To The Moon And Back

To The Moon And Back is a 501(c)3 dedicated to children born with in utero substance exposure and their caregivers.

Since 2017 we have been providing a variety of resources including:

Parent Support Groups – These are provided online twice a month and attract caregivers (foster, adoptive, relatives) from across the country. These groups are a safe place to discuss parenting children with in utero substance exposure with peers. We are frequently joined by speakers who are experts in the field who offer updates on the latest research and interventions to help our families.

Nurture A Superhero Care Packages – These are carefully cultivated care packages for children with NAS which are sent home with from our numerous partner hospitals in MA at discharge. Some of our partners include Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, South Shore Hospital, UMass Medical, and Beth Israel Lahey Plymouth.

Children’s Group – This is an opportunity for our children to get together with their peers to participate in fun community activities. It is a less formal opportunity for our caregivers to bond and develop a support system. Past activities have included baking, karate, sensory play, yoga/mindfulness, and a farm day.

Children’s Grant – Our financial grant supports our families where insurance and other systems may not, around the unique needs of raising a substance exposed child. Past grants have included support for copays, nutritional supplements, sensory toys, computers, and playground equipment.

Educational Advocate – We provide four hours with our seasoned educational advocate per child. This typically includes time for the advocate to review past records and make recommendations for next steps for families. In some instances, it may even allow enough time for the advocate to attend a necessary school meeting. This allows families to ensure their child’s educational needs are being met.

Advocacy – Our clinical social worker provides education to providers at no cost through presentations and 1:1 consultation. She is also actively involved in working legislatively on getting state and federal legislators recognizing the needs of children with NAS. In 2021 this work resulted in 1.2 million dollars being allocated to programming supporting children as they grow with NAS..

Beyond NAS Conference – This conference brings together leading researchers to discuss the latest findings and supports for children with NAS. The conference is geared towards both community providers and families.