Our community outreach program, ARTreach, was established in 1997 to provide accessible art and cultural opportunities for low-income children, teens, adults, and seniors. This program has been a valuable resource for our community and we are committed to deepening its impact.

The BAC partnership with BEEP’s ParentChild+ established toddler/parent partnership classes as an extension of the support provided to low-income families through the ParentChild+ Program. ParentChild+ is a national model providing low-income families with once-weekly visits by an early childhood specialist who provides toddlers and their parents with learning opportunities in an inclusive environment. The playgroups run by ParentChild+, as part of their program, serve families weekly at two Public Housing sites (pre-COVID). Approximately 90% of the families are English Language Learners. While ParentChild+ does not track other demographic data of their participants, we know they are representative of the Brookline demographic population defined in Understanding Brookline: A Report on Poverty (Low-income families in Brookline are made up of Latino -19.4%-, Identified as Mixed race-15.3%, Asian-13.5%, Black-13.1%, and White -11.6%).

Beginning in late 2021, BAC partnered with another BEEP program, the Brookline Early Childhood Community Playgroups, a free weekly parent-child learning experience. BAC is providing free space for these classes, led by Jenny Chu and Zong Liu, provided to children aged 2 to 4 years of low-income families who do not already attend a school program.

Our new partner, Early Autism Services, has its own Diversity and Inclusion Team who help train the EAS Behavioral therapists. This is a group of individuals whose mission is to cultivate an atmosphere of respect and acceptance for all employees and the families they serve. EAS strives to be a place where all backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, identities, nationalities, and abilities will be seen, heard, and valued.

We are deeply committed to providing opportunities in the arts for low-income families. There is a substantial need for positive activities for children living in poverty, particularly in the arts. The Brookline Community Foundation’s “Understanding Brookline” report notes “5.7% of children ages 6 to 11 live in poverty households.” By coordinating with our partners at BEEP, the Brookline High Bridge Program, and Early Autism Services, there is an opportunity to further build community connections that foster a supportive and nurturing environment and increase opportunities extended to low-income children and families living in Brookline.