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Spence-Chapin Announces New Foster Care Agency Partnerships

Spence-Chapin Announces New Foster Care Agency Partnerships

Published 11-17-15

Submitted by Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children

Spence-Chapin, a non-profit adoption and family services agency, announced today, two separate partnerships – Catholic Guardian Services and The New York Foundling – both aim to service the New York City foster care population. Spence-Chapin will be working with both agencies to improve the permanency process, help stabilize foster care placements, and elevate the skill levels of staff who work with foster and adoptive families.

“Spence-Chapin, Catholic Guardian, and New York Foundling share a long history of providing high quality services to children and families in the New York Area,” says Adam Cotumaccio, President of Spence-Chapin. “We are committed to partnering with these organizations by using our adoption experience and proven approach to have an even greater impact on New York City’s children in care.”

Choosing to work with the most complex cases, Spence-Chapin started its foster care initiative six months ago with Catholic Guardian Services.  Relying heavily on individual donations and private funding, Spence-Chapin has been able to impact the lives of over 300 children throughout New York City.  Because of this program, 12 children and 7 foster families are now moving forward with an adoption plan. Spence-Chapin is now looking to scale their initial pilot program.

The foster care initiative aims to provide comprehensive, evidence-based therapy with customized case management. Spence-Chapin will continue to work closely with children, their foster families, doctors and teachers to build a network of support at a critical time. The program will also train staff on navigating existing open adoptions, conditional surrenders, common diagnosis, engagement skills and the effects of trauma and permanency planning.

Spence-Chapin is a resource for Catholic Guardian’s pre-adoption services for children in foster care. “Some of our cases are very complex,” says Caryn Asher, Chief Program Officer, Catholic Guardian Services. “Spence-Chapin acts as an extension of the Catholic Guardian team, helping us bridge the gap between client needs and services.”

The goals of these partnerships include shifting the current foster care culture into modern adoption and open adoption practices.  Various metrics have been established to measure the effectiveness of Spence-Chapin’s involvement; these metrics include decreasing the number of psychiatric hospitalizations, improving mental health ratings, and minimizing the number of intra-family moves for children in foster care. “Spence Chapin has entered into a professional and collaborative relationship with New York Foundling,” says Carmen Jirau-Rivera, Chief Program Officer. “Spence-Chapin is committed to supporting the New York Foundling in their work by providing adoption competent clinical intervention to address family stability and permanency planning on our most complex cases.”

“Each of our agencies have a strong interest in changing the permanency process,” says Spence-Chapin’s Cotumaccio. “By working with these premier agencies, Spence-Chapin hopes to create a culture to stabilize placements, care for clients’ mental and emotional wellbeing while offering adoption competency training to both staff and families.”

About Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children
Spence-Chapin is an adoption and family service agency bringing over 100 years of experience in finding families for children.  Spence-Chapin’s fundamental belief is that Every Child Deserves A Family. To underscore this commitment, Spence-Chapin has eliminated many financial barriers for families who consider embarking on the adoption journey. Through their Modern Family Center, Spence-Chapin has broadened their impact and provides support, workshops, and counseling services for: birth parents, adoptive parents, families formed through adoption, teens, children with special needs, and adoptees at every life stage.

About Catholic Guardian Services
Catholic Guardian Services (CGS) is one of the largest social service agencies in the state. CGS is a sophisticated human services non-profit organization with programs that respond to the most vulnerable people in the New York City metropolitan area. Their mission is to protect and nurture disadvantaged children and individuals with disabilities, to increase their prospects for self-sufficiency, to strengthen the family structures integral to their support, and to continually adapt our responses to their ever-changing needs.

About The New York Foundling
Founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1869 as a home for abandoned children, The New York Foundling offers an expansive array of services for underserved children, families, and adults with developmental disabilities. Whether it's an abused child in need of a foster home, a young mother who lacks the skills to care for her child, or a young person lost in the juvenile justice system, The Foundling provides the resources necessary to rebuild lives and rebuild families.

Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children Logo

Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children

Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children

SPENCE-CHAPIN IS AN ACCREDITED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN OFFERING QUALITY ADOPTION SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS. Our mission is to help find loving families for children whatever their needs or circumstances, and provide counseling and support for all children and the families to whom they have been born or entrusted. Our mission is driven by the simple belief that every child deserves a family.

Spence-Chapin focuses on finding adoptive homes for children who need families; promoting the understanding of adoption through counseling and public education; and improving adoption's image and practice. Through our Modern Family Center we are helping each family member navigate their individual adoption stories with clarity and confidence. Spence-Chapin's roots can be traced to the early 1900s and the pioneering work of Clara Spence, and Dr. and Mrs. Henry Chapin, who independently established nurseries out of concern for homeless infants abandoned in hospitals and shelters.

Today, Spence-Chapin is proud of our role as a prominent voice and leading advocate for adoption, and of our commitment to the wellbeing of all members of the adoption triad: birth parents, adoptive parents, and their children.

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