Photo: Brooke McCarthy / WBZ NewsRadio
REVERE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A restaurant in Revere hosted an Easter-themed event that offered insight into fostering and adoption at the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families.
Upon entry at Antonia's At The Beach on Sunday, guests were welcomed by the Easter Bunny along with smooth jazz live music reverberating through the venue. The brunch time event was part of the DCF's effort to educate the public on the importance of foster parents, and how secure environments can give children the chance to heal.
"What people need to know about the Foster Care program is how important it is to give these kids some stability, and that's what it takes- one person to believe in a kid and just put their background aside," said music teacher and band member Brenda Keen. Keen was also a teacher at Malden Public Schools for thirty years.
According to the DCF, potential foster parents can be single, married, partnered, divorced, or widowed and live in either rented or owned housing.
Antonia's shared a glimpse of the event on Facebook, in a video that shows a band jamming and food being cooked live in front of customers.
Keen remembered the positive impact that the DCF's programs had on her students, and the benefits they held.
"To give these kids a chance to instill some confidence in themselves, to let them know there's something better out there, anything to get the word out and raise some funds that can go back into the program," Keen said.
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The DCF says they aim to protect children from abuse and neglect, along with supporting young adults aged between 18 to 22 that are transitioning from DCF custody to independent living. The governmental organization also says they hold weekly information sessions to connect candidate foster parents with the resources they may need.
WBZ's Brooke McCarthy (@BrookeWBZ) reports.
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