Children's Aid Blog

From the New York Times to Georgetown University, voices in the policy arena are calling for new ideas for the juvenile justice system. The Children’s Aid Society has been a leader in operating its juvenile justice programs, and is helping build a system that supports adolescents’ emotional, educational, and physical well-being, with rehabilitation and re-entry as hallmarks of success.

To help keep children out of the justice system in the first place, The Children’s Aid Society provides educational support services for students seeking a general equivalency diploma (GED). The Children’s Aid Society also helps youths train for and obtain employment. Children’s Aid Society, through its Persons in Need of Supervision – Designated Assessment Services program also intervenes directly in delinquent children’s lives, assigning social workers to help families uncover and remedy the causes of behavioral problems.

And even when prevention falls short, the Children’s Aid Society keeps working. Through its Legal Advocacy program, Children’s Aid advocates for children’s interests in court. And once children have exited the system, Children’s Aid Society helps them re-enter their communities, avoid situations that could prompt a return to crime, and adjust back into their family lives.

Through such preventative measures and re-entry services, Children’s Aid is a leader in helping to bring about a juvenile justice system that prevents and remediates the harsh effects of juvenile delinquency.

Play is an important part of every child’s development – and it’s no secret that many of New York’s neighborhoods lack safe places for children to play. The problem is so acute in some neighborhoods, like the Foxhurst section of the Bronx, that families are banding together to close streets for use as impromptu playgrounds.

To give children what many take for granted – a place to play – The Children’s Aid Society provides New York’s youths with a wide and varied array of recreational opportunities. These recreational opportunities provide a venue for this critical aspect of children’s psychological and social growth.

Scientific American reports that a lack of opportunity for free play may prevent children from growing into happy, well-adjusted adults. Studies show that playtime provides children with a way to learn and practice important life skills, like teamwork and leadership. Without this practice, children cannot become socially adept, cope with stress or build problem-solving skills. Through a wide array of opportunities like swimming, basketball or the arts, Children’s Aid helps children in building these critical skills.

NPR reports that playtime also helps children to develop a cognitive skill called executive function. Executive function helps children to control their emotions and behavior, resist impulses, and exert self-control and discipline. This research shows that poor executive function is associated with high dropout rates, drug use and crime. The Children’s Aid Society’s structured and unstructured activities provide youths a place to develop this important self-control and discipline, along with “letting off some steam,” and just having a great time!  Just another way that The Children’s Aid Society leads by innovation in youth growth and development.

This is the first in a series of blogs on domestic violence and healthy relationships, being initiated in honor of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Check back weekly for upcoming blogs on The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children, Why People Abuse and Why Victims Stay, and other topics.

The Children’s Aid Society recognizes domestic violence, also known as relationship abuse or intimate partner abuse, as one of the most pressing issues facing children, families and communities today.  Most people know someone who has been abused or abusive, even if they are not aware of it.  It can devastate families, lead to lifelong problems for the children who witness it, and contributes to a wide range of violence in the community. That is why CAS is committed to providing both education to prevent abuse and services to help families impacted by it to find safety and heal from its effects.

Domestic Violence or Intimate Partner Abuse is defined as a pattern in an intimate relationship in which one partner (spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, dating partner) attempts to gain or maintain power and control over the other.  Abusers may use physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and financial tactics to establish that control.

Anyone can be abused – this is an issue that cuts across race, culture, class, religion and sexual orientation, and teens as well as adults experience it.  The most important thing to remember is that NO ONE deserves to be abused. While victims are often convinced that they bring on the abuse themselves, this is never the case – a person who chooses to abuse someone else is always responsible for his or her own actions.

If you or someone you know is being abused or abusive, you should know that help is available. The first step is to call the Children’s Aid Society’s Family Wellness Program or one of the hotline numbers listed below. We will listen without judgment, give you information about your options, and help you figure out the next steps. All of our services are free and confidential.

Family Wellness Program     212-503-6842

NYC Domestic Violence Hotline      1-800-621-HOPE (4673)

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1−800−799−SAFE (7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224.

