Dear Friend,

Welcome to The New York Foundling Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection.

As the only center of its kind based in a family service agency, The Fontana Center was built upon both the mission of The New York Foundling and the memory of Dr. Vincent J. Fontana, The Foundling’s Medical Director for more than 40 years and one of the nation’s early pioneers in the field of child welfare.  

Working in partnership with The Foundling to provide services to children across the entire spectrum of child welfare, the Fontana Center offers training for professionals, education, research, public policy and advocacy, as well as the promotion of best practices in the field of child maltreatment and child welfare.  In addition, new initiatives such as Child Watch Programs and Public Forums are expanding The Fontana Center’s role in educating and empowering the public to help protect our children.

I would like to extend a special note of acknowledgement to Dr. Amy J.L. Baker, our Director of Research.  Amy recently co-authored one of the child welfare industry’s first research textbooks, and conducts pioneering work with families damaged by Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS), a form of child maltreatment not often studied.  Her ongoing research continues to transform this largely understudied field, and underscores The Fontana Center’s position as a leader in the field of child welfare.

Dr. Fontana wrote, “Children are hurting, some of them beyond remedy, resulting in psychological and physical scars that can last a lifetime. These are society’s forgotten children.” No child should ever experience the traumatic consequences of child maltreatment, and it is for this reason that the primary focus of The New York Foundling Fontana Center for Child Protection is to prevent abuse before it occurs. Thank you for sharing in our mission.  I look forward to greeting you at an event at the Fontana Center in the near future.

Sincerely,

Chuck Caputo
Director