Child Welfare Archives - The New York Foundling

Our Healthy Families Program Changes Lives

The Foundling’s Healthy Families program provides hands-on support to new and expecting parents and helps participants find community.

Tyesha, Doreece, and Victoria, three women from Staten Island who met through the Healthy Families parent-baby group, became close throughout the course of their time in the program.

Each of the moms had different reasons for being there but were united by a commitment to building a better future for their families. Even though Doreece completed her time with The Foundling in Fall 2025, she plans to remain in touch with her two friends via a group chat they formed.

In addition to providing a welcoming space for parents to connect with each other, the parent-baby groups give children the opportunity to develop social and relational skills. These opportunities to develop prosocial behaviors – combined with the intentional guidance of dedicated staff – help children build the foundation they need to thrive upon entering school later.

What is Healthy Families?

The Healthy Families program pairs Family Support Specialists (FSS) with parents. Specialists utilize the Growing Great Kids (GGK) curriculum to help families cultivate secure attachments with their children, support the growth of their babies and toddlers, and create a healthy environment for the whole family – including siblings.

In addition to the services provided, FSS are a source of encouragement for the people they work with. Michele Bonici, an FSS who worked with Doreece and Victoria, was someone who the moms grew to trust.

“When I got this job,” shared Michele, “I was so excited because I got to work with pregnant moms, doing activities and creating my own style with each family. Getting to know all of my families for that long brings me joy!”

Holistic Support Changes Lives

For many people in our programs, working with The Foundling ends up opening doors that may have been inaccessible previously. When Healthy Families staff recognized that program participants were seeking opportunities for community, they developed a monthly parent-baby group to address this need, providing connection, parenting instruction, and fun activities for children and parents.

In Doreece’s case, she first entered Healthy Families while still pregnant with her now three-year-old daughter.

With the encouragement of Michele, Doreece decided to return to school – which will help her create access to even more opportunities as she transitions out of the program.

Victoria and Tyesha are grateful for the opportunity they’ve had to cultivate a more robust support system.

“The support helps,” said Victoria, referring to the friendships she formed with the other moms. “Because all of my family lives in Brooklyn or out of town.”

It takes a village not just to raise a child, but to help entire family units thrive.

Healthy Families is an example of how The Foundling’s work is most successful when this concept – the significance of community – remains at the heart of the programs and services we offer.

Learn more about Healthy Families here.

December 5, 2025/by Keyonna Murray

Blog, Child Welfare

Our Mother Child Program Opens New Doors

At The Foundling, we’re dedicated to making sure young people in our community do not feel alone.

Our comprehensive services provide doors of opportunity for those in our programs, allowing them to gain access to the tools and resources they need to thrive.

When Rosa*, a young woman in foster care, first joined The Foundling’s Mother Child Program, she was managing a lot – she was in the process of finishing high school while raising her baby girl, Suzy*, with a limited support system. Determined to reach her goals, Rosa came to us in order to find a place that would support her journey to independence. The program has given Rosa a clean, safe living space in a quiet Bronx neighborhood, with opportunities to learn, grow, and connect with others.

The Foundling’s round-the-clock staff provided childcare, academic support, and supportive guidance – allowing Rosa to achieve her goal of earning her diploma and pursuing a college education. They also connected both mother and daughter with our pediatric clinic – which has helped them coordinate appointments and stay healthy.

Rosa is now 19 and studying social work at Lehman College so she can continue to give back to others. Her daughter Suzy is enjoying her first year in 3K! The ongoing, holistic support from staff in our Mother Child Program gave Rosa the platform to create a better foundation for the future of her family. She credits the program with being a lifeline during a pivotal time, providing motivation and giving her opportunities to grow – both as a student and as a parent.

“When you’re by yourself, there’s so much pressure on you,” she reflected. “Here, you have the support you need.”

