Our History

The idea for the Family Preservation Center (FPC) was developed by Guerdie Joseph in 1996 when she produced a Boston television program funded first by Faulkner Hospital. The program, called “Parenthesis”, focused on health and the problems and difficulties of Boston’s disadvantaged community, it was so successful that J.S.F. Bonnet, a family doctor, J.R. Larrieux a gynecologist at Boston Medical Center, and N. Saget, a Surgeon at Carney Hospital carried some of its $30,000/year expense themselves. With such a response, Ms

Joseph saw that any underinsured, uninsured, low-income family would benefit from advice for and help with problems that “Parenthesis” brought to greater awareness, namely: the need for education, training in child management that meets state Social Service Department requirements, strategies for handling stress,
anger, the threat of domestic violence, and information on community resources.

Working within the constraints of the Center's reality skeletal, Ms Joseph, with the help of Deborah Allen, a Brockton resident and mental health clinician, secured the support of the Universalist-Unitarian Church of Brockton, which designated its Sunday school rooms for the Center's use, and also provided utilities for a nominal fee. With a separate entrance and seconda-hand office furniture, the Family Preservation Center opened its door in September, 2002.



   

The Family Preservation Center is an incorporated non-profit agency, with by-laws
 and seven trustees. The governing body of the corporation is composed of the trustees and three branches: The Board of Directors, The Executive Board and the Advisory Board. The Trustees operate in all the branches and cast the tie-breaking vote in decisions, when necessary in the best interest of the Corporation’s mission and goals.