It takes a huge commitment of resources and teamwork to serve the needs of underprivileged Youths of New York City. We have seen on this blog how The Children’s Aid Society collaborates with hundreds of partners and thousands of volunteers to provide help in the daily lives of under-privileged children. Among these partners is the venerable Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In fact, Children’s Aid is a founding member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).

The BGCA, like Children’s Aid, is dedicated to serving the needs of kids every day – encouraging young people to complete their homework, play sports, enter an art competition or eat a healthier snack. The BGCA serves boys and girls in thousands of  locations, many in partnership with Children’s Aid.

In fact, virtually every Children’s Aid Community after-school program site, operating under Children’s Aid community schools and centers, functions as a Boys & Girls Club. These programs serve children in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx.

Other examples of this historic partnership: Children’s Aid and the BGCA of New York engaged in partnership with Morgan Stanley to provide 83,500 meals and 66,000 snacks to children just last summer. And, along with our after-school programs, weekend and holiday programs also are offered at our community centers and schools, using BGCA curricula.

We can all be partners of The Children’s Aid Society – your donation, no matter how big or small, multiplied by others’ commitment, can make a difference in a child’s life that will last for a lifetime!

To learn more, visit us here.

Tags: Children, children's aid new york, What is Children's Aid

From the New York Times to Georgetown University, voices in the policy arena call for new ideas to improve 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, 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 the lives of delinquent children, assigning social workers to help families uncover and remedy the causes of behavioral problems.

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.

Tags: Children, children's aid new york, What is Children's Aid

Our Annual Meeting on October 15th was a testament to the work of Pete Moses, who will be retiring at the end of this year.  Pete spent more than 40 years at The Children’s Aid Society , making huge improvements in the lives and wellbeing of the neediest children of New York, most recently as Chief Executive Officer.  In addition to an overview of programs started or expanded under Pete’s leadership, some of the most moving moments of the meeting were comments by those who have used Children’s Aid programs and services over the years.

Nayady Cruz spoke about her long and expansive relationship with Children’s Aid. She immigrated from the Dominican Republic in 1990, met her husband Roberto and started a family, but with a poor command of English she felt somewhat isolated in New York.

She was pregnant with her daughter Dayamara and her son Andy was 4 years old when she was referred to the Children’s Aid Society’s P.S. 5 Early Head Start Program.  There she became an active participant in the Family Room and took workshops on family life and how to understand the Department of Education.

The Early Head Start program taught her about educational, emotional and physical development which helped her raise her children and ensure their academic success.  Her children attended Summer Camp at Wagon Road, and received medical care at our Clinic. With a deep knowledge of Children’s Aid programs, Nayady was hired to work in the Extended Day Program to help other families.

Fast forward 15 years and she is now working at P.S. 5 as the Parent Coordinator where she teaches parents how to access the same resources that have helped her.  Her family also gives back to Children’s Aid and their community.  Both Nayady’s daughter Dayamara, and husband Roberto volunteer for the Early Head Start Program and her mother is part of the program for Grandmothers. “CAS is my second home.”

Kathy de Meij, Associate Director of Development, Director of Marketing & Special Events

Photo by Ben Russell

Tags: Children, children's aid new york, What is Children's Aid

“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.”

– John F. Kennedy

Everything boils down to education. When we teach our children to value themselves, they learn to value others.  Teaching kids to care is the greatest gift that we can bestow upon them.  It helps them understand how to balance their own needs with the needs of those around them – family, friends, and teachers.

There is nothing more gratifying than seeing kids helping kids: our young fifth graders, the All-Star Givers, at Washington Heights-based P.S. 152 raised over $1100 from spare change as part of Common Cents Penny Harvest, the largest child philanthropy program in the US. Our Teen Action Club collected almost 1,000 cans of food for local food pantries, winning them free airline tickets, which they used to fly to Las Vegas, not for a part to help another nonprofit clean up graffiti and clear our parking lots! They understand firsthand that they can make a difference when they work together.

At The Children’s Aid Society , we strongly encourage our youth to engage in philanthropic efforts, through community school programs and teen initiatives, like our Bronx Youth Council, where middle and high school students actively participate in neighborhood issues that directly affect them.  Issues such as gang violence, mental health, education and hunger are some of the problems they face in their community.  Each student chooses a specific issue, makes it his or her own personal cause and, at the end of each year presents a recommended plan of action to peers, teachers and government officials alike.

“You give but little when you give of your possessions.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

– Kahlil Gibran

Philanthropy and community involvement builds character, fosters a strong sense of compassion, and transforms young people into just and benevolent leaders. And – it simply feels good to help others!  But our kids have already figured that one out!

Tags: Children, children's aid new york, What is Children's Aid

The East Harlem Head Start program made quite a splash when they recently had their first day of swimming lessons.  Already in its third year, the East Harlem Head Start Swimming Program has taught over 50 preschoolers, 70 parents, and even 1 Head Start teacher, how to kick, stroke, and swim their way across the Milbank pool.

The classes, held every Friday, pool together a variety of CAS resources – the Early Childhood Department, the Milbank Center, East Harlem Head Start staff, and one enthusiastic lifeguard.  Each preschooler is accompanied by one, or sometimes both, of their parents.

The program is designed so that both the child and the parent build up their confidence and learn how to swim.  Each lesson allows for the parents and children to really connect with one another, to feel proud of what they accomplish, and, most importantly, to have fun!  Stay tuned, the group will be swimming laps in no time!

Tags: Children, children's aid new york, What is Children's Aid