The Foundling held a ribbon cutting celebration to celebrate the opening of our new Day Habilitation Without Walls location in Jamaica, Queens. This space provides a comfortable home base for adults with developmental disabilities in our day program to relax, learn life skills, foster connections, and engage with the community.
New York State Senator Leroy Comrie joined Foundling leadership and staff at the event.
The New York Foundling has been named one of City & State’s top healthcare organizations. This list recognizes organizations that are driving the sector forward and have an impact on policy, politics, and the economy.
As they share:
“The effectiveness of The Foundling’s services is grounded in a commitment to expanding opportunity; we continually evolve to meet the needs of the people and communities we support. Drawing on over a century of experience providing pediatric care, we operate a community-facing health center in the Bronx, with a new location opening soon in Brooklyn. Through a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that integrates medical, mental health, psychiatry, nutrition and case management, we deliver high-quality, holistic, trauma-informed care.”
For 20 years, thousands of young people have had life-changing experiences at Camp Felix, our overnight summer camp for children in our programs.
At camp, they feel a sense of independence, joy, and confidence – and enjoy experiences they may never have dreamed possible. They spend time in nature, roast marshmallows, sing camp chants, swim and kayak, make art, hike and explore, and build memories that last forever. At the same time, our trauma-informed approach creates a uniquely supportive environment that helps each child learn, grow, and thrive.
Children in the New York City foster care system often don’t have access to these opportunities, but thanks to our generous supporters, they get the quintessential American sleepaway camp experience. Over the past 20 years, 50% of campers have returned for multiple summers.
|
|
|
This vital work is only possible through the generosity of supporters like you. As we gear up for the summer season, you can help even more young New Yorkers grow, learn, and find inspiration.
Your gift can help expand Camp Felix’s reach and impact. Consider making a donation today.
Or, become a Camp Counselor, and directly help our campers build positive relationships, learn new skills, improve their self-esteem, and more. Learn more about open Camp Felix jobs here.
Our CEO & President Melanie Hartzog appeared on the Capitol Pressroom – a radio show airing on WCNY – to discuss our programming designed to help prevent child abuse and support survivors.
Listen to the full interview below, or learn more at the Capitol Pressroom.
The Staten Island Advance reported on a recent event – hosted by our Strong Families & Communities Training Center – at our Staten Island office. This event brought together community partners to teach child CPR, disaster preparedness and child development to families in the area.
Read more at Staten Island Advance
“A new study shows that home health care workers and others who work in the human service fields are among some of the poorest state workers. It’s an issue that is statewide,” writes Spectrum News. “A CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance report highlights how 18% of social service workers in Orange, Rockland and Westchester area live in poverty.”
Their news report features Brian Bulluck, one of our Residence Managers in Rockland County, as well as Jennifer March, our Chief Advancement Officer, to speak about the impact of this issue and our BUMP Campaign.
ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SPECIAL GUESTS ATTEND OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW YORK FOUNDLING COMMUNITY CENTER IN CATAÑO, PUERTO RICO SERVING NEARLY 150 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES
Honorable guests included Puerto Rico Secretary of State Rosachely Rivera Santana, Senator Ada Alvarez Conde, Mayor Julio Alicea Vassallo
Cataño, Puerto Rico – The New York Foundling, which supports approximately 1,400 young children and their families in Puerto Rico each year, celebrated the grand-opening of their brand-new early childhood center Mundo De Colores in Cataño with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
The new space was designed by The Foundling to protect neighbors during emergencies, including an extensive raising of the ground floor above the flood level of the area, back-up power generators and a water cistern that would provide water during an emergency. The facility will provide families with access to essential needs, including a state of the art kitchen and food storage, nursing and infirmary rooms, as well as 10 classrooms for Early Head Start and Head Start programs and outdoor playgrounds.
The opening ceremony was headlined by The Foundling’s leadership, Puerto Rico Secretary of State Rosachely Rivera Santana, Senator Ada Alvarez Conde, and Cataño Mayor Julio Alicea Vassallo.
The event marked the official opening of The Foundling’s newest Early Head Start and Head Start Center and community response facilities. Mundo De Colores will support 149 children and families in the community.
“The New York Foundling is steadfast in our commitment to providing exceptional early childhood education and responding to the changing needs of the communities we serve in Puerto Rico,” said Melanie Hartzog, President and CEO of The New York Foundling. “The opening of our newest Head Start and Early Head Start megacenter is a testament to that dedication, expanding access to comprehensive programming and child development services for children and families. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the Center will also stand as a critical emergency resource for the surrounding community.”
The center in Cataño is one of three major construction projects across Puerto Rico that The Foundling has developed, including:
The Founding’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve more than1,400 families in 29 centers across five municipalities of Puerto Rico: San Juan, Cataño, Vega Alta, Coamo, and Toa Baja. These programs provide early education services and child development support for newborns up to age 5 and offer holistic services to parents including health, nutrition, mental health, and parenting support.
Established in 1869, The Foundling has provided opportunities to build futures for hundreds of thousands of their neighbors on their own paths to stability, strength, and independence in New York and Puerto Rico. With an internationally recognized and interrelated set of research-backed services, The Foundling works in partnership with children, adults, and families who are creating transformational change in their own lives.
The Foundling has worked with children and families in Puerto Rico since 1973, when the organization sought opportunities to continue serving families who were returning to the island from New York City. Our Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Puerto Rico arose out of these family services in 1984 and are deeply embedded in the communities served.
For more information about The New York Foundling, please visit www.nyfoundling.org.
Our CEO & President, Melanie Hartzog, appeared on Monsignor Kevin Sullivan’s radio show, JustLove, where she discussed her distinguished career shaping New York City’s social service landscape— including exciting Foundling initiatives such as our investment in Puerto Rico and our BUMP campaign to bring up minimum pay for human service workers.
Listen on JustLove (Mel’s segment starts at 34:20.)