Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA)

Human services nonprofit organizations have become more critical than ever to New York City’s functioning and well-being. These nonprofits deliver the lion’s share of safety net services to vulnerable New Yorkers. They have stepped up again and again in recent years to meet the challenges of multiple crises, from an unprecedented pandemic to the largest wave of immigration in a century to rising rates of poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, and mental illness. But a new report by the Center for an Urban Future, featuring data from COFCCA, has found that New York’s human services sector also faces a huge challenge that directly affects its ability to deliver these much-needed services to millions of New Yorkers: a staffing crisis in which the average human services nonprofit has more than 15 percent of its positions vacant, as well as unsustainably high levels of staff turnover. Now is the time for policymakers to strengthen human services organizations for the long term by ensuring they have the staff they need to provide critical services, through compensation increases, contract forms, and a stronger pathway to careers in the sector. You can check out the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ee9uA8b2

COFCCA team members Dr. Sophine Charles & Katelyn Greco enjoyed an incredible discussion with OzChild & our member agency, The New York Foundling, earlier this month. We enjoyed learning more from our friends at OzChild how Australia approaches supporting children & families, & shared updates relating to supporting children & families here in the US and in NY! Thank you to The New York Foundling for coordinating and hosting this great discussion and exchange!

COFCCA’s President & CEO, Kathleen Brady-Stepien, & Associate Executive Director, Dr. Sophine Charles, were glad to join Mayor Eric Adams at Gracie Mansion to celebrate the City’s historic $741 million investment in human services workers!  Congratulations and thank you to Mayor Adams, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayors Anne Williams-Isom & Ana Almanzar, Chief Advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin, & our friends Human Services Council of New York. We look forward to continuing to partner to strengthen the City’s procurement system and fully fund #JustPay.

COFCCA advocated this week in Albany for more resources to enhance care and support of children and youth in foster care across NYS. Thank you to our members, Northern Rivers Family of Services, The New York Foundling, Children's Aid, & Rising Ground for joining us in advocacy! Pictured here with Assemblymember Chandler-Waterman, Yolanda McBride, NY Foundling; Michelle Avila & Georgia Boothe, Children’s Aid; Nancy Hruska, Rising Ground; Kathleen Brady-Stepien & Michelle Newman, COFCCA. Thank you Assemblymember for your strong support & advocacy!

COFCCA hosted our first Upstate Housing Forum at the LaSalle School in Albany on Monday. Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado was our Keynote speaker, and his inspiring remarks followed a panel of parent advocates Families Together in New York State highlighting families’ needs and recommendations for housing solutions. We then had two inspiring panel discussions—first a panel discussing programming landscape and lessons learned from providers and government partners (including Dave Bach, Unity House of Troy, Jeremy Kohomban, The Children's Village, Justin Roberts, Greater Opportunities, Sarah Watson, NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance) then followed by a panel discussing cross-system collaboration and how to mobilize resources (featuring Nancy Harrington, CARES of NY, Paul Brady, NYPWA, Commissioner Michael McMahon, Rensselaer County DSS, and Scott Emery, Healthy Alliance). Thank you to everyone who attended the event! A special thank you to our panelists, the LaSalle School and the Upstate Prevention Workgroup, for making this a successful forum!

The NYHER 1115 Waiver will advance health equity from many angles, plugging into one another. At Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA)'s Upstate Housing Forum, Chief Strategy Officer Scott Emery had the opportunity to talk on the panel about just how NYHER might further it all. Housing, one of NYHER's focuses, can impact a number of social drivers of health in communities. Caring for children also means that families have affordable, safe places to live. #NYHER #1115Waiver #Housing #Childcare #IntersectionsofCare

Congratulations NYS Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Harris-Madden and NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance Commissioner Guinn on your confirmation today by the NYS Legislature! We look forward to supporting your work in serving NY’s children, youth, & families!

Our Associate Executive Director, Michelle Newman, was at the Inaugural NYS AAPI Summit last week. Congratulations to Assemblymember Mamdani & Assemblymember Lee, co chairs of the summit, and thank you for organizing a great day! Pictured: Michelle Newman, COFCCA Board member Wayne Ho

COFCCA celebrated Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York’s 95th anniversary last night! It was an honor to celebrate Little Flower’s deep and enduring commitment to serving children, youth, & families, and to celebrate Secretary to the Governor, Karen Persichilli Keogh, who was presented with the Humanitarian Award, and shared inspiring and moving remarks about her family’s journey & special connection to Little Flower. Pictured: Secretary to the Governor, Karen Persichilli Keogh; COFCCA President & CEO Kathleen Brady-Stepien; Little Flower President & CEO Corinne Hammons Dominique McLeod, COFCCA; Dr. Melinda Konigsberg, Little Flower

Read our President & CEO, Kathleen Brady-Stepien’s letter to the editor in today’s New York Daily News: Support families
Manhattan: Re “New York City’s child welfare crisis” (op-ed, May 6): Child safety is the paramount government responsibility, and all families must have their basic needs met. Commissioner Jess Dannhauser, together with nonprofit agencies and the Administration for Children’s Services, has led efforts to: Increase use of vouchers that help low-income families in NYC cover the cost of child care, reducing stressors on families, by more than 350%; utilize an empowerment framework, CARES, to address family needs collaboratively, connecting families to resources to prevent removal, increased by 46%; boost workforce recruitment and retention supports, including scholarship investment, critical to ensuring that a stable, well-trained workforce can timely assist families; and promote family resilience and connection via expansion of family enrichment centers. Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies urges support for increasing reimbursement for family preservation and investment in human services professionals supporting families. Kathleen Brady-Stepien, president and CEO, COFCCA https://lnkd.in/eFgkMHmm