Charles Loring Brace formed The Children’s Aid Society in 1853 in response to the growing ranks of children and youth orphaned or homeless, and living on the streets. In doing so, he set in motion what would become modern day social services.
Since then, the nature of poverty has changed, again and again. Governments at every level have transformed to address the problems brought by hunger, homelessness, unemployment, and inequality. As one of New York City’s pioneering nonprofits, Children’s Aid has been vigilant in adapting and anticipating these changes.
One thing, though, remains constant across those decades and years: our unwavering commitment to the limitless potential of children and youth.
And you make that possible.
Because of that commitment, we have spent much of the last decade sharpening our programmatic focus and strengthening our infrastructure. Anchoring all our efforts is continuous, data-supported improvement throughout our organization so we can identify our core strengths and offer children, youth, and families the tools and resources they need to realize their fullest potential.
Nearly two years ago, we embarked on a rigorous process to ensure that our public identify reflected the innovations and aspirations found in every other aspect of our work. We are thrilled with the results.
We have shortened our name by two words without losing our legacy, the heart of our work: we help young people succeed.
We have a tagline that speaks to our mission as a multiservice organization—our pledge to support kids and their families every step of the way through childhood.
Finally, we wanted a logo that would evoke the environment that bolsters youth success. Our mark starts with the circular core—the child. Surrounding that most immediately is the family; strong families empower young people to achieve at the highest levels. The community sits below the family, helping launch youth to success.
These visual elements will not mean much if they are not supported by work that promotes the brand’s promise. And that is one thing that has not changed. Thanks to your tremendous support, you can count on Children’s Aid to be a professional powerhouse of solutions for young people in New York City.
Chronic Absence
#SchoolEveryDay, the Only Way
Every September, schools across the U.S.—and organizations like Children’s Aid—recognize Attendance Awareness Month. Mounting evidence confirms that consistent attendance is fundamental to success in school. Anything less can be devastating to long-term achievement. At Children’s Aid—thanks to you—we have made #SchoolEveryDay a core component of our work.
Student attendance is a multifaceted issue. Asthma and other health issues, sibling absences, involvement in the child welfare system, lack of affordable transportation, and housing insecurity, are common reasons why students living in poverty are chronically absent.
The scope of these issues is simply beyond the reach of school staff. In New York City, a quarter of all students are chronically absent, but kids living in low-income neighborhoods are four times more likely than their better-off peers to be chronically absent (defined as missing more than 10 percent of school).
We are building a collective strategy to address chronic absenteeism. “We cannot succeed if we don’t give them all the tools they need to achieve, and these tools are acquired through education,” said Verónica Cuéllar, data manager for our work in South Bronx Rising Together.
Our goal is to understand what the reasons are for each young person missing a lot of school. It works. Improved attendance for previously chronically absent students often results from positive engagement of students and parents. By ensuring that students are in school every day, we increase their likelihood of academic success and ultimately of realizing their fullest potential.
Morgan Stanley
Children’s Aid Corporate Champion
For decades, Morgan Stanley and its committed employees have been true friends and avid supporters of Children’s Aid. Together, we continue to support the success of children and youth living in poverty. Among the many ways we partner are through:
Volunteer Engagement: Morgan Stanley employees have given their time, energy, and resources to support our children and families. Most recently, the Global Capital Markets team has moved mountains for Children’s Aid through beautification projects, college advising, and field trips.
Philanthropic Giving: The Morgan Stanley Foundation has been an unwavering supporter of Children’s Aid services, including our community schools, which organize critical resources around children in schools to support their success. For example, our community schools offer medical, mental, and dental health care in our school-based health centers, while our parent resource rooms provide a welcoming place for parents to engage in educational classes and learn how best to support their children’s success.
Event Sponsorships: Morgan Stanley has been an ardent sponsor of our annual Keeping the Promise Benefit as well as the Golf Classic. We were thrilled they joined us at this year’s Benefit!
Board Leadership: Children’s Aid has benefited from the extraordinary leadership and expertise of Morgan Stanley employees who have served on our board of trustees.
We could not do this important work alone, and remain deeply grateful to both Morgan Stanley and its employees, as we together are enhancing services and enriching lives
Gina Williams
Children’s Aid Corporate Volunteer
When Gina Williams participated in a Children’s Aid career readiness workshop as a volunteer with her employer, Pfizer, revisiting her family history was the last thing on her mind. But then she heard a Children’s Aid staff member mention the Orphan Train movement.
Gina’s great-grandmother, Rosemary Baker, boarded an Orphan Train in 1902 when she was just 5 years old, after being left in an orphanage by her biological mother. Rosemary was taken in by a family of farmers in Nebraska. Except for a brief period, she lived with the family until she was a young woman and married a carpenter.
“It was an accident really, that we made the connection” at the volunteer event, said Gina. She called her mother, Sandy Osborne, of St. Louis, who keeps to this day a scrap book documenting Rosemary’s childhood.
“I feel such a strong affinity for Children’s Aid now,” said Gina. “I feel like we’re related. Our family exists the way it does because of Children’s Aid and the Orphan Trains.”
Gina recognizes that the concept of the Orphan Trains might not sit well in today’s world. But poverty and human services were entirely different in the 1800s. “Charles Loring Brace did this from a place of love,” said Gina. And in its wake came more of that love.
Kenny Amekkor
Children’s Aid Since 2010
Kenny Amekkor admits that he didn’t take his academics seriously when he was in middle school. “But I always knew that I was going to end up at college,” he said.
A big reason for that was because Kenny attended Opportunity Charter School in Harlem where he was part of our Carrera Pregnancy Prevention program, which is designed to help youth navigate the social and economic barriers to fully realizing their potential. Children’s Aid staff knew he was capable of college. Your investment in Children’s Aid ensured that Kenny received social-emotional support from the sixth grade on, providing him with guidance and encouragement. As he approached his last few years in high school, he received weekly check-ins with Children’s Aid Education Coordinator Amber Peters to explore his college and career opportunities.
This past year, Kenny graduated as the class valedictorian and was the first student in the school’s history to obtain the Advanced Regents diploma. Through Children’s Aid, he received the Peter and Susan Friedes Scholarship. Although only just settling into his freshman year at CUNY City College, Kenny already has plans to major in biology with the goal of cementing a future in medicine.
“I’m more independent now,” he said. “I’m taking my classes more seriously and I’m taking more initiative.”
Team Children's Aid Delivers!
TCS New York City Marathon
Team Children’s Aid shined on race day, November 5, with both their running efforts as well as their fundraising achievements. Overall, the team raised more than $30,000 to date, while training hard for the 26.2 mile run through New York City’s five boroughs. You can still support Team Children’s Aid by contributing to our runners’ fundraising efforts here, and/or by signing up to run the 2018 Marathon with us! We are currently recruiting company teams and individual runners to join Team Children’s Aid, and you, too, can make a meaningful impact. Please contact Jennifer Warren to get involved.
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