National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline  1-866-331-9474 | 1-866-331-8453 TTY

If President Obama’s Office of Social Innovation gets the $50 million he’s requested to help fund non-profit agencies, I’ve got a suggestion for how to best spend that money: Tackle the hardest problems first.

What are the hardest problems? As someone who’s spent the last 40 years working with disadvantaged children, two top my list: teen pregnancy and public education.

In this article, I’ll discuss teen pregnancy. Despite decades of intervention, the US still has the highest pregnancy rate in the developing world. Each year, 4 out of 20 teens will get pregnant. In 2006, nearly half a million babies were born to girls between the ages of 15-19 in the US. These numbers frustrate me immensely because I see evidence everyday that with the right interventions, our country can reverse this trend.

At The Children’s Aid Society, we have taken a holistic approach to teen-pregnancy prevention. The Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program is based on what we know for sure: Hope is a powerful contraceptive.

To read the full article, link here

C. Warren Moses, CEO

Members of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee of the UK Parliament visited New York City to study first-hand The Children’s Aid Society Community Schools. The 13 members of Parliament toured Community School I.S. 218 in Washington Heights – greeted by the principal, June Barnett, as well as members of the National Technical Assistance Center for Community Schools (NTACCS). The Children’s Aid Society operates the NTACCS to assist educators, community leaders, funders and policymakers in adapting The Children’s Aid Society school model.

The members of Parliament toured the student wellness center, family room, orthodontic clinic, classrooms and auditorium, and heard presentations about community schools and services provided there. They had much to see and learn: in 2010, all of the schools in England will become extended schools, which are based in part on Children’s Aid’s full service model. On their fast-paced tour, the group posed questions about school-based services, parent involvement, narrowing the achievement gap, and inspiring student self-esteem and motivation — all integral parts of The Children’s Aid Society’s model.

There has also been a valuable link between The Children’s Aid Society and Scotland for 10 years, with our successful model contributing to the implementation of similar schools there. Scottish educators keep abreast of Children’s Aid’s Community Schools developments with yearly visits. Education, like the child who is ready to learn, has no boundaries!

The community schools strategy works in part because parental involvement yields results, as does providing children with enriched learning during out-of-school time. And on-site medical, dental and mental health services are all a part of the legacy of The Children’s Aid Society founder Charles Loring Brace’s vision. Children do better in school when the major influences on their development — family, school and community resources — work together.

The Children’s Aid Society is the first-ever recipient of a ninth consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator,  the nation’s largest independent charity evaluator! Designated for its “exceptional financial health,” Children’s Aid earned its latest four-star rating for its ability to “consistently execute its mission in a fiscally responsible way,” according to a letter from Ken Berger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the charity evaluator.

Berger’s letter also noted that Children’s Aid’s “ ‘exceptional’ designation from Charity Navigator differentiates The Children’s Aid Society from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”

Children’s Aid, founded in 1853, has created programs and services for families and children in need for over 156 years.  As times change and the needs of children, families and immigrants have changed, Children’s Aid has established centers and schools, opened clinics, and developed services where in New York City they are needed most.

“We are thrilled that Charity Navigator has recognized Children’s Aid’s ability to serve the impoverished children of New York City effectively and use donations wisely and efficiently,” said C. Warren Moses,  Chief Executive Officer of The Children’s Aid Society. “We intend to maintain our fiscal health while continuing to innovate to meet the needs of children and families today.

“I am especially pleased that during the past fiscal year, donations from individuals actually increased by more than 10 percent, personal donations by Trustees went up and our Board approved an expense budget that included an additional $1.47 million to help sustain ‘lifeline’ programs for our families during the fiscal crisis,” he added.

The Children’s Aid Society has been serving medically fragile children in our Medical Foster Care Program since 1988. Over the years this Medical Foster Care Program has successfully provided an alternative to institutional care, giving children a chance to grow up as other children do, in loving families.

