In 1869, we opened our doors and became a safe, stable, and loving home for infants and babies who couldn’t be cared for by their parents. More than 150 years later, The Foundling has maintained its commitment to keeping children healthy, supported, and protected from abuse, maltreatment, and neglect. Our legacy has not only continued through the years, but has grown stronger by working together with our community and our supporters. We help 30,000 of our neighbors each year across New York and Puerto Rico, with the goal of keeping children and families safe, supported, and together.

Initiatives like Healthy Families partner with new parents and provide guidance and linkages to community resources that promote positive childhood development. And Families Are Stronger Together uses an evidence-based approach to therapy that helps families experiencing crisis work through conflict and challenges and avoid a potential foster care placement. When there’s a clear risk and threat to a child’s health and safety, our Foster Care program pairs children with committed and loving relatives or foster parents. And, our innovative Child Abuse Prevention Program uses life-size puppets to teach elementary-age students how to detect and report abuse in their homes, while the Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection leads the charge in advocacy and education against corporal punishment.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month—and you can help us expand and grow our reach and impact as we share updates and information about our life-saving work.

How it works: Simply follow or add @TheNYFoundling to your social media accounts! Twitter | Facebook | Instagram  | LinkedIn For each new follower we gain between April 1-30, an anonymous donor will contribute $1 to support our services and programs that keep children safe.*

Throughout April, we’ll be posting informative content on ways to recognize and prevent abuse and neglect. Not only will following The Foundling on social media allow you to hear about our latest news and updates, but you’ll help The Foundling secure additional funds to support children in our community through our $1 matching donation!*

In addition to following us on social media, please consider also making a direct donation to the Foundling’s child abuse prevention activities.

 

*$1 matched for each new follower on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn; up to $3,000 (between April 1—April 30, 2021).   

The year ahead is filled with promise and hope—and a path forward as our community makes its way through and beyond the pandemic. As 2021 unfolds, we are pleased to share a new and innovative program that will support survivors of human trafficking, and we have a brand-new training center housed within The Foundling that will broaden our reach to youth, peer, and family advocates who work at community-based organizations across New York City.

For more than 150 years, The Foundling has been steadfast in its approach and commitment to providing programs and services focused on well-being, safety, stability, and helping people build supportive and healthy relationships. Our work has intersected with children and youth who been involved in human-trafficking, or found themselves susceptible to becoming involved in one. This is why we committed ourselves to partnering with victims and survivors: through therapeutic support and mentoring, our services allow survivors to increase their self-esteem and overcome the obstacles and hardship they previously experienced. The program has been named The Phoenix Project and staff at The Foundling will use several evidence-based therapy models to help survivors attain independence.

In addition to providing therapy and mentorship to survivors of human trafficking, The Foundling has created a training center, The Strong Families and Communities Training Center (The SFC Training Center), that provides specialized workshops and assistance to social service professionals and peer advocates working with youth and families across New York City. Since the start of the year, weekly trainings have been attended by 30-40 people.

Trainings are currently held in a virtual setting*—with more sessions scheduled each month. Topics covered include: strengthening communication skills, learning how to establish healthy and safe boundaries, helping youth and families obtain and secure services, navigating technology, and recognizing when there’s a crisis. The SFC Training Center looks to partner with community-based organizations and social service agencies in the months ahead—with hopes to train even more professionals who have built careers centered around service-delivery and supporting those who are experiencing hardship.

“With both of these new initiatives, we are intervening at the micro and mezzo levels. From expanding direct therapeutic services to an underrepresented population to enhancing family protective factors and providing skills for parents and youth to thrive, we’re helping everyone move forward,” said Shannon Ghramm-Smith, Senior Vice President of The Foundling’s Child Welfare and Behavioral Health Division.

* Trainings are currently being offered virtually and plans are in place to provide in-person trainings later in 2021 across all five boroughs of New York City.