The Children’s Aid Society mourns the loss of Nicholas Scoppetta, a longtime member of its board for 18 years who served as its president and then chairman.
“All of us at The Children’s Aid Society are saddened to hear of the passing of Nick Scoppetta,” said Phoebe C. Boyer, president and CEO of The Children’s Aid Society. “Few people in this city’s history have given themselves so completely to making it a better place to live. From his work as the New York City Fire Commissioner to his leadership atop the Administration for Children’s Services to his lengthy legal service in a number of capacities at the federal and city levels, Mr. Scoppetta was relentless in his public service. ”
Scoppetta first joined The Children’s Aid Society Board of Trustees in 1978. He left the board in 1996 when Mayor Rudolph Giuliani asked him to take over the newly established Administration for Children’s Services. At the time, there were more than 40,000 young people in foster care.
“Children’s Aid was extraordinarily fortunate to have had Mr. Scoppetta’s wisdom and guidance for so long,” said Boyer. “He brought compassion and conviction to our mission of ensuring that all children have the opportunity to realize their potential. There’s no doubt that some of that compassion stems from his personal life. He was in foster care as a young boy, so he certainly brought those experiences to Children’s Aid, understanding so acutely what youth in foster care needed. He helped improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of New York City kids, and we will always be grateful for his contributions.”
The Children’s Aid Society is an independent, nonprofit organization established to serve the children of New York City. Our mission is to help children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We do this by providing comprehensive supports to children and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. Founded in 1853, it is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving New York’s neediest children. Services are provided in community schools, neighborhood centers, health clinics, and camps. For additional information, please call Anthony Ramos at (212) 949-4938/ (917) 204-8214, email anthonyr@childrensaidsociety.org, or visit www.childrensaidsociety.org.