The Children’s Aid Society was one of the first to provide this specialized foster care. These children need constant and comprehensive medical attention for conditions such as spina bifida, Down’s Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, congenital heart disease, cancer, seizure disorders and HIV/AIDS. We place these children with chronic and multiple medical disabilities in appropriate foster, and often permanent, homes. Caseworkers and nurses monitor their progress, and special medical equipment such as wheelchairs, special beds and stair lifts that are required are provided by the program. Important training and support services are also provided to the foster parents, to give the best possible care.

Another area of specialized foster care provided by The Children’s Aid Society is our Therapeutic Foster Care Program, providing foster care and therapeutic services to young people with emotional and behavioral problems. Some of these children have developmental disabilities; others suffer the repercussions of homelessness, abuse or neglect. A social worker and socio-therapist works closely with foster parents, supervising the implementation of an appropriate service plan to deal with the child’s behavior and needs.

These dedicated foster parents demonstrate tremendous commitment, undergo intense training keep logs of daily events, and remain in regular contact with our staff. Children’s Aid has achieved a phenomenal adoption rate with these fragile children.  Therapeutic foster homes are provided in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island.

To learn how to become a Foster Parent, visit us.

Hope. It’s a powerful word. It inspires nations, communities, and individuals – young and old. Hope is, according to Dr. Michael A. Carrera, the most effective contraceptive for teens because “the way that you help young people avoid pregnancy is by providing them with real evidence that good things can happen in their lives.”

For 25 years, Dr. Carrera has led The Children’s Aid Society’s wonderfully successful Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, which is a holistic, “above the waist” approach to teen pregnancy prevention. Regarding teens as “at promise” rather than “at risk,” the program’s mission is to empower young people through academic support and sex education, development of interests, talents and skills, and preparation for employment opportunities.  The Children’s Aid/Carrera program sees the sum of these activities as having a contraceptive effect.

This approach to teen pregnancy prevention is a proven-effective program that has been shown to reduce teen pregnancy rates by 50%. Now that’s a success story.

The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world. To help turn that tide, Children’s Aid’s Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program is replicated in 21 sites and 30 other adaptions in 20 states, bringing the holistic approach and its message of Hope across the U.S.

The program doesn’t just address teens. There is a component for parents (and interested adults), too – the Parent Family Life & Sexuality Education program. It’s a way for parents to help guide their children through the decisions of young adulthood. It gives parents the facts, language and resources they’ll need to do the job well.

Every year, waves of newly homeless families are put out onto New York’s streets. This last July The New York Times reported that due to the economic downturn, city officials expect a larger surge this year than ever before.

Image courtesy of The New York Times

The city’s homeless population is already up more than 20% over 2008, and officials soon expect an all-time high of 10,000 families in the city’s shelters. This severely affects children, who comprise nearly 40% of homeless New Yorkers.

In 1854, Charles Loring Brace was so moved by the epidemic of child homelessness that he founded New York’s Children’s Aid Society to provide shelter for children in need. Today, Children’s Aid works tirelessly with its family support services, on the same principle: that stable families foster stable children and a better future!

Children’s Aid supports families through our Carmel Hill Project, which serves families in three renovated apartment buildings. The Pelham Fritz Transitional Apartments are a Tier II shelter for homeless families. Since 1990, the complex has sheltered more than 900 families while acting as a neighborhood anchor for social services. And housing assistance is just one piece of the puzzle – our Office of Public Policy and Client Advocacy helps families resolve housing issues through legal assistance, financial help, and public advocacy.

Want to help build stable communities and stable families? Help The Children’s Aid Society continue its work to make sure every child has a safe home. Donate today.

Right now, everyone is focused on finding the cure for our current economic crisis. Bailouts, recovery plans and billion-dollar loans hopefully will get our economy back on firm footing soon. But we also need to look at the long-term, big picture of what will propel our economy into the future. And I believe that can be accomplished by reinventing the driver of our success: a world-class education.

If you look back at our nation’s history, our wealth was not built solely by great ideas. Rather, it also came from a very well-educated workforce created by created by world-class public schools. Children of immigrants who arrived on our shores 100 years ago received an education that lifted them from poverty to the working class and beyond. That influx of new workers built factories and invented and perfected new technologies. Workers on the assembly line could earn a comfortable living.

