BNY Mellon is the oldest continuously operating financial institution in the United States and on November 1, The Foundling will present Karen Peetz, President of BNY Mellon, with our 2016 Corporate Citizenship Award at our 2^nd annual Fall Fête taking place at The Prince George Ballroom in New York City!

 

BNY Mellon is a global investments company, servicing and managing assets in support of a vision to improve lives through investing. But perhaps you didn’t know these fun facts about the company:

 

• BNY Mellon was established in 1784 by Alexander Hamilton—they’re older than The Foundling!
• In 1792 The New York Stock Exchange opened. BNY Mellon was the first company traded.
• BNY Mellon encourages its employees to give back to their communities around the world through individual donations, nonprofit board service and skills-based and team-oriented volunteering and fundraising. They have a global disaster relief program to help countries get back on their feet after tragedy strikes.
• And best of all…with support from BNY Mellon, The Foundling is ensuring the success of New York City’s foster youth as they age out of care, most recently with the launch of our technology and workforce development programs.

 

Join The Foundling and BNY Mellon on November 1 for an evening of fun for a great cause! There will be performances by Haven Kids Rock, The Alex Minasian Jazz Trio and of course, we will be celebrating BNY Mellon!

Tickets, digital advertisements and sponsorship packages are still available and can be purchased here.

(L-R, Hon. Bradley Hazzard, New South Wales Minster for Family and Community Services,  Marta Anderson, Dr. Sylvia Rowlands in front of the Strangers Dining Room in the New South Wales Parliament Building.)

 

Last year, Dr. Sylvia Rowlands, Senior Vice President of Evidence-Based Programs at The New York Foundling, traveled to the State of New South Wales in Australia as an ‘Ambassador’ for Evidenced Based Practices. She met with key stakeholders from the governing child welfare agencies as well as preventive and foster care providers.

 

Over the next nine months, staff from The Foundling’s Implementation Support Center (ISC) worked collaboratively with the government in New South Wales to support their movement towards the use of Evidence Based Models and this groundwork has grown into a formal partnership between the New York Foundling and Department of Family and Community Services in New South Wales.

 

One year later, this work has reached new heights!

 

Sylvia returned to New South Wales, joined by Marta Anderson, Vice President of Prevention Programs, at The Foundling, and participated in an Industry Forum for Preventive and Foster Care providers in New South Wales as well as other states in Australia.

 

Below are key highlights from their latest visit to Australia!

 

• Met with New South Wales, Service System Reform Project Team

 

• Met with the Men’s Behavior Change Network Secretary and their staff to talk about Domestic and Family Violence. ). The goal of this meeting was to show that families who have experienced Domestic and Family Violence benefit from family therapy based services

 

• Presented to the Secretary of Children and Families Services on The Foundling’s success in New York City through the use of Evidenced Based Family Therapy Models of Multi-System Therapy and Functional Family Therapy-Child Welfare. After the presentation, Michael Coutts-Trotter, Secretary of the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services said, “Your presentations, comments and questions have been exactly on point. You have brought to us exactly what we need.”

 

• Presented to home care providers on the system changes that have occurred in New York City because of our efforts to drastically reduce the number of children in foster care.

 

• Presented on the effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy-Child Welfare in preventing children from being placed into care.

 

• Met with the Secretary of the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services who has oversight over the entire Family and Community Services responsible for the reform to their child welfare system.
• Met with the Family and Children’s Services Minister Hon. Bradley Hazzard at the NSW Parliament House to discuss the work that has been done in New York City and the impact Evidence Based Models have had on children and families.

 

• Taught a class at Melbourne University on Implementation Science and met with the State Family and Children Services Analysis and Research Department to discuss data collection and evaluation.

 

 

The New York Foundling announced today a joint partnership with The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) aimed at helping both organizations achieve a greater impact in the field of child welfare and maltreatment across the United States. Along with the opening of The Foundling’s upcoming exhibit “A story of Hope, Healing and Resiliency: Understanding and Preventing Child Maltreatment” on September 29, this new union furthers The Foundling’s commitment to educating the public about the issue of child abuse and neglect.

