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On Thursday, September 30, we livestreamed a special Fireside Chat featuring current President and CEO, Bill Baccaglini, and Melanie Hartzog, his successor, in conversation.
It was a wonderful discussion about the vital work that is done at The Foundling each day, and an opportunity to meet our incoming leader. Hartzog discussed her background and experience in child welfare, and shared her vision for continuing The Foundling’s legacy of supporting children, adults, and families across our five service areas – particularly as our community continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In case you missed it, the full video is available below.
By Chef Mark Bailey
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It’s a time when family and friends gather to continue old traditions, start new ones, and create memories that will last a lifetime. It’s a day filled with love, warmth and gratitude. Growing up as one of the youngest in my family, I didn’t get to see my older siblings a lot, because they were fairly independent and often out and about doing their own thing. Thanksgiving was the one day where we all stayed at home – watching the Macy’s parade while prepping the family feast together. Those cherished, warm memories from my youth inspire me today—that food and love go hand-in-hand.
When we cook together and for one another, we’re doing so much more than sharing a meal: we’re sharing a bit of our hearts.
Even though Thanksgiving this year is going to be very different—with smaller tables and more Zoom calls—we can still find creative ways to stay connected to our loved ones even when we are miles apart. After leading a cooking demonstration for The New York Foundling’s Fall Fete, I’ve heard much about the special ways The Foundling is celebrating Thanksgiving this year.
In The Foundling’s Mother and Child Program, staff and young moms will prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal, bringing together their own customs and cultural dishes. It’s also an opportunity for young mothers to create special traditions with their children that can last a lifetime. The same is true in The Foundling’s residences for people with developmental disabilities. Here, Direct Support Professionals and the men and women in Foundling homes will prepare feasts to enjoy together.
And as a chef writing about Thanksgiving, I would be remiss if I didn’t share a recipe!You’ve got to try Sausage Pasta with Pumpkin Parmesan Sauce (recipe below)! I love this dish because it’s the season for all things pumpkin, it’s the perfect comfort food, and it’s quick and easy to make! While your turkey is in the oven, you can whip up this dish in under 45 minutes. No matter how we all celebrate Thanksgiving this year, or what food you prepare, let’s be thankful for the community around us. Even if we can’t be together in-person, our hearts can still bring us together around the table. Sausage Pasta with Pumpkin Parmesan Sauce
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This year’s virtual Fall Fete honored our community of heroes—the children, adults, and families who weathered the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic and are paving their way forward towards achieving their personal goals. Special celebrations spanned the month of October with three mini events leading up to our large virtual gala held on October 27, and totaled nearly 1,000 views across all four events!
Our mini events provided an inside look at the work being done by The Foundling and celebrated our courageous community as they found strength and resilience amid the challenges they’ve experienced this year. The Foundling’s Legacy of Adoption paid tribute to those who helped create our longstanding legacy; Cooking With Mark Bailey provided guests with an exclusive cooking program and taught viewers how to prepare a delicious seasonal dish of sausage pasta with pumpkin parmesan sauce; and our Fireside Chat provided a meaningful conversation about this past year between Foundling President and CEO Bill Baccaglini, ACS Commissioner David A. Hansell and other special guests.
Our Fall Fete grand celebration was hosted by author and NY1 news anchor Cheryl Wills, who shared messages of perseverance, strength, and the importance of The Foundling’s work across the community. Among out featured stories, viewers were inspired by Rodney, a teenager in our Developmental Disabilities program and his eagerness and energy to participate in Camp Felix at Home.
And our guests met Denisha, a young woman in our supportive housing program who shared these words when reflecting on what it meant to finally find her own apartment and a dream job as a teacher:
“I don’t want being a foster child to define me. I want to define what it means to be in foster care. That this is not it. Things will get better if you trust your goal.”
Others who found ways to stand strong through the pandemic included Gianni, who faced homelessness and wasn’t sure he’d be able to continue plans to stay in school. Gianni remarked:
“The Foundling saved my life. I have a stable place to call home and now see myself going to a four-year college.”