For the past 2 decades, the factory jobs that created prosperous lives for so many across much of America have been disappearing. The only way we can uplift the children and grandchildren of the working class and prepare them for a different future is by putting a renewed focus on world-class education.

Link here to see the whole article

C. Warren Moses, CEO

The Children’s Aid Society knows it: once school is out each day, there is much more work to do in order to keep youth directed towards academic, social and cultural learning. After-School programs at The Children’s Aid Society’s Community Schools and Centers provide fantastic opportunities for kids to excel after 3:00 p.m., where our holistic approach is used to address all of the child’s needs. And it’s fun!

After-school programs run in 21 community schools and all eight Children’s Aid community centers, serving hundreds of elementary school-aged children in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx. Offering a safe haven for children in some of the city’s most economically challenged neighborhoods, the kids can focus on school work as well as discover their many hidden talents.

Homework assistance is available for children who need it, and recreational activities such as basketball do more than break a sweat – they team kids up with mentors who serve as role models, providing invaluable emotional support. The Children’s Aid Society is also a founding member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and virtually every Children’s Aid site operates as a Boys & Girls Club.

You want more? Children can learn tactics, strategies, and problem solving while developing an appreciation for chess at the Philip Coltoff Center in Greenwich Village. And children from 9-12 years old interested in the performing arts take part in voice and articulation, dance, choreography and acting at the Rhinelander Center Stage Club.

The opportunities provided by Children’s Aid go on and on, and the skills the students develop are priceless; click here for information on volunteering opportunities!

“Public education is the foundation of our democracy –
the stepping-stones for our youth to reach their full potential.”
– George Lucas

The reason why The Children’s Aid Society’s Community Schools work so well according to considerable research – and common sense – is that children flourish when the important influences in their lives, like family, teachers, coaches, and mentors, all band together to help a child.  Teaching children to be mindful of their health through education and recreational exercise like sports and dance, while also being respectful of their mind through academic studies, trade, arts and music instruction – are all part of the community school strategy. It is also how The Children’s Aid Society has operated for over 150 years.

A film crew from the George Lucas Educational Foundation spent time at a Children’s Aid Community School, Intermediate School 218 (IS218) in Washington Heights, creating a nine-minute video illustrating the successful implementation of this powerful strategy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The “virtual site visit” highlights the school’s comprehensive instructional program – a combination of educational, recreational and social services.

IS 218 is a public intermediate school designed, from the very beginning, to meet the needs of the entire community. Their extraordinary after-school program, for children and adults alike, is a dynamic model for other community schools to follow suit. The Children’s Aid Society’s Assistant Executive Director for Community Schools, Jane Quinn, agrees: “When I first came to this school, I noticed two things. I noticed that the children seemed happy and I noticed that there were a lot of extra adults around, and I wanted to know what was happening here and how we could make it happen in more places.”

Community schools do work, thanks to the dedication and commitment of an entire team of players and supporters – all inspired by one common goal: to help children develop and grow into productive members of the community.

Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects both children and adolescents. When a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height, he or she is at higher risk for serious health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Although rare in the past, obesity is now among the most widespread medical problems affecting children and adolescents in the United States. The Mayo Clinic tells us that the best strategies to combat excess weight are diet modification and exercise, for the entire family. This is the goal of The Children’s Aid Society in New York and its nutrition programs, as well as its vital philosophy of nourishing the child to benefit a lifetime.

Go!Healthy is directed by The Children’s Aid Society and is aimed at combating obesity in children, teens and adults by teaching them about the joys of fresh, delicious and healthful foods. Go!Healthy is “food education” that makes healthful foods fun and accessible for children and families in New York’s low-income neighborhoods. Hands-on cooking, health education, yoga (pictured) and learning to be “conscious consumers” helps Go!Healthy turn the tide of unhealthy eating.

