Brightside for Families & Children

 

History

Brightside for Families and Children is proud of its rich legacy of caring.  Brightside was founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Providence.  Under the direction of Mother Mary of Providence, the foundress of the Sisters of Providence, Mount Saint Vincent Orphanage was located in West Springfield in the area known as Ingleside.  In 1892, Bishop Thomas D. Beaven acquired the adjacent Wilkinson Farm.  The farm was called "Brightside", reflective of the blessing of the morning sun which illuminated the institution.  The philosophy of care for the children then was the same was the same as today: to help families regardless of race, color, sex, religion, or natural origin, and to support, love, and care for the children with a mission to strengthen, support, and preserve families.

At one time in 1915 there were over 165 children living at Brightside.  In those early days the children were orphans, their parents having died of tuberculosis, typhoid fever, or other epidemics which spread because of unsanitary and overcrowded living conditions.  As health conditions improved, children other than orphans came to be placed at Brightside.  Many of these children had at least one living parent, but for some reason the family was not able to provide, at least temporarily, for the child's needs.  In contrast to the early days when the orphans were placed in private homes, many of these boys and girls remained in care for long periods of time, sometimes from infancy through grammar school.  Therefore a school was established on grounds.

One devoted man significantly affected the institution in the 1950's.  Bishop Christopher J. Weldon made Brightside his personal concern, because, as he said, "I want to do something for the kids."  He led a campaign in 1952 which raised one and a half million dollars and built the six buildings which today house Brightside.

The 1960's saw the emergence of the State Division of Child Guardianship, which developed more family-based resources.  This began a trend of Brightside receiving government funds to assist in the provision of services to Western Massachusetts families.  In 1968, Brightside for Families and Children was chartered as a private, non-profit corporation.

With the pressures of an increasingly turbulent and complex society came an ever-increasing and diverse set of needs.  Brightside responded as it continued its philosophy of supporting families and family life by developing an array of services.  The residential program was restructured to meet the needs of children experiencing emotional, mental health, and behavioral problems.  In recent years, the complex issues confronting children and families, and the dramatically growing number of children and families who are "at risk", led the Sisters of Providence Health System to craft a strategy of assistance by pledging the resources of committed people to continue positioning Brightside as a visible sign of hope and presence of God in the lives of children and families. 

Today Brightside is a prestigious and comprehensive child welfare, mental health, and family support center that continues to meet the needs of children and families with over a century of continuous services to people in need.  There is a caring which defies definition - the Sisters of Providence Health System Board of Trustees, the employees of the Sisters of Providence, the Bishop, and community supporters and volunteers - countless people who continue to support our work and share our belief in family and children.  That is Brightside's history...and its future.