 

The Foundling formed the Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection in 1997, which has since grown to become a national leader in the field of child-welfare and works to improve the public’s knowledge and attitude toward child abuse and neglect.

 

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children is the nation’s leading organization supporting professionals who serve children and families affected by child maltreatment and violence. As a multidisciplinary group of professionals, they provide expert training and educational activities, policy leadership and collaboration, and consultation that emphasizes evidence-based principles in order to meet their overall goals of preventing child maltreatment and educating the public.

 

“Over the last 30 years, there has been no single group that has contributed more to our understanding of the causes, consequences, and treatment of child abuse and neglect than the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children,” stated Bill Baccaglini, President and CEO of The New York Foundling. “The Foundling is committed to improving the outcomes for those we serve with educational programs and expanded use of evidence-based practices. We are thrilled to join forces with a group such as APSAC, as this will provide a platform to help us reduce the incidence of child maltreatment across the country.”

 

Both The Foundling’s Fontana Center and APSAC serve as hubs of information geared toward building public awareness on child abuse and neglect. This partnership will help both groups to collectively work toward achieving a world without child abuse, neglect and maltreatment through educational and public advocacy initiatives.

This week we raise awareness and celebrate International Week of the Deaf (Sept 19-25)!

 

Since 1982, The Foundling’s Deaf Services program has dedicated itself to empowering children and families who are a part of the Deaf or hard of hearing community. It is New York City’s only preventive program serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and is available to individuals and families in all five boroughs.  Our team has a unique expertise in providing culturally competent direct services, in American Sign Language (ASL), while also promoting equal accessibility and accommodation for clients throughout the community.

 

Learn more about The Foundling’s Deaf Services program by clicking here.

 

Sunday marked the first day of Direct Support Recognition Professionals (DSP) Week (September 11-17, 2016), a time for The Foundling to recognize the dedication and accomplishments among our DSP staff who have devoted their careers to the care and support of others. Below are Direct Support Professionals from The Foundling’s Developmental Disabilities Division based in the Bronx, Staten Island, Manhattan and Rockland and Orange Counties who have consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, and shown tireless commitment to the individuals in our care.

Rockland and Orange Counties
Richard M. (pictured below, on the left) joined The Foundling in March 2015 and has exhibited kindness and gentleness to towards the individuals who live in the house he works at. On Sunday (Richard’s day off), he makes an effort to come to work so he can take one of our residents to church. Richard is always looking for new and innovative ways to keep the individuals in his care engaged, and will do whatever it takes to make them happier.

Stephen A. (pictured below) has been with The Foundling for two years and has met every challenge with determination and a solution. He mentors new staff and ‘shows them the ropes’ during their first few weeks on the job. All of the individuals under Stephen’s care know they can rely on him and trust him.

Manhattan and Staten Island
Fauziya A. (pictured below) shows compassion and understanding towards all the individuals she works with at The Foundling. She always listens to what other people have to say, and is respectful of their needs and requests. Fauziya has been able to minimize aggressive behavior previously seen in clients, and this is due in large part to her dedication, hard-work and consistent presence in the community.

Dahlia M. (pictured below) starts her day by greeting everyone with a smile and hug. She builds positive and productive relationships with the people she cares for, as well as her colleagues and supervisors. Dahlia encourages family involvement and makes an effort to include everyone during Foundling events (BBQ’s, boat trips, and community activities). Dahlia is a strong advocate for her individuals and encourages them to connect to the resources in their communities so they can get the best possible results.

The Bronx
Dolandre W. has been working at The New York Foundling for seven months and in this short period of time, has never left any situation unresolved or unsettled. Dolandre finds creative and alternative ways to solve problems and challenges at work. His calming demeanor makes the individuals in his care comfortable and less anxious.

Marlon R. (pictured below) loves working with the people we support at The Foundling and is known to come to work on his days off just so he could be a part of special celebrations and occasions marked by the individuals he works with. Marlon understands that he is viewed as a role-model and does his job with pride. He has taken the time to learn about the interests, passions and hobbies among the individuals in his care.

For “Celebrate Direct Support Professionals Week: Part 2” click here.