The $100,000 in funding will be used to support the new

Baker Center for Children and Families in Waltham

Judge Baker Children’s Center, which provides therapeutic services to children with behavioral health and special education needs, has received a $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation’s $20 Million Grant Program.

The Cummings Foundation grant will support critically needed child mental health care through JBCC’s new outpatient clinic in Waltham. The Baker Center for Children and Families, scheduled to open this summer, will meet the needs of children and families in Greater Boston and the MetroWest region. The center will have the capacity to offer more than 15,000 outpatient visits per year, as well as training, consultation, parent education and specialty services.

“We are deeply grateful to the Cummings family, Cummings Foundation staff, trustees and volunteers for their generous grant,” said Robert Franks, president and CEO of Judge Baker Children’s Center. “Through their support we will be able to offer children and families the services and supports they desperately need during these challenging times and for many years to come.”

The Cummings $20 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk counties. Through this initiative, the Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it owns commercial buildings that are managed by Cummings Properties, founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings.

“We have been impressed, but not surprised, by the myriad ways in which these 130 grant winners are serving their communities, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation executive director. “Their ability to adapt and work with their constituents in new and meaningful ways has an enormous impact in the communities where our colleagues and leasing clients live and work.”

With this year’s grants, the Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $280 million to nonprofits in greater Boston.

Judge Baker Children’s Center programs and services include: the Manville School, a therapeutic day school for students in grades K-10 who experience emotional, behavioral, and learning difficulties; the Center for Effective Child Therapy, which provides evidence-based mental health treatments for children ages 2-19; Camp Baker, a six-week outdoor summer experience for children ages 6-12 with ADHD; and Next Step, a unique college-preparatory program for youth ages 16-20 with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“We appreciate the support of the Cummings Foundation, and are thrilled to be a grant recipient,” said Christine Dunn, a Senior Vice President at O’Neill and Associates and a member of the Judge Baker Center’s Board of Trustees. “I am excited that we will be able to use this funding to open our new location in Waltham and provide access to Judge Baker’s wonderful services to children and families in our region.”

There were 130 grant recipients chosen from a pool of 738 applicants. They represent a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention and food insecurity. The nonprofits are spread across 40 communities. The complete list of grant recipients is available at www.cummingsfoundation.org.

While restrictions on large gatherings prevent a celebration to present the grants, a virtual ceremony will be held in mid-June.

ABOUT JUDGE BAKER CHILDREN’S CENTER

Founded in 1917, the Judge Baker Children’s Center provides therapeutic services to children with behavioral health and special education needs. Based in Boston, the center will open a second location this year in Waltham, the Baker Center for Children and Families, in order to meet the needs of families in the MetroWest region. More information can be found at jbcc.harvard.edu.

ABOUT CUMMINGS FOUNDATION

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings. The foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn, and Veterinary School at Tufts, LLC in North Grafton. Additional information is available at cummingsfoundation.org.