New Yorkers For Children Announces $475,000 In Funding To Nine NYC Community-Based Child Welfare Nonprofits Specializing In Nine Core Service, Population Areas

NYC Small Grants Program will support cross referral among grantees, leading to better services and supports for young people

The majority of grantees are led by those with lived experience or by people of color

In an effort to help smaller, community-based nonprofits in the child welfare sphere expand services and better meet the needs of children involved in the child welfare system, New Yorkers For Children (NYFC) is announcing $475,000 in funding for nine organizations across New York City through the NYC Small Grants Program. 

This program allows NYFC to support small organizations with deep expertise in core service areas and with specific populations, including transition-age youth, expectant parents, C-SEC (commerical sexual exploitation of children), and caregivers. Service areas include housing, education and career, mental health, youth voice, and equity.  The grants range from $10,000 to $75,000 and have been awarded to organizations that are predominantly BIPOC- and/or peer-led.

“These smaller, grassroots organizations are uniquely able to make a lasting impact on the lives of the young people they serve because of their deep level of expertise,” said Saroya Friedman-Gonzalez, Executive Director of New Yorkers For Children. “By providing additional funding to these organizations, they will absolutely grow and thrive, but we also want these organizations to bring together their various services and resources to have a truly collective impact for our young people.”

According to data from New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, at the end of 2021 New York City had just over 7,100 children in foster care, and in that year alone more than 530 of them aged out of the system. These young people face very specific challenges. According to The National Foster Youth Institute, only half of those who age out of the system will have some form of gainful employment by the age of 24, only 3% will earn a college degree at any point in their life, and seven out of 10 girls will become pregnant before the age of 21.

NYFC has a rich history of community partnerships in New York City, and these grantees will benefit from those connections. In addition to receiving funding, grantees will participate in a learning community through teach-and-learn workshops hosted by NYFC, helping them to cross-pollinate ideas and support each other. NYFC will also assist grantees by cross-referring participants so that young people can access more of the services they need to thrive.

The program was made possible by a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and is administered by New Yorkers for Children.

GRANTEES:

Achillea Peer Tutoring was awarded $15,000 in funding to expand its current tutoring program and increase availability for requesting teacher recommendations for area-specific tutoring, as well as provide more hands-on support and training to tutors. The organization is a national peer tutoring nonprofit run by high school students in New York City.

Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York (AFFCNY) was awarded $75,000 in funding to expand staffing for its helpline, which allows foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers to contact someone outside of their agencies and/or government entities to receive support, information, and advocacy. The organization helps families by reaching out to bureaucratic entities on their behalf that they may have an issue or concern with.

Alex House Project was awarded $75,000 in funding to help form partnerships with organizations for client employment, and to cover wages for several graduates for a 90-day probationary period at their new jobs. The Alex House Project is a peer-led social service and leadership development organization supporting pregnant and parenting mothers of color directly affected by poverty and racism, including homeless youth, new immigrant youth, and parenting youth in foster care.

At The Table was awarded $50,000 in funding to sustain and scale its college tutoring program, increasing from 45 to 60 students, and to provide work phones for existing staff. At The Table connects students of all ages, currently or formerly in foster care, with educational resources, specifically long-term tutoring.

Day One was awarded $75,000 in funding to develop a unit specifically focused on foster care-involved youth and to provide them with specialized legal and social services, as well as create educational opportunities, and add strategic partnerships aimed at violence  prevention. Day One partners with youth to end dating abuse and domestic violence through community education, supportive services, legal advocacy, and leadership development.

Foster Care Unplugged was awarded $50,000 in funding to expand its short film program, both by increasing the number of youth able to participate and the duration of the program. Foster Care Unplugged focuses on youth in foster care and/or at risk of being placed in the child welfare system, and works to develop their emotional-social skills and heal trauma through performance-based practices and the arts.

Fostering Meditation was awarded $10,000 in funding to expand services to clients. Fostering Meditation focuses directly on youth in foster care, attempting to address their mental health through the “Five Steps 2 Wellness”: meditation, yoga, vegan eating, cathartic writing, and group sessions.

Jeremiah Program was awarded $75,000 in funding to help maintain its 20:1 family-to-coach ratio as its client base grows. Jeremiah Program, a national organization with a branch in Brooklyn, focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children, primarily those of color, with a focus on the mother’s overall successes.

Not On My Watch was awarded $50,000 in funding to increase capacity of existing programs and to hire board specialist trainers in a variety of areas, as well as to pay for incidental operations. Not On My Watch is a survivor-led organization that seeks to combat human trafficking and domestic violence through education, training, community engagement, court and policy advocacy, and mental health support.

About New Yorkers For Children: New Yorkers for Children improves the well-being of youth and families in the child welfare system with an emphasis on older youth aging out of the system. NYFC provides direct educational, financial and emotional support and develops programs to fill gaps in the system in partnership with foster care agencies, community organizations, and the NYC Administration for Children’s Services. New Yorkers for Children is working toward a city where child welfare organizations have an abundance of resources to care for youth and families at risk or in need of support to lead safe, healthy, and rewarding lives. Find out more at www.newyorkersforchildren.org.