every child deserves care after trauma, and every family deserves a guide.”
“Resilient Worcester is grateful to UMass Memorial Health for providing the funding that will enhance these programs and better support children and families across the city,” said Ross. These resources, Ross said, continue to strengthen the Worcester Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, a project she launched ten years ago that has reported a decrease in gun and knife incidents involving people ages 25 and younger, and a noted decline in arrests of young people.
Based on her research, Ross believes early interventions will lessen the impact of trauma on children and families, and, ultimately, help to reduce youth violence.
Graduate student Cameron Smith is on the Resilient Worcester research team; the team is working with community partners to compile, collect, and interpret data with the hope of growing program functionality and impact.
Smith, who majored in Community Youth Education Studies and Clinical Psychology, and is now in the Community Development and Planning program, hopes to pursue a career as a clinician specializing in community/identity-based traumas. Their research experience is through a qualitative cultural trauma/radical healing psychology lens.
“I feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to marry my previous research experience with the project development and evaluation skills I’ve learned throughout my master’s degree into an active project,” wrote Smith. “This opportunity has opened my eyes to the true intricacies of community research/partnership, and this work has only made me more excited to join the field as a professional.”
“I want to express my sincere appreciation for all of our partners, for their leadership, their daily work, and their shared belief that children and families deserve coordinated, compassionate support,” said Ross.
Learn more about how the funding from UMass Memorial Health will help the community.