New York’s Children Aid Society also launched Go!Kids in 2003, an early childhood obesity prevention program for three- to five-year-olds. Currently at six sites in Manhattan and the Bronx, Go!Kids will be implemented at four additional Children’s Aid locations in New York in 2009, as well as at eight external Head Start programs. Go!Kids was recently featured on Rachael Ray’s non-profit organization website, Yum-o.org. These important educational programs continue the fight for the health, and future health, of thousands of needy children.

Food, glorious food!  It’s amazing how easy it really is to get children excited about healthy, organic food!   Bring them to the farmer’s market, encourage them to grow their own window sill herb garden, or teach them how to cook a meal from scratch – the bright colors, fresh smells and wonderful flavors will stimulate their senses and you’re giving junk food a run for its money!  You may be shaking your head in disbelief but, at The Children’s Aid Society in New York, we’ve seen this green mania with our own eyes!

At our community schools throughout the city, we teach children and their parents all about good nutrition.  We challenge them to try it out and, much to their surprise they learn that healthful food actually tastes good!  At a youth green market in East Harlem, Children’s Aid’s kids are even sharing tips on nutrition, food prep and recipes.  And these youth green markets are popping up all over. In July 2008, The Children’s Aid Society launched the South Bronx Youthmarket. 

We operate these markets in close collaboration with the Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) to bring fresh, delicious and healthful foods to families in low-income communities,  and showing children where their food comes from and how. The markets are run by the students themselves, at their school.  The kids are eager to learn and to taste!  Suddenly, that bag of preservative-filled potato chips seems less appetizing to them.  And, of course, that’s the idea.

And, every so often, a master chef is born. Just check out some of the culinary delights made by our very own young Next Generation Caterers. Bon Appétit!

Some kids are destined to be doctors and lawyers but according to Global Friendship through Space (GFTSE) Henry Bonilla, a rising 8th grader at the Mirabal Sisters Campus a Children’s Aid Society Community School, is “most likely to become an astronaut.” Henry’s outstanding participation in GFTSE’s International Space Camp Program has earned him the highest honor bestowed upon a camper– The Right Stuff Award.  This award is presented to one camper during each six day International Space Camp session who has displayed the characteristics of a future space explorer. The term “right stuff” was coined during the early days of NASA’s astronaut selection program to indicate an individual having the qualities needed to become an astronaut.

Since 1933, New York’s Children’s Aid Society has provided crucial support for families facing crises in their lives.  The Family Homemaker Program is a very specialized service that was established under the auspices of The Children’s Aid Society and the Junior League of New York to meet the needs of families facing urgent circumstances and the possibility of losing their children to foster care. Family Homemaker Program is celebrating 75 years of continuous service; the oldest such program still operating in the United States.

The homemakers are certified Para-professionals, trained to take over care of the family’s children and help manage home life in times of upheaval, an important service for keeping families who live in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. The families served are referred to The Children’s Aid Society through two New York City agencies: the Administration for Children’s Services and the Human Resources Administration. Currently, The Children’s Aid Society employs 125 homemakers, serving approximately 105 families with their 315 children daily.

Areas of service include:

Household Management – from helping with children and housework, to guidance and support for parents on better ways to run the house and constructively solve problems

Family Support Counseling – providing deeper emotional support and problem-solving on a broader scale, so that families receive comprehensive and coordinated support.

Advocacy – together, homemakers and social workers help families to access services for stability, perhaps connecting them to public assistance or public health insurance if they qualify.

Our homemakers uphold Charles Loring Brace’s philosophy: every child needs a strong family in order to thrive. Keeping children and families safe and together remains Children’s Aid’s Family Homemaker Program’s mission today. Here’s to the next 75 years!

When I announced my retirement earlier this year, I had one main suggestion for the committee looking for my replacement: Find someone who’s “angry.”

“Angry?” they said. “What do you mean?”

I mean that to lead one of the country’s largest child-focused charitable organizations, you have to have a fire inside you. You don’t want to hire the person who eases too comfortably into the leather seat, who likes gazing out the corner-office window. You want the person who sees the suffering of so many children, and is because it’s not getting fixed quickly enough.

