When educators and parents fret about the summer slide, they’re not referring to a Coney Island attraction. They’re talking about the well-documented fact that summer is a time when students lose about 20 percent of what they learned the previous school year. It’s also a season that can be a “financial and logistical nightmare” for low-income working parents, as they struggle to find affordable care while they earn a living.

It’s been nearly a year since Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled ThriveNYC, the most comprehensive mental health plan of any city or nation. Last week, the administration took an important step in ensuring that the program benefits our youngest citizens. First Lady Chirlane McCray announced a new ThriveNYC initiative called the Early Childhood Mental Health Network, which will provide mental health services and support for families who have young children (ages 0-5) with mental he

Last month, with the support of one of our Parsons Advisory Board Founders Marc Haken and NYC Councilman Rory Lancman, The Child Center of NY presented a free anti-bullying event at our Parsons Community School (CS) in Flushing. The event was the brainchild not of program officials or community leaders, but rather of middle-schoolers who serve on our Parsons CS’s Youth Council. They said their community needed it.

Female scholars at the Waterside School for Leadership in Rockaway Park celebrated their first ever “Girl’s Night In” on May 13. The evening, hosted by The Child Center of NY’s SONYC afterschool program, was a chance for the girls to build a sense of community as they felt like royalty, posing for pictures with the actual Ms. New York 2016, Anna Treppiedi, and taking turns trying on her crown.

My name is David Song, and I am 10 years old. I came to see Dr. Yoon because I was shy and did not talk to teachers and friends. I was fearful of talking to others outside of my parents and older sister at home. I was so scared that I could not say any single word when I was asked to make a presentation in front of class. I felt embarrassed. I just looked down the floor and wanted to cry.

When the NYC Administration for Children’s Services gets involved in a domestic violence case, the city agency refers the family to an organization like The Child Center of NY for domestic violence counseling. This educational counseling is a vital part of helping such families, but at The Child Center, we do much more to ensure a family — including the children — is truly equipped to end the cycle of abuse and live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Services, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of criminal behavior, announced the latest “Whatever It Takes” Winners, and we’re proud they recognized the dedication of two Child Center team members, Keecha McKinnon and Mariana Peralta.

Our Head Start folks with Assembly Member Aubry, Congressman Crowley, and Secretary of State Perales The Child Center of NY’s early childhood education programs are ending the year with a bang. First, our Early Head Start program in Flushing, which serves children ages 0-3, was reviewed by the national Office of Head Start.

From Occupy Wall Street to the Black Lives Matter protests, it’s clear that today’s youth are demanding change. Less clear are the avenues young people can take to make a tangible difference on the issues they care so much about. That’s why The Child Center of NY is excited to partner with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development and the Youth Development Institute on a new initiative called the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council.

Lights On Afterschool, a 16-year-old program of the Afterschool Alliance, was celebrated this week around the country. In New York, nearly 400 schools participated in afternoon and evening festivities to increase public awareness about the importance of afterschool programs, and Governor Andrew Cuomo named October 22 Lights On Afterschool Day.

Baseball is back in Far Rockaway. A new baseball league called Far Rockaway RBI, for youth ages 6-14, was formed as one of The Child Center of NY’s youth development programs and held its kick-off event last Saturday. The creation of the league was the result of the commitment and collaboration of many community partners, including Major League Baseball (MLB).

CUNY TV called on our experts when exploring eating disorders in NYC’s Asian American community. Our medical director, Dr. Sandeep Dhringra, discusses the widespread issue, which affects one in five Asian American women, and how work like ours helps them begin to heal. The episode will air throughout March, and is available any time online:

In a moment of silence, Queens United Middle School students quietly raise both hands in a gesture that has become iconic over the last few months–“Hands up, don’t shoot.” It’s the final image in a student-led video project that highlights a voice we don’t always hear in the debate about racial inequality and police brutality–the teens who want people to know their lives matter, too.

This holiday season, our afterschool programs are encouraging kids to give back. Our programs celebrated the Thanksgiving season by raising awareness about hunger and homelessness.

During the holiday months, The Child Center’s families come together for events centered around healthy food, fun, and family togetherness. These programs bring the whole family together—not just for arts and crafts and other fun, but also to talk about gratitude and growing closer.

On a recent afternoon in Queens, a roomful of high school students were practicing their handshakes. Some gazed shyly at the floor. Others stepped forward eagerly. It was the weekly meeting of JobNet Career Club, a new job counseling program at The Child Center, and employment specialist Ira Davison was going over basic interview skills. “Eye contact!” he encouraged.

“We’ll build a better world—for all the little boys and girls,” sang Emme Aviles and her friends, elementary school students in The Child Center’s summer program at PS 273. The students composed the song as part of an Africa-focused curriculum and fundraiser. They studied leadership, culture, and family relationships in six African countries, and raised money to help build a school in a South African village.

“The children weren’t able to play in the gym,” says Nathalie Louis, program director of the Beach 41st Street Community Center. “It was bare. It didn’t look like a gym at all.” Today, the Community Center has a fresh coat of blue paint and the gym has a new floor where children can play basketball and run and play—a community effort, thanks to the work of the staff at the Community Center, Council Member Donovan Richards and his supporting staff, Rebuilding Together NYC,

When students geared up for classes after the summer break, afterschool programs launched too, enriching the after-school hours with learning and fun. Across the country, afterschool programs participated in Lights on Afterschool events where they highlighted their programs and how they are helping kids to learn and grow.

Domestic violence is one of the most traumatizing events a child can experience, and each year 3.3 million children witness domestic violence assaults. They are domestic violence’s hidden victims. Unable to turn to their parents for help, these children often struggle in silence, alone with their fear and trauma.