It’s hard to believe we are already in the second half of 2025. This year has been filled with growth, resilience, and continued innovation as we expand our programs, welcome new staff, deepen partnerships, and advance child health equity in Boston and beyond. BCP remains steadfast in our mission to bring equity to pediatric healthcare, one child and one family at a time. Yet we know that our work does not happen in a vacuum. The current political climate—marked by uncertainty around Medicaid funding, fears surrounding immigration, and growing concerns over the future of vital social service programs that so many families rely on—underscores the critical nature of our mission. In the face of these challenges, BCP remains committed to ensuring that our patients and families do not lose the access, support, and comprehensive care they deserve. Together, we will continue to build a community where every child has the opportunity to thrive, from diapers to diplomas.

XOXO,

The BCP Team

Patient Graduate Spotlights

We are so proud to celebrate and highlight some of our incredible high school graduates this year. We are cheering them on as they start this next chapter with confidence and excitement. Many of these graduates received support from BCP throughout the college process, including attending BCP’s College Nights, where they learned about applications, financial aid, and navigating what comes next. We are so honored to have been part of their journey and can’t wait to see all they will accomplish. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

Leanny Sanchez Ynoa will be attending UMass Boston on a full scholarship! Leanny is interested in law and psychology.

Star Alcantara will be attending Quincy College!

Jariel Melendez Perez will be attending Bunker Hill College, and he also received a scholarship at another college! He is interested in law.

Sheilin Santiago will be attending Northeastern University on a full scholarship! She is planning on majoring in engineering.

Sheilin shared, “The college process felt overwhelming at times, especially when it came to writing my supplemental essays, which I struggled with the most, but the college help nights at BCP made a huge difference by giving me the support and guidance I needed to strengthen my writing and feel more confident in my applications. At Northeastern, I’m most looking forward to finding my community and learning more about who I am!”

We Celebrated Our Awards & Accolades

BCP has been recognized multiple times this year for our accomplishments. BCP was selected as one of the 2025 Best Places to Work by the Boston Business Journal. BCP was one of 100 organizations selected in Boston, and one of the only nonprofits, to receive this award. This award signifies BCP’s commitment to developing an outstanding work environment for staff, who are absolutely integral to our success!

BCP’s Founder, Dr. Robyn Riseberg, was recently honored as a 2025 Commonwealth Heroine after being nominated by Massachusetts State Senator Cindy Cream and selected by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. The award honors women who make outstanding contributions to their community and the Commonwealth. Also, BCP was honored to be named the Best Nonprofit by the 2025 Boston Business Women Awards! We are grateful to everyone who voted and continues to support BCP, and we are so proud of this achievement.

We Received Funding from the Massachusetts Legislature and the New Commonwealth Fund

BCP is so honored to receive its first investment in the state budget from the Massachusetts Legislature for our integrated mental health work. This recognition and funding for the innovative model we have created is a testament to the urgent need for accessible, equitable, and integrated mental health care for children and families, and it fuels our commitment to expand this work so that every child can receive the care they need when they need it. We are deeply grateful to our sponsor and champion State Representative John Moran who continues to show up and stand up for BCP.

BCP is one of the only white-led organizations to receive funding from the prestigious New Commonwealth Fund, a testament to the trust we have built with our community and our commitment to advancing equity in pediatric healthcare. We are so honored to have received this funding, and we remain committed to using these resources to uplift the voices of our patients while working together to improve health outcomes for Black and Brown children by breaking down the barriers within our healthcare systems.

We Created a Caregiver Council

BCP was founded after listening to caregivers for over 15 years and learning what truly matters to them and their children. We value patient voices, which is why we’ve just launched our third patient experience survey to gather insights and feedback that drive real change at BCP—like adding dental care and phlebotomy services for our families. But, we wanted to have an in-person forum for patients to have an influential voice at BCP and ensure that BCP is most effectively addressing the needs of our patients and their families. We recently had our first Caregiver Council meeting, which was a huge success. We are so grateful for the support and investment in our model from our most trusted resource - our patients and their families!