Recently, our Mother Child program has expanded to a newly-renovated dedicated space, doubling the program’s capacity and increasing our ability to open doors of opportunity for young mothers. The Foundling continues to invest in these facilities, making improvements that not only meet the needs of participants, but help build community and connection – like a background playground that was installed earlier this year.

Your support makes this transformative work possible, and allows us to help mothers like Rosa reach their full potential through our array of interconnected services.

This holiday season, help open doors for our neighbors.

Make a Donation

*Names changed to protect anonymity

November 19, 2025/by Keyonna Murray

Child Welfare, Media Coverage

Associated Press: Mother of Baby abandoned at Penn Station Subway Stop Charged with Endangering Child

Liyan Bao, our Senior Vice President of Child Welfare, was quoted in an AP article on a recent abandonment incident:

Liyan Bao, senior vice president for child welfare at The New York Foundling, one of the city’s oldest child welfare agencies, said babies used to be left on the agency’s doorstep 150 years ago. But today, support is available to New York parents, such as a new short-term respite program launched this summer for parents facing a crisis.

“Services are available,” she said. “And I really would encourage for families in need to reach out.”

Read more at Associated Press

October 22, 2025/by Elefant Design

Blog, Child Welfare

Help Young Children Succeed – from The Bronx to Puerto Rico

In New York and Puerto Rico, we’re committed to helping new parents and their young children thrive.

The Foundling draws on decades of expertise to provide research-informed care that not only assists children in reaching developmental milestones but also provides parenting resources to help create family stability. New construction projects over the last year have greatly increased our capacity to serve families in two of our vital programs – our Mother and Child program in the Bronx and our Head Start program in Puerto Rico:

Our Mother and Child program houses adolescent mothers in foster care and their infants, and employs round-the-clock staff to provide childcare, parenting education, and holistic supports. Children receive high-quality care while mothers finish their education, pursue career goals, learn parenting and life skills, and ultimately independently support their families.

“I’m comfortable that my baby can grow up and as she grows, she’s in a safe, clean place,” says Safia, a parent in the program.

Our Head Start and Early Head Start programs work hand-in-hand with families to support parents and children during the critical early years of life. Operating in five municipalities in Puerto Rico, our centers support parents and children from pregnancy through pre-K. The Foundling’s highly trained staff, quality curriculum, and holistic approach provides early education and parent support that equips the entire family for success.

“It’s positive all the time; we are always moving forward. He’s not behind, and he hasn’t gotten stuck. I’ve seen a lot of change,” says Ileana, a parent in the program.

The Foundling is dedicated to investing in families and supporting our youngest neighbors as they grow and thrive. Your gift can help more parents like Safia and Ileana give their children a bright future. With your help, we can ensure that the next generation receives the tools to succeed.

Donate Now

December 18, 2024/by Elefant Design

Blog, Child Welfare, Education

Thank You for Supporting Young People Like Venessa

With the help of The Foundling, Venessa completed college, moved into a beautiful home, and has begun her transition into adulthood.

Venessa joined our Fostering College Success Initiative program, which provides academic, emotional, vocational, and financial support for young people in foster care. With the support of Foundling tutors, counselors, and coaches, she successfully earned her BA degree in Psychology, with the goal of giving back by working in the social work field.

“The program allowed me to be in school without worrying about where money was going to come from. I had a tutor, and I had a coach, someone who was there when I called to help me deal with life’s challenges,” Venessa says.

After completing her degree, Venessa was unsure how she could find or afford a place to live as she prepared for her future. Through our Supportive Housing program, which recently opened new units in Harlem, she now has a safe, comfortable, and secure home, along with wrap-around supports that have given her the stability to pursue her future.

“As a youth in foster care, you never know where you’ll end up or how you’ll end up. But now, with [The Foundling’s] support, I have a safe space to lay my head,” she shares.

Supporting young people on their own paths to independence has been at the core of The Foundling’s mission since 1869. Your gift can make a big difference to our community and to young adults like Venessa. This year, your support can create life-changing opportunities for the young people in our shared community.

