The Massachusetts Child

Helping Students in Need 

The Massachusetts Child is a charitable corporation founded by MTA members in 1996 to help students struggling with financial need. The Mass Child is a reimbursement program available to all MTA preK-12 local associations. Members use funds from their local associations to purchase qualifying items for students, and Mass Child reimburses the local associations. Please note that Mass Child cannot reimburse individual members; all grant applications must have the signature of the local president.

What We Reimburse — Types of Grants

Standard Grants

Standard grants can be used to reimburse purchases of clothing, shoes, hygiene products and eyeglasses, as well as school supplies that are not usually provided by the district such as backpacks, notebooks and pens. Many locals use the grants to make sure that students have appropriate winter clothing. Grants have also been used to assist vocational school students with license fees, work clothing and supplies that are not provided by the school.

Items must be purchased for particular students. Mass Child will not reimburse “bulk” purchases of items to be distributed to students throughout the year.

Mass Child cannot reimburse purchases of food or gift cards.

Mass Child grants cannot be used to purchase devices that would fall under a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or that are the responsibility of the district.

A local does not need to apply for all of its eligible funds in one application.

Remote Learning Grants

Mass Child will continue to reimburse MTA preK-12 locals for materials that can help students in overcoming challenges related to remote learning. These grants are designed to provide supplemental and enrichment material and not curriculum items that the district should be supplying. Locals may use Remote Learning Grants to make sure that students in need have supplies, books and project materials. Every MTA local is eligible for grant funding up to $500 specifically for Remote Learning, and these funds are available in addition to the amounts available for Standard Grants.

Summer Reading Program

Mass Child received a large donation in 2018 specifically for literacy initiatives. This led to the creation of the Summer Reading Grant, designed to get books into the hands of students for their enjoyment. Locals with 500 or fewer members can apply for up to $200, and locals with more than 500 members are eligible for $500. Books must be intended for specific children in need. Ideally the book selections will not be required reading, but books that students themselves choose to read during the summer break. The application process for Summer Reading Grants begins on May 1.

Extracurricular Assistance

Thanks to a grant from the blumshapiro Foundation, Mass Child can provide some assistance with funding for extracurricular activities. Local associations can apply for up to $100 to reimburse financial assistance provided to students so they can participate in extracurricular activities requiring school-based fees. For example, the grant can be used toward a needy student’s portion of the cost for field trip admission fees or transportation and for fees required to participate in enrichment opportunities, clubs or athletic teams. To see if an expense qualifies for reimbursement, email Mass Child Board President Nicole Prevost at suzzyjojo@aol.com or MTA Staff Consultant Scott McLennan at smclennan@massteacher.org.