When Hasan Davis, former Commissioner of Juvenile Justice for Kentucky and Annie E. Casey Foundation Fellow, was in third grade, he flipped through his social studies textbook and came across its sole image of an African American. It was a photo of a beaten, elderly man, and the caption read, “American Negro slave.”

September is synonymous with “back to school,” but in the 4-year-old class at our Escalera Head Start, Lead Teacher Katherine Beltran and Assistant Teacher Saptashikha Chowdhury have been actively preparing their students for September since June. That’s because all of their students will be entering kindergarten this fall. 

In 2016, The Child Center of NY launched its #DreamsTakeFlight campaign, encouraging children to let their dreams soar. This summer, JetBlue has joined us to help our kids rise to a new level in a different way with its Soar with Reading (SWR) campaign.

Imagine being a child and stepping into your classroom on the first day of school without the required supplies because your family can’t afford them. It’s a reality for a heartbreaking number of Child Center families, but with just $20, you can change that for a child right now.

There’s something really exciting in the works in Far Rockaway, Queens. On Thursday, May 30, 200 community volunteers from The New York Mets Foundation, the Workforce Housing Group, and The Child Center of NY will join forces with KaBOOM! — a national non-profit dedicated to building playgrounds for all kids, particularly those growing up in poverty in America — to transform an empty site at the Dix Avenue Apartments into a kid-designed, state-of-the-art playground in just SI

On a seemingly ordinary school day in Brooklyn, a classroom at Aspirations Diploma Plus High School was transformed into a courtroom where the case being debated was the controversial practice of “stop-and-frisk.”

Asian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in New York City, and they often face unique and difficult challenges, including an unfamiliar language and culture; poverty; and conflict between immigrant parents and American-raised children. The Child Center of NY’s Asian Outreach Program helps families handle these challenges by providing mental health screening, information, and counseling to low-income Asian American youth and their families.

The Child Center of NY took a big step toward providing integrated care when we partnered with Northwell Health in 2017. Now we’re taking things to a new level, thanks to a generous award from the Altman Foundation.

Every day is a celebration of the young child at The Child Center of NY, but during the annual Week of the Young Child, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, our Head Start programs participate in a national observance to spotlight the needs of young children and their families — and how early childhood programs meet them. It’s a fun-filled week with a different daily theme and activities that children engage in with teachers, families, an

We are pleased to share the exciting news that The Child Center of NY has been awarded a federal grant to provide two new home-based Early Head Start (EHS) programs in Astoria and Woodside. These programs will serve 100 children from birth to age 3 and pregnant women, 50 in each community.

The scholars at August Martin High School sure know how to put on an event. Their Winter Arts Festival on January 8 featured percussion and dance performances set to the backdrop of culinary and fine arts presentations — and everyone in attendance was impressed by the diverse talents on display!

One of the things we’re proudest of at The Child Center of NY is instilling in young people that there are many avenues toward success, which they can find based on their own individual strengths. You can see this principle at work at August Martin High School, where The Child Center serves as lead CBO (community-based organization).

The Child Center of NY will be celebrating a huge and meaningful anniversary next month. This December marks the 20th anniversary of the agency’s Youth Development division. With dozens of sites and programs, ranging from afterschool services to alternative high schools and internships, YD serves 10,000 children and young adults annually, preparing them for adulthood with the skills, support, and confidence to compete and succeed at school and in life.

I am excited to announce that starting today, your year-end donation to The Child Center of NY will be worth even more — because our generous advisory board member Russell Carson will match what you give 1:3. Estefania and Ariana are two preschoolers who have suffered unimaginable tragedy and could desperately use your help.

Autumn is such a special time in New York City—especially for children. With the fall foliage, turning of the weather, and spirit of renewal and new beginnings, The Child Center of NY’s early childhood education and youth development programs approach the season as we do most things — with education, fun, and a commitment to connecting the two.

To celebrate afterschool programs and their vital role in the lives of children, families, and communities, the Afterschool Alliance hosted its 19th annual Lights On Afterschool event on October 25. The Child Center’s afterschool programs were happy to participate in true Child Center style, showcasing participants’ strengths, involving families, and spreading joy to the community.

“What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine!”

September is Attendance Awareness Month, and there’s no better place to spotlight the importance of attendance — and attendance efforts — than August Martin High School in South Jamaica, Queens.

It’s been a year since the Redfern Cornerstone Community Center reopened after abruptly closing its doors the spring before. In a spirit of gratitude and in keeping with The Child Center’s emphasis on giving back, the theme this summer has been dubbed Redfern Plan.

A core principle of The Child Center of NY is that children learn best from relatable role models. Sometimes that takes the form of alumni sharing their journeys with current students.