Press Release  Probation’s Lowell Motherhood Program to host graduation

Boston — The Lowell Motherhood Program will host its graduation ceremony for its 14 participants today, Thursday, May 24, 5:30 pm, at the Office of Community Counseling, 291 Summer Street. The Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) helps court-involved women, who are mothers, become better parents to their children through its seven Mothers’ Programs in five counties across the state.

The Mothers’ Programs typically run for 10-12 weeks and are offered twice a year — fall and spring. Sessions feature interactive lectures by guest speakers who help women navigate the court system, learn about community resources, and offer guidance on working with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The Lowell Motherhood Program is run by four Probation Officers, who each represent one of four court divisions: District, Juvenile, Probate & Family, and Superior.

Lowell Motherhood Program graduates range in age from 20 to 50. A 31-year-old participant and mother of two--- a 12-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy--said she initially “went in with a lot of guilt.”

“But, I soon learned that I was not alone. I came away feeling encouraged. It was a place where I was not judged.”

Another program, the MPower Program of Norfolk Juvenile Court, has helped 65 percent of its participants regain custody of their children. The first Mothers’ Program was introduced at Boston Municipal Court (BMC) - West Roxbury 20 years ago. 

The Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) is a department of the Massachusetts Trial court. MPS staffs 105 separate probation offices; most of these are located in courthouses. Probation is a court-ordered sanction placed on a person by a judge. The offender is allowed to remain in the community under the strict supervision of a probation officer. Probation also works with individuals who are not on probation but on conditions of release.

###