Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Maggie Lear, Traci Brown (212) 266-2255
Joining the Mayor for the ceremony were Local 371 President Charles Ensley and Grammy award-winning singer Taylor Dayne, who entertained the graduates and their families and friends.
"The Administration for Children's Services performs one of the most critical functions in all of City government -- protecting our City's children," said Mayor Giuliani. "It is gratifying to see that the professionals who have been entrusted with this awesome responsibility are pursuing advanced training and committing themselves to the very highest standards of performance in the service of our children."
Commissioner Scoppetta said, "Congratulations to this year's graduates of the Professional Development Program. They are all dedicated staff who have chosen to further their education and increase their professional knowledge. And thank you, Mayor Giuliani, for honoring the graduates at City Hall today."
The Professional Development Program, administered by ACS' James Satterwhite Training Academy, provides a range of services including tuition remission and coordination of work schedules to allow for class time. In addition, it provides Masters of Social Work candidates with certified field instructors and qualified field training sites which will help them attain their degrees.
All of the ACS professionals honored today earned post-graduate or college degrees in 1996 from New York area schools including Hunter College, Columbia University, Fordham University and New York University.
ACS was created by executive order by Mayor Giuliani on January 11, 1996, and is the City's first independent entity totally devoted to the protection of children. Included under its umbrella are the Office of Child Support Enforcement and Head Start. With a budget of $1.3 billion, ACS is the fifth largest City agency.