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November 14, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: pressoffice@acs.nyc.gov, (212) 341-0999 or (212) 341-0886

Administration for Children’s Services Uses Title IV-E Waiver to Extend ChildSuccessNYC to Seven Additional Foster Care Agencies

By the End of 2014 Sixty Percent of NYC Families Affected by Foster Care Will Benefit from Evidence-Based Practice; By 2015, All Families Will

New York, NY – The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) is pleased to announce the next group of foster care agencies selected to implement ChildSuccessNYC. After a pilot comprised of five agencies began in January 2012, the next seven chosen are: SCO Family of Services, Catholic Guardian Services, Cardinal McCloskey Community Services, MercyFirst, Forestdale, The Children’s Aid Society, and Graham Windham. The recent selection by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of New York State’s proposal for flexible use of Title IV-E funds allows ACS to begin roll-out of ChildSuccessNYC city-wide.

“With the Title IV-E waiver, ChildSuccessNYC will benefit many more children, youth and families affected by NYC's regular foster care system throughout New York City,” said Administration for Children Services Commissioner Ronald E. Richter. “We expect that the continuing implementation of this model will significantly improve outcomes for our children and youth in foster care, provide support to parents in a way that meets their unique needs and addresses the reasons their children came into foster care, and better supports foster parents. The model also empowers our youth to strengthen and stabilize their futures.”

The five pilot agencies that have participated in ChildSuccessNYC are: Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, Good Shepherd Services, Jewish Child Care Association, Saint Dominic’s Home, and The New York Foundling. ACS is grateful to the executive leadership and staff at these agencies for the outstanding work they have done as the first agencies to pilot the model. In addition, ACS appreciates the efforts of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA) for their collaboration and assistance throughout the pilot and waiver application.

ChildSuccessNYC is designed to reduce time to reunification for families, support foster parents to increase stability for our children and youth, encourage family connections, and develop life-skills for our adolescents and young adults in care. This includes significant support to parents immediately after children are removed to address the reasons their children came into care and provide intensive aftercare to support a much shorter time to reunification.

The four evidence-based components include: Parenting Through Change (PTC), Keeping Foster and Kin Parents Trained and Supported (KEEP), Family Finding, and Youth Development Skills Coaching. ChildSuccessNYC also includes the use of standardized functional assessment and trauma-screening tools for all New York City children and youth in care.

ChildSuccessNYC is currently being piloted with five providers that represent 20% of the foster care system. The full implementation will take place in two phases, the seven agencies mentioned above will begin in January 2014, with the other half beginning in January 2015. Agencies were invited to volunteer for the phase of the roll-out in which they wish to participate.