American adolescence is changing. Three decades ago, the biggest public health threats to teenagers came from binge drinking, drunk driving, teenage pregnancy, and smoking. All have fallen sharply in the United States. In their place are soaring rates of mental illness.

The Child Center of NY began in 1953 as a single children’s counseling center. Though we have grown to become a multiservice organization that serves the whole person in ways that meet the times, a commitment to mental health remains at the heart of everything we do.

Look at that smile! Patricia, 9, is a participant of The Child Center of NY’s Redfern Cornerstone Community Center, where the “Making Waves” program—a partnership with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene—provided opportunities for our summer campers to learn and enhance swimming skills.