On May 25, we had the honor of showing U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, New York City Department of Education Chancellor Meisha Porter, and NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray and her son, Dante, the important work we do at The Child Center.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Governor’s office deemed The Child Center staff essential. That is in no small part because of our social workers and other service providers and support staff.

At The Child Center of NY, we know every day is a day to observe, study, and appreciate Black History. From the first days of our nation when York played a pivotal role in the Lewis and Clark expedition, to today’s Black luminaries like President Barack Obama and Presidential Inauguration poet Amanda Gorman, Black Americans are an integral part of the fabric of our country.

As NYC schools shift between in-person and hybrid learning models during the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing is for sure: Remote learning will be around in some fashion for at least a few more months.

“You are so much taller!” was the phrase most often heard at the Lights on Afterschool grab-and-go event at J.H.S. 185 in Flushing, Queens, in October. The other one was, “Thank you.”

Ready for some good news for which to give thanks? August Martin High School (AMHS) in Jamaica, Queens, achieved a 91.7% graduation rate for the 2019-2020 school year! “This is a great achievement, exceeding NYC’s average high school graduation rate,” says Amanda Etienne, The Child Center of NY’s Senior Vice President, Youth Development.

When students at M.S. 283 Preparatory Academy for Writers wrote and produced a song about their afterschool experience last year, they never imagined their music video would end up with students performing in face coverings and standing six feet apart.

We are honored to share the news that the New York State’s Office of Mental Health recently awarded The Child Center of NY with the 2020 OMH Community Cares Award for the New York City region.

When Albert Perna, founder of the Perna Foundation for Kids and a member of Queens Community Board 4, received a generous donation of baby food to his organization, he wanted to be sure that it went to families who could use it most. He connected with fellow Community Board Member Ingrid Gomez, who works as a mental health therapist at The Child Center of NY, and determined that he would donate it to The Child Center’s Early Head Start center in Corona.

When 13-year-old Mathew of Flushing, Queens, gathered his index cards and began pitching his anti-bullying app to judges of the virtual 2020 Young Sharks competition, he started to have second thoughts.

The Quest ExpandEd Program at P.S. 182Q is a truly unique afterschool program. In a time when what we can educate our students about is often rigidly standardized, Quest gives teachers, group leaders, and students the opportunity to explore subjects about which they are passionate.

The Child Center of NY joined forces with other community-based organizations such as the Campaign for Children, United Neighborhood Houses, and Queens Community House for the #FundYouthNYC initiative to advocate for summer engagement.

Ocean Bay Cornerstone Community Center in Arverne has been organizing weekly food banks during the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that has exacerbated food insecurity. Here is Program Director Deborah Hoyle (and staff member Darryl Devore photo-bombing!) getting ready for the food distribution.

It may sound ironic, but The Child Center’s focus is larger than just children. Since children don’t grow in isolation, our goal is to...

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.