The evening included a performance by Haven Kids Rock and the night was made extra special through video messages from Michael Conforto of the New York Mets, Judge Michael Corriero, NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan, Prom Series co-founders Cabernet Burns and Tori Murphy, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan of Catholic Charities, and more.
| Thank you to our generous supporters and our Fall Fete Host Committee! In total, we received nearly $550,000 that will support The Foundling’s vital programs and services. These funds will go directly to uplifting our heroes and supporting the tremendous work they do each and every day. |
To watch any of the events from Fall Fete, please click on the links below.
The Foundling’s Legacy of Adoption
Fireside Chat with Bill Baccaglini
Haven Kids Rock, a musical arts program at Haven Academy, our K-8 charter school, typically performs their annual musical, Unstoppable, in the spring. While their event was canceled this year, the students didn’t let social distancing stop them from expressing their feelings and experiences through song and dance.
The program created Unstoppable, Virtual Tales From The Schoolyard, a digital production featuring new music video clips and highlights from the past year. The event streamed live on YouTube earlier this month – watch it above.
Unstoppable, which is based on the real-life stories of Haven Academy students, covers topics such as bouncing between foster care homes, looming deportation, living in homeless shelters, and gun violence. The resilient stars of Unstoppable wear their scars as badges of honor and strength through song and performance.
During a Thursday webinar hosted by NYN Media, City & State’s sister publication, our CEO & President Bill Baccaglini joined nonprofit leaders from Safe Horizon and the Chinese-American Planning Council to discuss COVID-19 impact on nonprofit management. Panelists highlighted the need for continued advocacy across the sector, whether to support nonprofits at large or the communities they serve across various levels of government.
“The last thing we as a city can afford, at the end of the day, when the clouds clear and the dust settles, is for these neighborhood-based agencies … (to) not be able to make it,” said Bill Baccaglini, who runs the child welfare organization The New York Foundling. “We cannot afford that as a city.”
Read more (and watch a recording of the webinar) at City and State NY.
At The Foundling, we strive to provide the support and resources to help our neighbors to live their best lives – and during the holidays, this means providing those we serve with the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the festivities of the season!
Thanks to the generous support of our corporate partners, community supporters, and donors, we were able to host a number of parties and events to bring holiday cheer to the children, adults, and families in our programs.
Here are just a few of the ways that the Foundling community has been able to celebrate together this December:
Manhattan Lobby Decorating with Macy’s
Every year, volunteers from Macy’s decorate the lobby at our Manhattan location for the holidays! The trees, ornaments, and other holiday decorations bring festive cheer to our staff and the children, adults, and families in our programs all month.
Wreath Decorating at PJ Clarke’s
Our annual wreath decorating event, sponsored by PJ Clarke’s in Lincoln Square, provided holiday cheer. Children in our foster care program and their families, as well as scholars from Haven Academy, enjoyed a breakfast buffet, exciting presents, and fun decorating opportunities!
Crisis Nursery Celebration with Macy’s
Note: As of 2020, The Crisis Nursery is no longer operated by The Foundling.
Families who have been involved in our Crisis Nursery program throughout the year were invited for a night of family fun. This holiday party, sponsored by Macy’s, included a yummy dinner, temporary tattoos, a visit from Santa, music from holiday carolers, and presents!
Healthy Families Staten Island Holiday Party
Healthy Families Staten Island invited the families in their program to a grand celebration – festivities included delicious food, an appearance by Santa, face painting, and gifts for the kids!
Haven Academy Shopping Spree with the New York Jets
On Monday, a group of 30 scholars from Haven Academy received the experience of a lifetime – they were treated to a holiday shopping spree at Target by Brandon Copeland, linebacker of the New York Jets! The surprise event provided our kids with the opportunity to pick out great holiday gifts and enjoy dinner with Copeland and other Jets players.
Developmental Disabilities Holiday Party
At our Developmental Disabilities Holiday Party, our participants and their families enjoyed a visit from Santa, a tasty meal, and other festivities!
