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 Circle of Support | ||
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Circle of Support, an ACS-sponsored neighborhood-based support group for foster, kinship and adoptive parents. It conducts regular meetings close to home.
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Workshops and Training for Foster/Adoptive Parents | ||
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Center for Foster Parent Training (CFPT) at the Hunter College School of Social Work has created a new website with links to foster parent training workshops offered throughout New York City by a wide variety of organizations devoted to helping parents care for their children. Click below to learn more about workshops and other training opportunties located in neighborhoods all around the City that can help you meet the needs of your children and network with other parents. www.nrcfcppp.org/foster-parents | |
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Family and Children's Resource Directory | ||
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Guide to community-based resources for children and families throughout the five boroughs. Includes contact information for organizations offering medical and mental health services, educational resources and recreational activities. | |
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NY State Publications | ||
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This manual gives practical information on topics such as medical care, payments, and the role of the court, and also provides guidance on areas like welcoming a child, discipline and parent vists.
This publication is designed to help foster parents understand the adoption process and take an active role in the adoption of their foster children.
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Support Groups* | ||
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The New York State Citizens Coalition for Children has a wealth of information and resources. Enter through the home page or go right to its comprehensive directory of adoptive and foster parent support and advocacy groups in New York State. www.nysccc.org The Adoptive Parents Committee is an adoptive parent membership group with chapters in Long Island, New York City, New Jersey, and the Hudson Region. www.adoptiveparents.org The North American Council on Adoptable Children, a national advocacy organization, offers nationwide resources and referrals, including information about post-adoption services and starting parent support groups. Publications also available. www.nacac.org | |
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Educational Advocacy Organizations | ||
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Partnership for After School Education maintains a geo-coded database of after school programs which can be sorted by type of program, location and other criteria. Advocates for Children works on behalf of children from infancy to age 21 who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure, including children in foster care. The AFC Education Hotline takes calls Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. For more, call 212-947-9779. Inside Schools provides independent reviews of NYC public schools along with many valuable tips to navigate the NYC educational bureaucracy. Legal Aid Society The Kathryn A. McDonald Education Advocacy Project (EAP) provides specialized legal and social work assistance on domestic violence and educational advocacy. For more, call 212-577-3318 or 3342. Providing Educational Assistance to Kids (PEAK) also provides specialized legal and social work assistance on domestic violence and educational advocacy. For more, call 718-250-4510. Legal Services for Children provides free legal assistance on special education issues to disadvantaged children in NYC. Intake hours are between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm, Monday to Friday. For more, call 212-683-7999. Least Restrictive Environment Coalition provides general information and resources for parents of children with special needs. Information offered includes helpful definitions of commonly used terms and detailed contact information for NYC special education personnel. The New York City Department of Education offers statistical information on all the schools in the City, as well as the Chancellor’s Regulations, and a variety of other helpful resources about the public school system. You can also call 212-NEW-YORK (same as “311” from within the City) to determine a child’s appropriate zone school or region, obtain DOE phone numbers and request other DOE information. Resources for Children with Special Needs provides information, referral, advocacy, training and support for parents of New York City children with special needs and disabilities. For more, call 212-677-4650. Sinergia, Inc. provides free or low cost legal services and advocacy on special education services and rights. For more, call 212-496-1300. | |
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Other Organizations* | ||
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The Child Welfare League of America promotes policies and programs with a goal of protecting America’s children and strengthen America’s families. This Web site of the National Adoption Center brings children “online” through photographs and descriptions and offers information that will help you learn more about adoption. The site of the New York State Adoption Service of the Office of Children and Family Services offers information about adopting in New York State. It contains in-depth subsidy information, a listing of all licensed adoption agencies in the state, and a database with photos and biographies of children awaiting adoption in New York State. The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse a service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Administration for Children and Families, and Department of Health and Human Services - is a resource for information on all aspects of adoption, including infant, intercountry and special needs adoption. The National Foster Parent Association offers online training and many useful links. The North American Council on Adoptable Children has a huge array of links useful to both foster and adoptive parents, especially around support groups and resources for parents caring for children with a variety of special needs. Lawyers for Children has a very comprehensive set of links to a wide array of other websites that include information about services for young people, youth development and child welfare. The group also lists a good variety of advocacy groups that would be helpful both to foster and adoptive parents as well as youth living in foster care. The National Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption. National Adoption Information Clearinghouse. The Children’s Bureau Express. Adoptive Families Together offers a moderated online, 24-hour support forum, and a modest but useful set of links to resources of interest to adoptive parents. Foster Family-Based Treatment Association. NationalResource Centerfor Foster Care and Permanency Planning. The Grandparent Resource Center provides information about services offered and contact information for the organization. Resources for Children with Special Needs Database offers information about programs and services for children birth to 26 with disabilities and other special needs in the NYC area. It also includes national organizations and residential programs such as camps and schools that serve children from New York City. | |
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Books to Browse | ||
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The Child Welfare League of America’s website includes a listing of books and videos about child welfare issues, publications for child welfare professionals and policy makers, and books of interest to parents and adopted children. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute website contains a database of over 1000 abstracts with up-to-date information on various adoption topics. The New York State Citizens Coalition for Children has a wealth of information and resources. Tapestry Books has a large online collections of adoption-specific books. Arvin Publications offers professional materials to the child welfare community. www.arvinpublications.com * Note: The listed organizations can help you in your search for information about adoption and foster care. They are not affiliated with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Exercise good judgment when making purchases, joining groups, and giving away personal information. ACS is not responsibile for any exchange or agreement you make with these organizations. | |
Foster Parent Manual
Foster Parent Guide to Adoption |
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