For Kids Only outlines expansion, warns state childcare vouchers frozen

Debbie Neelan Keegan, co‑founder of the nonprofit For Kids Only after‑school programs, told the Revere City Council on April 7 that her organization provides daily care, transportation and therapeutic supports to school‑age children in Revere and neighboring cities and that the program recently won new grants to expand services.

The presentation — given during the council’s calendar item on community non‑profits — explained that For Kids Only operates a licensed school‑age program on Broadway serving about 105 children daily (kindergarten through fifth grade at the Broadway site) and that the organization serves roughly 1,600 children daily across multiple communities. Keegan said the Broadway site has about 40 seats available now and that some seats are provided free to families based on need.

Keegan said the program holds multiple funding streams, and described how those streams break down: “A substantial 53% of our children are funded through the state voucher program,” she said; “22% of our families do pay privately.” She listed additional sources including Department of Children and Families (DCF) contracts, Community Development Block Grant scholarship dollars, United Way partnerships and philanthropy from organizations named in the presentation packet.

Why this matters: Keegan said recent state funding actions have created immediate operational risk. “The state has frozen all childcare vouchers for income eligible families,” she told the council, and said the organization is relying more on philanthropy and emergency grants while advocates press state officials to restore voucher funding. Keegan added that For Kids Only continues to accept children with open DCF cases and families determined to be homeless under separate grant contracts; she said those children can attend year‑round and free of charge.

Council members asked about middle‑school programming, economic impacts and the effect of regional Head Start changes. Keegan said For Kids Only currently focuses on kindergarten through fifth grade at the Broadway site because of space limits, that the agency maintains a waiting list for middle‑school slots, and that she and the mayor have discussed potential use of school space and other sites to expand middle‑school services. “We have a huge wait list for middle schoolers,” she said. Keegan described an apprenticeship program at For Kids Only—22 apprentices in the organization, three from Revere—paid positions that pair employment and classroom learning; she said the program is the first of its kind in the Commonwealth.

Funding, staffing and service details: Keegan described program staffing and supports: a district director for Revere (Nick Jean Baptiste), a full‑time behavioral health coordinator and inclusion specialists; she said 65% of staff live in Revere and 70% are graduates of Revere High School. Keegan also said the program recently received a grant from Mass General Hospital to add mental‑health counseling.

Councilors thanked the presenters and encouraged outreach so that more Revere families know the program exists. Several councilors said expanded middle‑school seats and municipal support for local vouchers could widen access.

Looking ahead: Keegan asked the city and residents to help identify space, volunteers for enrichment classes and local resources while the group pursues state and philanthropic funding to expand capacity.