By Sandra M. McCroom, Children’s Services of Roxbury President & CEO
Not even two months into 2026, the writing is on the wall: Rising costs. Funding cuts. Growing fear. How do we protect our most vulnerable when the safety net frays?
I’m seeing that dilemma through the dual lens of Black History Month and a decade leading Children’s Services of Roxbury (CSR), reflecting on what’s changed in the last 10 years and what’s ahead.
On the plus side, the Commonwealth raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour, expanded workforce development, and made strides to reduce food insecurity. Yet mounting inflation and unemployment — together with new SNAP and Medicaid eligibility changes — are placing renewed strain on families and eroding hard-won gains.
Massachusetts has the third highest cost of living in the U.S. and is the most expensive state for working families. Food, health care, and energy prices continue to climb, and housing costs are at an all-time high, pushing more residents into shelters and unstable housing. In 2024, Massachusetts saw one of the highest increases in homelessness among all states. In Greater Boston, families made up nearly two-thirds of the unhoused population.
These pressures affect everyone, but they fall hardest on historically marginalized Black and Brown communities. Families are being forced into impossible choices: rent or groceries, heat or medication, transportation or childcare. Our youth are carrying the compounded weight of intergenerational trauma and economic instability.
At CSR, we see the impact of trauma and systemic inequities every day.
Sixty percent of those we serve are children and teens who have endured at least one adverse childhood experience. Those traumatic incidents lead to toxic stress, which disrupts a child’s brain and physical development and can have lifelong impacts such as chronic disease, mental illness, and substance use challenges.
Despite the tireless efforts of many committed leaders and organizations, the curve is bending in troubling ways. Many youth are navigating housing insecurity, community violence, poverty, and the long shadow of systemic racism. Nearly half of Boston’s public high school students report feeling sad or hopeless on a regular basis.
Agencies and nonprofit organizations throughout Massachusetts continue striving to make a positive impact by addressing the urgent pressures that make daily life overwhelming. At CSR, we work to stabilize families and support at-risk youth experiencing economic, social, and mental health crises; to provide safe shelter, nutrition, comfort, and access to culturally responsive, trauma-informed behavioral health care.
Yet dwindling resources and surging demand are making sustained impact increasingly difficult. As public and nonprofit organizations work together to bridge gaps, identify solutions, and treat every individual with compassion, dignity, and respect, the broader community must also play a role in helping our Commonwealth live up to its values and promise.
Private citizens and institutions with power and privilege can step forward through philanthropy, volunteering, in-kind donations, and intentional investment in Black-owned businesses that anchor local economies.
Without financial stability and access to essential resources and programs, transformative change remains out of reach. Families struggle to heal, children bear the consequences, and communities are destabilized — preventing too many among us from experiencing the peace of mind we all deserve.
Those who work to support underserved communities wake up every day committed to healing and progress.
While the challenges feel heavier now than they did a decade ago, a path forward remains. It lies in shared responsibility, racial equity, and collective action. Now, more than ever, we must lean into our shared humanity and contribute whatever and however we can. Only then can we hope to realize a brighter future that is equitable and accessible to all.
