The CAC of Suffolk County supports the health and wellbeing of the children and families of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Each month we'll share highlights and updates to help you better understand how you are part of the healing and justice we see every day.

The CAC’s mission has always been―and continues to be―to unite public, private and community partners to ensure safety, healing and justice for children and families impacted by abuse, violence, and exploitation. Our commitment to that safety, healing, and justice is unwavering. And we remain vigilant and steadfast in advocating for policies and legislation that support all of the children and families we serve―no matter their identity, background, economic status, or immigration status.

Featured News

CAC Selected by MGH

The CAC is pleased to announce that it has received Mass General Brigham Community Health Impact Funds to support the growth and enhancement of its Training and Outreach Program. This necessary funding will ensure the CAC’s capacity to engage and educate the Suffolk County community, strengthen its ability to identify child victims, and ensure equitable access to the CAC’s specialized services.

Part of $3 million in Community Health Impact Funds, this funding has been awarded to 20 local organizations to support mental and behavioral health initiatives in Boston and North Suffolk County. The Phillip and Susan Ragon Building, a multi-year construction project that will result in a state-of-the-art clinical care building on the Massachusetts General Hospital campus, triggered this landmark investment through the Massachusetts Determination of Need (DoN) process.

Learn more about this funding here.

New CAC Board Leadership

Mike Fish, President & CEO of Dellbrook|JKS, has been elected to serve as Chair of the CAC of Suffolk County’s Board of Trustees and Amanda Teo, Executive Director, Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School, has been elected to serve as Vice Chair.

Fish and Teo are stepping into the roles previously filled by Elisabeth Schadae Percelay, Managing Director at Ernst & Young, and Jay Bisognano, Founder & Principal of Torrington Properties.

“We are so grateful to Elisabeth and Jay for their many years of dedicated and passionate leadership of the Board of Trustees,” said Annie Marcklinger, Executive Director of the CAC. “They were instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition when I joined the CAC in the summer of 2023 and we are so fortunate to have them still serving on the Board as the CAC looks to grow and expand.”

Upcoming Events

Team Suffolk CAC runner, Sara Parsons, is hosting a pickleball event on February 8 from 1-3 p.m. to support her fundraising efforts.

Come together with fellow pickleballers and CAC supporters to enjoy an afternoon of everyone's new favorite sport.

Learn more and register today!

Recent Highlight

On January 8, the Suffolk CAC facilitated two trainings at the Anti-Human Trafficking Conference hosted by the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center's Coalition to End Human Trafficking. Hundreds of law enforcement, education, social services, and victim advocacy professionals from across Riverside County, California, attended to gain necessary information to build and enhance the local response to child abuse.

Our SEEN Team provided training on High-Risk Missing & Exploited Youth: The Multidisciplinary Team Response, and our Training Program Manager and Multidisciplinary Team Program Manager/Forensic Interviewer provided Responding to Disclosures of Abuse: What Education Personnel Need to Know.

If you are interested in requesting training for your event, visit bit.ly/cactrainingrequest.

Staff Spotlight

In 2001, the CAC launched a groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary effort to redefine what was previously mislabeled as "juvenile prostitution" as child abuse. The CAC's Support to End Exploitation Now (SEEN) program was formed to decriminalize trafficked youth, to afford a coordinated trauma-informed response to exploitation, and to provide access to the safety and services that all youth deserve – so they can begin to heal.

Since its inception, the SEEN team has supported nearly 4,000 youth. In 2024 alone the team received 319 referrals for missing and exploited youth, a 12% increase over 2023's all-time high.

Today, the SEEN team (pictured: Mara Steed, Sheelah Gobar, Keyana Coley-Rice, and Sophie Jordan) is a nationally recognized prevention and intervention program for high-risk youth and child trafficking victims.

Community Connections

Along with Jackie Lamont, the Director of Youth Safety & Outreach for the District Attorney’s office, we worked with both the Teen Action Project and Youth Food Movement groups from Chelsea High School to talk about social media safety. We had engaging conversations with nearly 30 teens about the importance of having private profiles, how to navigate inappropriate or harassing conversations online, and what it truly means to have a virtual “friend.”

What's Your Why?

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