Scoppetta and Carrion Join Children's Aid to Open New Teen Center

On the morning of May 6, a standing-room-only crowd gathered to celebrate the formal opening of The Children's Aid Society’s new Next Generation Center in the South Bronx. Nicholas Scoppetta, Fire Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department, and Gladys Carrión, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children & Family Services, joined policymakers, practitioners, funders, press and staff of Children’s Aid at the new state-of-the-art facility.

Designed by and for the youth themselves, the one-of-a-kind Next Generation Center serves vulnerable youth ages 14 – 24 who are transitioning to adulthood: are leaving or have already left, foster care, or who are neither in school nor working and lack the basic skills, education and social support systems to make a successful transition to independence. The Center also serves community youth.

Guests at the opening ceremony were offered a glimpse of the many services and activities that make the Next Generation Center a unique place for teens. The guests were treated to scones made by youth in the Center’s impressive teaching kitchen and had the chance to hear from Andrew Smith, 17. He is a teen who has big plans for the future, and looks forward to accomplishing them with help from the Next Generation Center’s staff.

Commissioner Scoppetta, who spent time in the New York City foster care system as a child, spoke about the importance of providing services to vulnerable youth aging out of foster care. He also spoke glowingly of Lynne Echenberg, a former colleague of his who is now the Director of the Next Generation Center. Commissioner Carrión’s comments focused on the improvements being made in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, both of which are overseen by her agency.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Children’s Aid’s CEO C. Warren Moses led the crowd in a lively countdown to a ribbon cutting. Many in the crowd vowed to visit the Center again to see the teens in action!