Rally to Stop Preventive Services Funding Cuts

Planned cuts in state and city budgets will decrease funding for the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), which coordinates the work of preventive service providers. As a result, the number of families that community agencies will be able to serve next year will be reduced by 2,500-3,000.

Preventive services are community-based programs that strengthen, support and nurture families, helping to prevent child abuse and neglect. They help make homes safer for children and reduce the likelihood that they end up in foster care. Preventive services not only ensure children’s well being, they are also a great investment: each child whose placement into foster care can be prevented saves large amounts of money for city and state.

Julia Jean-Francois, the Center's Co-Director, addressing the rally on Monday

On Monday, community organizations from all boroughs attended a rally at City Hall, organized by Citizens’ Committee for Children, to protest the planned funding cuts. Among the speakers was the Center’s Co-Director, Julia Jean-Francois.

Redesigning Foster Care: Workshop in Florida

Late last spring, the Center’s co-director, Julia Jean-Francois was invited by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to Florida to deliver a two-day workshop on family-focused approach to foster care delivery. The workshop, called “Critical Thinking,” was part of the Foster Care Redesign initiative of the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Family Support Services of North Florida.

The first day of the workshop featured a series of role play scenarios, using an effective “cut and rewind” technique, which allows participants to discuss what they observe and to suggest alternative approaches when the role playing resumes.  About a month later, the second day of the workshop reunited participants to discuss and analyze their experiences with implementing the concepts discussed in the first session.

Click here to watch clips of the nearly ten hours of video footage from the Florida event, covering the entire two-day workshop. Afterward, you can test your new skills with this online quiz.