FamilyAid Receives Transformative $6 Million Gift to Establish a Children’s Dream Fund Supporting Homeless Children Across Massachusetts

FamilyAid today announced it has received a $6 million philanthropic gift, the largest charitable contribution ever to a New England nonprofit to support children experiencing homelessness. Arriving as Massachusetts’ family homelessness crisis continues to deepen, this gift will be used to establish the Children’s Dream Fund, an endowment and permanent resource ensuring children experiencing homelessness have access to joyful, enriching experiences essential for lifelong health and resilience.

Dr. Paul and Mrs. Katie Buttenwieser have generously supported FamilyAid at a time of growing need, with demand for homelessness prevention services up 53% over the past 16 months and more than 5,220 children and parents served across Greater Boston in 2025.

“All children deserve moments of joy, connection and possibility—even when their families are dealing with hardship and instability,” said Dr. Paul Buttenwieser. “We hope this fund will open doors for thousands of children, helping them heal, experience joy and move toward adulthood with strength and hope.”

“This endowment and the Children’s Dream Fund change what is possible for the children we serve,” said FamilyAid President & CEO Larry Seamans. “At a time of real uncertainty for families, this fund protects something essential: a child’s chance to feel safe, seen and supported—and to imagine a future beyond homelessness.”

Essentially, the Children’s Dream Fund will support access to arts, sports, and enrichment programs, therapeutic, educational and social-emotional supports, and community-building activities that help children feel safe and connected. These outputs are guided by the expertise of the HOPE framework––Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences––developed by the HOPE National Resource Center based at Tufts Medical Center.

The HOPE framework establishes that positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are not a supplement to care—they are care. The framework identifies four key types of PCEs, grouped as the Four Building Blocks of HOPE, that every child needs to thrive: Relationships (safe, nurturing bonds with family, peers and trusted adults); Environments (stable, equitable spaces to live, learn and play); Engagement (participation in arts, sports, culture and community); and Emotional Growth (opportunities to build self-regulation, resilience and social skills). Research shows that children with access to these experiences are significantly more likely to grow into healthy, resilient adults— regardless of the adversity they face.

“Children who experience homelessness face profound adversity, but they also have strengths and the capacity to recover. The science of HOPE makes clear that positive experiences have the power to protect and heal,” said Robert Sege, MD, PhD, FAAP, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the Tufts University School of Medicine and the Director of the HOPE National Resource Center. “When organizations like FamilyAid intentionally create opportunities for joy, connection and belonging, they are not just enriching children’s lives in the moment; they are building the foundation for lifelong health and resilience. The Children’s Dream Fund is exactly the kind of sustained, science-informed commitment that children need.”

The Buttenwiesers’ commitment to FamilyAid spans decades: in 1988, they founded the Family-to-Family Project, a homelessness prevention program that merged with FamilyAid in 2016. Their endowment anchors FamilyAid’s $20 million “For the Kids” campaign to protect core services and strengthen support for children through sustained philanthropy. Today, the Children’s Dream Fund honors each child: children share their interests and wishes, and the Fund creates meaningful experiences and special gifts that reflect them. The Buttenwiesers have named the fund in honor of Seamans, who is retiring this August after a 42-year career.

FamilyAid will steward the endowment in perpetuity, ensuring children experiencing homelessness are uplifted through joy, opportunity and connection—today and for generations.