Administration for Children's Services311Search all NYC.gov websites

March 1, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  pressoffice@acs.nyc.gov, (212) 341-0886


Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Youth and Family Justice, Felipe Franco, Selected as an Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellow

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) is proud to announce that Felipe Franco, Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Youth and Family Justice (DYFJ), has been selected as an Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellow. The Children and Family Fellowship, now in its third decade, is a prestigious executive leadership program for outstanding executives working to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, families and communities.

The Children and Family Fellowship brings advocates from different sectors together to work on the common goal of creating long-lasting improvements for children and families. Franco was one of 16 leaders from 13 states chosen for the 2016-2017 class. He will work with an accomplished pool of faculty at Annie E. Casey and child and family-service professionals, focusing on developing urgent, long-lasting strategies to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable children and families. As Deputy Commissioner for the DYFJ, a position he has held since 2014, Felipe oversees a wide range of juvenile justice programs and services for youth and families with the goal of improving the lives of those who are involved in New York City’s juvenile justice system.

“Felipe is a compassionate leader with an outstanding track record of managing innovative programming for justice-involved youth,” said ACS Commissioner Gladys Carrión. “For over 20 years, Felipe has worked tirelessly to promote and provide critical services that transform the lives of young men and women in the juvenile justice system.”

Prior to joining ACS, Franco served as Deputy Commissioner for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth from 2012 to 2014, and previously as the Associate Commissioner of Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth at OCFS from 2007 to 2012. From 1999 to 2007, Felipe served as Director of Juvenile Justice at the Children’s Aid Society in New York City.

”It is an honor to be chosen for such a rewarding opportunity,” said Deputy Commissioner Franco. “Through the fellowship and with support from national experts and New York City partners, I will focus on further reducing the number of youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system by strategically supporting the needs of our families in the neighborhoods where the majority of youth in detention and placement reside. An investment in strong leadership is an investment in improving the outcomes for juvenile justice youth.”

Felipe taught at New York University from 1999 to 2003 and has worked at the NYPD as Coordinator of Community Police Partnerships from 1998 to 1999; the Vera Institute of Justice as a Research Associate from 1996 to 1998; and the Roberto Clemente Family Guidance Center as a psychologist from 1994 to 1996.

Learn more here about the Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellowship program.