The Child Center of NY is proud to announce that we have joined forces with Strong Children Wellness, a specialized primary care practice network that provides integrated medical, social, and mental health services and virtual care within community-based organizations in New York City.

Quanasia (pictured here with her baby Amelia) is a client of our Project Promise program, designed for women who are pregnant or have young children and have struggled with substance use issues. Quanasia is now working full time, and Amelia is registered in nursery school. The proud mom is in recovery and creating a bright future for herself and her beautiful daughter.

While many elementary-schoolers can be found playing video games or watching YouTube after school, 8-year-old Levion spends his afternoons building irrigation systems and monitoring water and temperature levels with the precision of a professional scientist.

The Child Center of NY was founded with the mission of destigmatizing therapy and improving mental health for children in poor communities. Sixty-seven years later, we are again at the forefront of addressing an unrecognized need for therapeutic support — immigrant parents raising American-born children with behavioral issues.

Michael, a student at our Corona Head Start, visits with “La Doctora,” a.k.a, Rebecca Griesser, a pediatric resident from Northwell Health. As you can see, Michael is really enjoying the hearing test!

It wasn’t the first time that 7th-grader Jordyn and her fellow afterschool program participants danced in front of an audience. It was the first time the audience included police school safety agents and representatives from an elected official’s office — and Jordyn couldn’t have been more proud of herself and her team.

A good time was had by all at this year’s annual client holiday party! We had a great emcee and DJ duo, Mr. Marc and DJ Mikey Palms from Party Like Brooklyn, Baby, who played games with the kids and got everybody on their feet. Special thanks to KPMG, Metropole Realty, and High Water Women, who donated gifts so that every child in attendance got a present, and to students from Long Island City High School who led crafts with the children.

Renowned chef and Emmy Award-winning television personality Lidia Bastianich cares deeply about immigrants and under-served youth having pathways to bright futures.

When 12-year-old Rose saw the big cardboard check for $25,000 from her local Assemblywoman, Nily Rozic, to the Parsons Beacon community center she attends for afterschool programming, her eyes widened and her body shifted forward in her chair. “That’s a lot of money!”

The weather forecast was gloomy, but that didn’t stop this young client of our Early Childhood Mental Health program from enjoying Halloween. He is all dressed up and ready to go!

On Wednesday, we officially cut the ribbon on a state-of-the-art NYPD Community Center, in East New York, where The Child Center of NY will be providing youth development and family support services. The center offers East New York’s young people a growthful environment, supported by people from all walks of life—including police officers.

New York, NY – The Child Center of NY, a nonprofit organization who will be providing family support and youth development services at the NYPD’s new Community Center at 127 Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York, offered the following statement about the Center’s opening.

“We felt like stars!” says eighth-grader Cindy Jean-Francois, a former participant of Ballroom Basix (BBX) at M.S. 283 Preparatory Academy for Writers’ afterschool program, “Play After Work” (PAW). Creating opportunities for our students to build self-confidence and shine is just one of the many facets of The Child Center’s afterschool-enrichment programs — and it’s just one of the benefits of this innovative activity, now in its second year at PAW.

Three-year-old Zion created this masterpiece while playing in the art center at our Escalera Head Start. Its title is “Mom.” “I made a smile face and a nose. It’s when my mom and my sister were walking,” the preschooler explained. “My mom is my friend.”

Three cheers for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), whose members visited our Ficalora Family Foundation Head Start Center to read to our preschoolers and engage in fun activities together. They also brought along one of the children’s favorite furry monsters: Elmo! You can see the excitement on the children’s faces — and the adults’.

Last Tuesday, third-grader Tania couldn’t stop smiling — or dancing or building or engineering. That’s because it was the day of the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)’s first city-wide Bring Your Dad to Afterschool celebration — and The Child Center’s COMPASS afterschool program at P.S. 89 in Elmhurst, where Tania is a daily participant, was selected by DYCD as a model site to implement the event.

Karina suffers from a disability and was having trouble with her SNAP (“food stamp”) benefits. Our staff at HALE, where her son is a client, referred her to our Single Stop program. Case Manager Yessenia Robles advocated on Karina’s behalf and was able to get her benefits reinstated immediately.

When Rosalba, mom to 11-month-old Isaias, learned about The Child Center’s Early Head Start program in Astoria, she worried her son wouldn’t be eligible because he has Down syndrome. Home Visitor Alondra Santiago assured Rosalba that we work with all kinds of families and are here as a program to support her.

Tuesday was a special day at Corona Head Start/EarlyLearn: It was Dads Take Your Child to School Day! A record-breaking 131 dads and other male role models participated in the event — much to the joy of 4-year-old Ximena, who had a blast painting a green elephant with her Papi. Our school-age children had their own Dads Take Your Child to School Day fun. Stay tuned!

Third graders Na’Mya, Camilla, Alia, and Kimberlee were excited to see this Monopoly-themed photo frame on their first day at the afterschool COMPASS program at P.S. 273 in Richmond Hill. The students had played different versions of Monopoly throughout The Child Center’s summer program and immediately wanted to take a picture.