We Launched Phlebotomy Services

We are excited to share that BCP now offers onsite phlebotomy services! Our patients expressed a clear need for laboratory services right here at BCP, and we responded. With the support of Boston Children’s Hospital, our amazing medical assistants received training in phlebotomy, allowing us to bring this service directly into our practice. This change has increased access to comprehensive healthcare while reducing the need for multiple, time-consuming visits to other facilities. Now, obtaining lab results is quicker and easier, and ensures that our families can receive timely care without barriers.

We Started a Medical-Legal Partnership

In anticipation of renewed federal attacks on civil liberties and immigrant communities, BCP moved swiftly to make legal resources part of BCP’s infrastructure through a partnership with the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts. A medical-legal partnership attorney is now onsite at BCP twice a month. Through BCP’s staff, they provide information on patients’ rights, assist with legal questions, and connect families to resources on issues ranging from immigration and education to housing law. This partnership helps us care for the whole child and family, addressing the legal and social needs that impact health.

We Were in the News

BCP was featured in The Boston Globe and CommonWealth Beacon in May! The Globe spoke with Dr. Riseberg about restricted COVID vaccine access as the FDA moved to limit approvals for the vaccine and boosters. Dr. Riseberg expressed to the Globe that, “When you take out those panels of experts and just let, in this case, two people make a decision, I think you’re setting a precedent for not using scientific evidence to guide national policy.” CommonWealth Beacon also interviewed Dr. Riseberg about the effects of climate change, especially among pediatric patients and patients with low-income. You can check out all of the articles BCP has been featured in here!

We Expanded Partnerships in the Community

BCP has expanded our work in the community and we now are delivering teen-focused mental health workshops to the student-athletes at the BASE every month. One recent workshop focused on building resiliency and creating a growth-mindset. Bringing mental health clinicians into community-based organizations helps break down barriers and reduce the stigma around mental health care. In addition, BCP continues to provide mental health workshops to Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), another close community partner.

Additionally, BCP was excited to bring a group of patients interested in the medical field to Harvard Medical School’s MEDScience Lab to solve a very challenging respiratory case! The MedScience program creates access to hands-on medical learning through a simulation lab, giving students a positive, engaging environment where they work as a team to solve real medical cases. As you can see, BCP absolutely loves being out in the community with our patients and partners to bring medical and mental health education to teens.

We Signed Kids Up for Camp

As always, BCP has been supporting families with camp enrollment this spring after our well-attended camp night in March, and we are thrilled to be sending over 100 patients to camp this summer! Close partnerships with Camp Harborview, Camp Wonderland,

Camp Hale, PBHA Summer Urban Programs, YES, Agassiz Village,

and other camps in the Greater Boston area!

In honor of our beloved friend and champion, Peter Schneidman, who embraced camp as an integral part of children’s development, BCP launched the Peter Baer Schneidman Camp Fund. This fund ensures that BCP patients have access to high-quality, impactful summer camp experiences each year, continuing Peter’s legacy and making a lasting impact on children’s lives. If you are interested in supporting this fund, you can learn more here.

We Started a New Mental Health Program

We are excited to share that BCP is expanding our behavioral health initiatives with two new mental health programs launching this summer and fall. We are launching a new maternal mental health program with the Brookline Center, providing mental health services for moms at risk for, or experiencing, postpartum depression during their child’s first year of life. We are also partnering with Allie Keller from the Boston Child Study Center and have created a new psychology PhD externship program at BCP, expanding our mental health expertise and resources to serve more patients, while providing a unique community experience for PhD students. At BCP, we are committed to expanding our robust behavioral health services to ensure that every patient has access to the individualized support they need and deserve.

We Have a Big Anniversary Coming Up!

It’s hard to believe that this November, BCP will celebrate our 5th Anniversary. In order to mark this remarkable achievement, BCP will be hosting a celebration on Thursday, November 13th, at the SoWa Power Station. Since opening our doors in November of 2020, BCP has transformed pediatric healthcare by championing equity, reducing barriers to the highest-quality care, and tirelessly putting patients first. This milestone event will honor the many voices that have written BCP’s story so far: patients, families, staff, community partners, and supporters.

We hope you will join us for a night of connection, celebration, and community! For sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to BCP's Development Manager, Becca (rebecca@bostoncommunitypediatrics.org).

Support Our Work!

Thank you so much for your continued support of Boston Community Pediatrics! Please consider telling a friend about BCP, sharing our website, or making a gift today.