Our Vision

When we officially open the doors of the new Wayside Youth & Family Support Network campus in 2009, we will unveil the best setting possible for adolescents requiring residential treatment, specialized education and intensive therapeutic intervention. We believe that uniting the adolescents and staff from our individual group homes in a single setting will create a stronger and more integrated program, with better sharing of resources and staff. The new campus will provide:

Comprehensive services that incorporate family involvement

The new campus will increase Wayside’s ability to integrate in-home family services with child-centered counseling at the facility. Our teams of professionals will work together to ensure that each child receives the proper treatment in order to return home as quickly as possible. The new campus will also feature a guest house for parents so that they can easily participate in their child’s care.

Various levels of treatment for a seamless transition of care

By housing a number of programs at various levels of intensity, children will be able to seamlessly transition into a new care team within one setting. This provides much greater flexibility in providing the right care at the right time.

Shorter length of stay – many of the youth in our care will return home within weeks

Wayside always strives to unite families as quickly as possible. Due to the tremendous access to comprehensive and coordinated professional care at the new campus, many of the youth in our care will return to their home within a few weeks, thereby minimizing the disruption to their family life and school progress.

A centralized facility offering educational, recreational, and social opportunities

The children and young adults attending programs at our new campus are similar to any other adolescent or teenager – they need a peer group in order to develop socially and personally. They need challenging, individualized educational programming. They also need to be physically active. The new campus will house Wayside Academy (our Chapter 766 approved special needs school), and a comprehensive recreational program will help those in our care attain and improve social skills and teambuilding, as well as the physical and emotional benefits that exercise provides.

Our Plan

The following will be located on our 14 acre site located off Route 9 in Framingham:

• six (6) townhome units with 12 teenagers living in each townhome
• our approved special education school, serving day and residential students
• a fully licensed psychiatric day treatment center for youth not yet returning to school
• separate guest house for families visiting their teen on the Campus
• gymnasium
• offices for approximately 40 counseling and administrative staff
• cafeteria and laundry facility
• soccer/softball playing field
• parking for staff and families

Wayside broke ground and commenced construction in the summer of 2007. We will move to the Campus in early 2009. DiGiorgio Associates have designed the facility; Middlesex Savings Bank has provided tax exempt financing, and Monitor Builders is our construction firm. A Capital Campaign is in progress.