Children's Aid Society» What is Children’s Aid

Have You Heard of The Children’s Aid Society in New York?

Heather — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:00:05 +0000

Children’s Aid hit the streets of New York City to find out what New Yorkers really knew about The Children’s Aid Society.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this new video, called Have You Heard of the Children’s Aid Society in New York?, we ran into a variety of New Yorkers where some knew the name and others weren’t sure, so in light of that, we are delighted to present our 150 year old organization to you where our long-term goal is to support the underserved children of New York City, from birth to young adulthood.

One New York City father in the video said it best: “I love my kids very much and… if something happened to me…it’s nice to know that there are organizations out there (like The Children’s Aid Society) who can really step up and help people in need.”

For more information on our programs and services, go to our website or call us at (212) 949-4800.

Remember, you can make a difference.

Teamwork: The Children’s Aid Society and The Boys and Girls Clubs of America

David — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:00:19 +0000

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.

Children’s Aid Supports Juvenile Justice Programs

Andrew — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:00:24 +0000

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.

A Life Transformed by The Children’s Aid Society Programs

Children's Aid Society — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:00:36 +0000

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

Changing the Statistics on Teen Pregnancy

Children's Aid Society — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:17 +0000

The topic of teen pregnancy prevention has been around so long that I wonder if we sometimes lose site of the terrible statistics behind this issue:

86 adolescents become pregnant every hour of every day

50 adolescents give birth every hour of every day

24 adolescents terminate pregnancies every hour of every day

457 adolescents contract STDs every hour of every day

Teen pregnancy and its far reaching ramifications on the teens, the children born to these teens, and society as a whole is very much in the sights of national funding priorities. We are pleased to report that our Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program (APPP) has just been found to meet Top Tier evidence of effectiveness standards by The Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy.

This is an initiative, being reviewed by Congress, which identifies social program models that meet these criteria as a way to identify which programs should receive federal funds. The Children’s Aid Carrera program could potentially receive public funding for the first time in its existence as a result of this finding, meaning the program could expand greatly in coming years.

We truly hope this assessment will broaden the reach of our APPP program which currently has replications in New York, Baltimore, District of Columbia, Atlanta, Toledo and Flint, and reduces pregnancies by 50% in the communities served. That’s a much better statistic to work with.

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

The Value of Philanthropy – Teaching Kids to Give Back

Heather — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:22 +0000

“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!

Swimming Lessons at East Harlem Center

Moria — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:05 +0000

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!

Soul Therapy: Children’s Aid Society Creative Writing Programs Encourage Self-Expression through the Written Word

Heather — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:15 +0000

“The reason one writes isn’t the fact he wants to say something.
He writes because he has something to say.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald

It has been said that music soothes the mind, but writing heals the soul. Whether through journal writing or poetry, short stories or plays, or even that first novel – writing is the art which has the power to fuel our need for self-expression, creativity and empowerment. Everyone, young or old, has a story or two to tell and the creative writing programs offered by The Children’s Aid Society provide a wonderful opportunity for young people to tell their story, express grief/frustration, foster creativity – all through the written word.

Creative writing is also an excellent rehabilitative tool. The Children’s Aid Society’s after school programs provide students with many writing and reading opportunities: book clubs, play- and screen-writing, drama clubs and performance poetry. Children’s Aid also has partnered with Voices Unbroken, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing underserved youths aged 14-21 (the “unheard voices”) with tools and opportunities for creative self-expression. Through this partnership, South Bronx foster care youths at The Children’s Aid Society’s Next Generation Center (NGC) have access to experienced teachers and writers. Students attend local poetry readings, share their own creative work with peers and have exposure to new forms of literature. Minds are opened. Souls are unburdened. And, every so often, a real artist is born.

Making Music in West Harlem at the Drew Hamilton Learning Center!

Children's Aid Society — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:27 +0000

The Children’s Aid Society’s Drew Hamilton Learning Center runs an arts-based after-school program, with a special focus on music. The overarching goal of music instruction at the Drew Hamilton Learning Center is to develop musicianship, discipline, and self-esteem; the program pursues this goal in various ways.

The 70 students enrolled in the program participate for an average of 2-6 hours per week. Students are taught music fundamentals –reading music, history, theory and related skills.

A keystone of the program is instruction in a variety of instruments: percussion, violin, bass guitar, trumpet, saxophone, keyboard and flute. Teaching artists instruct the students in a small group setting, ultimately seeking to enable youth to create their own original music through improvisation. This DHLC after-school music program creates specific opportunities for instruction leading up to performances, promoting self-confidence and poise in each student.

The music program connects parents and other community members to the center by providing them with occasions to listen to and celebrate music though performances both within the center and in the surrounding community. Students in the performing groups, such as the Drew Drummers and the Harmony in Harlem Jazz Ensemble, share their talents throughout the community.

This past year, the students performed at the CAS 8^th Annual Children’s Art Show, Make Music New York, and Harlem Week. We look forward to another year of jamming in Harlem and the inspiration that music brings to our youth.

-Mary Newcomb

East Harlem Center and the Mexican Consulate Host a Family Health Fair

Moria — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:39 +0000

The East Harlem Head Start program partnered with the Mexican Consulate and hosted a family Health Fair this morning.

Representatives from neighborhood hospitals, clinics, and health agencies provided information and free screenings for the families.

Information tables were set up in the gym and a mobile health van was parked out in front of the Center.

In addition, short workshops focused on topics such as women’s health, nutritious cooking, and health care access for immigrants. It was a very healthy day!