Make a Donation

December 5, 2024/by Elefant Design

Child Welfare, Media Coverage, Partnerships

NY1: Una Joven Hispana Lidera una Despensa de Alimentos en Staten Island

In a news report in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, NY1 Noticias interviews Delila Nadal, director of our Staten Island Community Partnership, and reports on the program’s weekly Free Market, which provides food and household goods for over 80 families on Staten Island’s North Shore each week.

“When I was a child, my family and I used to use food pantries and it was a horrible thing because they would throw you a box, a bag and that was it. But in this food pantry it is a little different because it is a personalized attention that each person receives,” she explains.

Watch on NY1 Noticias

October 7, 2024/by Elefant Design

Child Welfare, Media Coverage

The Imprint: Hundreds Have Gathered in New York City With the Goal of ‘Narrowing the Front Door’ to Foster Care

The Imprint reports on “The Reckoning: Transforming Systems to Achieve Family Justice and Integrity,” an initiative headed by The New York Foundling and other partner organizations, which has held gatherings over the past year dedicated to discussing how child welfare organizations can reduce the harm and trauma that the foster care system has caused for families, particularly those in Black and Brown communities.

“Reflecting a significant shift in the social services field, the discussions have focused less on how to remove kids quickly from homes where parents are accused of abuse and neglect, and more on how to “narrow the front door” to foster care. More than 600 social workers, nonprofit executives and staff, legal experts and advocates for parents’ rights have joined the hours-long convenings that began in March,” writes The Imprint.

“We haven’t always gotten it right,” Melanie Hartzog, CEO of The New York Foundling said on stage at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. “But now there’s an opportunity for us to build on that urgency, to really think about a different way of looking at what we call foster care.”

Read more at The Imprint

October 4, 2024/by Elefant Design

Child Welfare, Media Coverage, Partnerships

NY1: ‘We’re Here to Help’: Food Pantry Director helps Fight Hunger on Staten Island

“Delila Nadal says she never stops working – from picking up phone calls to unloading food from trucks and unboxing it – because she says her work is imperative to a hungry community. Nadal is the director of the Staten Island Community Partnership, a program under The New York Foundling that provides social services to anyone struggling,” shares NY1.

In a news report in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, NY1 interviews Delila and reports on our Staten Island Community Partnership’s weekly Free Market, which provides food and household goods for over 80 families on Staten Island’s North Shore each week.

Watch on NY1

October 3, 2024/by Elefant Design

Child Welfare, Media Coverage

The Imprint: Foster Youth Often Struggle to Find Stable Housing. One New York City Nonprofit is Helping Meet the Need

The independent, non-profit publication The Imprint featured The New York Foundling’s dedication to supportive housing, including youth transitioning out of the foster care system and into transitional housing or independent living.

They note our programs as, “[…] a stand-out, gleaming alternative for youth aging out of foster care — providing not only otherwise unaffordable amenities, but a place to call home, alongside on-site social services.”

Our CEO & President Melanie Hartzog, two of our participants, and Bonnie Langer who oversees education and housing services at The Foundling spoke with the reporter. They shared their experiences with the individualized and supportive programs and services developed at The Foundling.

“We’re able to provide the type of support that young people need and deserve,” Melanie Hartzog, The New York Foundling CEO & President.

Bonnie Langer focused on the importance of retention and on-site case managers, “By expanding those opportunities, we’ve really been able to give youth a larger voice in making those decisions.”

Read more at The Imprint

September 19, 2024/by Elefant Design

Child Welfare, Media Coverage

Pix11: Helping Kids in Foster Care Succeed

Monica Morales of Pix 11 reported on a special celebration honoring high school graduates in foster care who are heading on to college, vocational training, and other new ventures! Hosted at Pier 57 as a collaboration between Fair Futures, ACS, NYC Department of Education, and The Foundling, this inspirational afternoon celebrated these young people, their past successes, and their post-secondary futures.

Watch the video below:

June 28, 2024/by Elefant Design