NYS Office of Children and Family Services Announces $2.5 Million for Permanency Centers to Keep Adoptive and Relative Families Together
Centers Provide Needed Supports and Resources to Families After Adopting a Child or Becoming Guardian of a Relative Child
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has awarded $2.5 million to fund eight new regional Permanency Resource Centers (PRCs). PRCs serve families with a newly-adopted child or those that have become guardians of a relative’s child, providing supportive services and connecting families to resources such as parent training, peer support, mentoring, navigation for cross-system needs, therapeutic services referrals, counseling, respite care or other supports to help families address issues as they arise.
PRCs help post-adoptive and post-guardianship families through the unique challenges they face following an adoption or guardianship. These families sometimes struggle and may need supports to help them avoid placing the children in foster care. PRCs are located in all five boroughs of New York City and 23 counties outside of New York City.
“OCFS is committed to providing post-adoptive and post-guardianship services to keep families together and to promote the well-being of children,” said acting OCFS Commissioner Sheila J. Poole. “PRCs provide vital interventions and services to help families navigate the sometimes bumpy times that can occur after a child has been adopted or guardianship has been finalized.”
OCFS Deputy Commissioner for Child Welfare and Community Services Laura Velez said, “The additional PRCs will help us reach more families throughout New York State and provide them with the help they need to care for their newly-adopted child or relative child to make sure that child stays with them in an environment that is healthy for all.”
Funding for the PRCs was made available through adoption assistance savings. The funds are being invested in post-adoption services, kinship caregiver services and services to support positive placement outcomes for children at risk of entering foster care.
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Program
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Counties Served
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Region
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Award Amount
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Family Center, Inc.
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All 5 Boroughs of NYC
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NYC
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$333,000
|
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New Alternatives for Children
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All 5 Boroughs of NYC
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NYC
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$333,000
|
|
NY Council on Adoptable Children
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All 5 Boroughs of NYC
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NYC
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$333,000
|
|
Parsons
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Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, Washington
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Capital District
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$300,000
|
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Hillside Children’s Center
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Allegany, Steuben, Chemung, Tioga, Broome
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Western/Southern Tier
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$300,000
|
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Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of NY
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Tompkins, Chemung, Broome, Schuyler
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Southern Tier/Finger Lakes
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$300,000
|
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Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of NY
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Greene, Columbia, Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess, Delaware, Orange
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Capital District/
Hudson Valley
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$300,000
|
|
Abbott House
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Westchester, Ulster, Sullivan
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Hudson Valley
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$300,000
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OCFS seeks to fund up to five additional PRCs serving post-adoption and post-guardianship programs serving Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Yates, Seneca, Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Oswego, Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida, Madison, Chenango, Otsego, Schoharie, Putnam, Rockland, Nassau and/or Suffolk Counties.