TD Bank Celebration
TD Bank, one of our corporate partners, recently provided gifts for our scholars at Haven Academy, and invited the school’s top spelling bee champions to a festive celebration at TD’s office. Scholars received presents and books, shared their hardest to spell and favorite words, and enjoyed sweet treats with the TD team!
Deaf Services Holiday Party
Our Deaf Services program hosted a celebration at our Manhattan headquarters, which included a visit from Santa, a catered meal, and holiday fun.
Santa Frank and the City Santas at Haven Academy
An annual holiday tradition, Santa Frank and the City Santas visited Haven Academy, with gifts for our Haven Academy scholars.
BTA MTA Gift Giveaway
Since the 1980s, the Bridge and Tunnel Association has organized a gift giveaway for our kids. This year’s event provided kindergarteners from Haven Academy with the opportunity to sing Christmas carols, meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, and enjoy presents!
Happy holidays from all of us at The Foundling!
Guest Post by Steve Alschuler
When The Foundling launched its charter school, Haven Academy, more than a decade ago, it marked the beginning of an effort to understand the educational needs of children in foster care and to develop measurable, replicable strategies for meeting those needs. Simply put, ensuring the future well-being of these children must include providing them with an adequate education.
The Foundling’s education conference on November 19 – “Safeguarding Their Futures” – further placed the education of children in the child welfare system front and center. For a full day, experts from around the country convened to describe their own efforts and to share information about effective programs and research from New York and around the United States.
Made possible with support from the Conrad Hilton Foundation, this may have been the first conference of its kind, and we hope it’s not the last. Collaborating and brainstorming with other professionals, reviewing data and learning about effective programs, is essential if we are to raise education on the agenda throughout our child welfare system.
David Hansell, ACS Commissioner
ACS Commissioner David Hansell kicked off the event and set the tone right from the outset. “Education,” he said, “is central to everything we do at ACS.”
We heard about several promising new programs from Jess Dannhauser, President and CEO or Graham Windham; Julie Farber, Deputy Commissioner of ACS; and our own Jessica Nauiokas, Head of School at Haven Academy. Janis Avery, CEO of Seattle-based nonprofit Treehouse, described her organization’s goal of raising graduation rates among children in foster care to match those of the general population.
Maryanne Schretzman, NYC Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence
Jennifer Pokempner, Senior Attorney for the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia, described the current state of federal law. And we heard a fascinating presentation of research findings from a panel that included Mark Courtney of the University of Chicago, Vanessa Xiemenes Barrat of WestEd, Amy Dworsky of Chapin Hall, and Maryanne Schretzman of the NYC Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence.
Those of you who are familiar with The Foundling’s work in this area may already know how our educational programming has grown beyond Haven Academy, providing coaches to high school students and partnering with ACS and CUNY on The Dorm Project, supporting the education and life needs of youth from the foster care system as they attend college on CUNY campuses. These programs have proven extremely effective – putting many kids on a trajectory toward a successful life.
Still, these programs are small compared to the overall population. Most children in the child welfare system are attending public schools that, through no fault of their own, are ill-equipped to deal with their unique challenges. Only 9% of foster youth in middle school in New York City are proficient in math. Only 25% graduate from high school on time. Many change schools multiple times over the course of a school year as their addresses change.
Clearly, there is much to be done and many challenges ahead. All of us must keep this conversation going, continue supporting and conducting research, sharing information and collaborating with each other. This conference was an important milestone and we are proud to have been part of it.
Interested in learning more? View the full video of the conference below:
Read more about our Education Programs here.
Nine percent of foster youth who are in middle school in New York City are proficient in math compared to approximately 40% citywide. Only 25% of students in foster care graduate from high school on time compared to 45% citywide.
These were just a few of the numbers shared and discussed by education and foster care professionals from around the country at “Safeguarding Their Futures: Supporting the education of child-welfare involved children & youth,” a conference last week. They gathered at the New York Bar Association to share research and data gathering techniques and to brainstorm ways to collaborate across systems and agencies to make sure that youth in foster care get the education they need to succeed.