I’m happy to say we’ve found that person. Richard R. Buery Jr. has committed his career to helping poor children, and therefore is no stranger to the statistics: To read the full article, link here

C. Warren Moses

We all need a guardian angel from time to time – to protect and guide us, to help us get back on track.  At The Children’s Aid Society, children and families have access to a fabulous team of dedicated guardian angels, formally called legal advocates, in the Office of Public Policy & Client Advocacy (OPPCA).

Serving all 150,000 children, youths and families at Children’s Aid in NY, OPPCA provides a wide spectrum of integrated legal, social and educational services and programs, such as assistance with domestic violence, child support and custody, juvenile justice,teen rights, immigration issues, housing, landlord/tenant issues, low-income subsidies, credit and consumer counseling, and basic “know your rights” training.

OPPCA “guardian angels”: Back row, L to R, Katherine Eckstein, Cathleen Clements, Esq., Sharone Vaughn, Keyla Espinal, Front row, L to R, Johnnymae Williams-Gales, Lorena Jimenez-Castro, and Jessica Schachter.

Tapping the expertise and availability of the Children’s Aid’s dynamic staff of professionals and well-established programs in all 50 sites, the OPPCA works hard to stabilize families by protecting their rights and providing them with advocacy training, so that they will be empowered  to stand up for themselves.  In cases where litigation is inevitable, the OPPCA draws from a pool of over 25 pro bono lawyers to assist their clients with legal representation.

The concept of “family” is something that many of us take for granted.  The reality is that in New York City alone, there are hundreds of thousands of families in crisis. Many of them seek assistance from The Children’s Aid Society who, in turn, is totally committed to the preservation of family. Progressive programs such as Families with a Future help families to set and achieve lifelong goals, providing them with encouragement, skills and – above all – hope.

You know how retailers are battling it out over the few dollars consumers are willing to spend? It’s no different in the nonprofit world. Merely grabbing a donor’s attention isn’t enough. We have to make a solid argument for why our cause is the one worthy of your hard-to-part-with dollar.

To accomplish this, nonprofits need to communicate to donors that they are adapting their programs and services to meet the changing face of need in today’s economy. For example, food pantries are now serving the redefined “house poor” – families who are using limited earnings to pay their mortgage and avoid foreclosure, and then have little money left for groceries once the mortgage has been paid.

Nonprofits also have to create forward-thinking, innovative programs that provide novel solutions to new problems To read the full article, link here

— C. Warren Moses

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be,
and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.”
– Goethe

In New York, more than 2000 teens are released each year from incarceration within the juvenile justice system. These troubled young men and women face the formidable challenge of re-entering the community.  Most of these kids have been disappointed by adults throughout their young lives, so “trust” is something that doesn’t come easily for them.  Many are simply hopeless, angry and lost, having been failed by the system and people who were entrusted with their care.

At The Children’s Aid Society in NYC, we understand their plight and employ a holistic approach to providing these youths with the tools to help them develop into healthy, productive adults.

Ana Bermúdez: The Children’s Aid Society Director - Juvenile Justice Programs

Our innovative Juvenile Justice Programs, under the skilled direction of Ana Bermúdez, focus on the key concept of helping each youth form a trusting, lasting relationship with an adult outside the family.  The relationship with their “Life Coach” is critical, as is the hope and confidence they gain by knowing that, at the Children’s Aid, we will always be there for them – no matter what.  No expiration date.

Through programs like Community Re-Entry, Neighborhood Youth Employment Program and PINS (Persons in Need of Supervision), the Children’s Aid Society’s unique approach builds onthe strengths of these young people,  encouraging them to create a positive plan for success. Our Educational Support and Functional Family Therapy programs are fundamental to helping kids get back on track and reconnect with their families.  Our strengths-based approach does work.  These formerly disengaged youths become engaged, and as they transition into adulthood they return for guidance or just to keep in touch. Many have even gone on to work in the juvenile justice system – their way of giving back.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.
Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
— Hellen Keller