{"id":31982,"date":"2022-06-27T17:33:20","date_gmt":"2022-06-27T17:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/new-york-city-community-supports\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T17:42:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:42:59","slug":"apoyos-de-la-comunidad-de-la-ciudad-de-nueva-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/new-york-city-community-supports\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo respondieron las Asociaciones Comunitarias y los Centros de Enriquecimiento Familiar de la Ciudad de Nueva York a las familias durante un momento de crisis?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New York City\u2019s community partnerships and resource centers \u2014 supported by the city\u2019s child welfare agency \u2014 sought to help families connect to resources and navigate through the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering one example of how local networks can be leveraged to support families and keep children healthy and safe.<\/p>\n

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Background<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Family resource centers (FRCs) are welcoming, community-based hubs of support, services, and social connection that have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the risk of a report of child maltreatment<\/a> and entry into foster care. Depending on the jurisdiction, they also may be called family enrichment centers, family success centers, family support centers, or parent-child centers. Whatever the name, the centers emphasize community engagement, leadership, partnership, and the development of relationships between staff and families based on equality and respect. They can play an important role in supporting family well-being and in addressing challenges so families can thrive, particularly those issues that are poverty-driven and systemic in nature, and that can result in unnecessary contact with the child protection agency.1<\/sup><\/a> The National Family Support Network<\/a> has developed Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening and Support<\/a> as a guide for a broad range of approaches for designing family resource centers in terms of delivery, structure, funding, and services, given the emphasis on customizing FRCs to the local community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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I was in a shelter, looking for a safe haven. A few women from the shelter told me about the (Family Enrichment) Center. They were giving out fruits and vegetables that day, and they told me to go on in. I felt a warmth when I went in, like I belonged there. I felt at home. That was two years ago, and they helped me through a very challenging time. Now that I\u2019m in my own home, they still reach out to me: \u2018How\u2019s everything? Are you O.K.?\u2019 They\u2019re still there whenever I need them, especially during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Parent, New York City<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, many jurisdictions found that their FRCs were particularly helpful in engaging and supporting families throughout a crisis. Many of these centers quickly adapted how they served families \u2014 and even the services they provided \u2014 to address emerging and changing needs. In Massachusetts<\/a>, for example, FRC staff shifted from in-person offerings to serving families by phone, virtually, or one-on-one with social distancing. Colorado<\/a> leveraged its FRCs\u2019 close relationships with families and neighborhoods to help the state efficiently distribute $3 million of emergency infant supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Many jurisdictions increased funding supports for FRCs during this time<\/a> as well: California provided $3 million in COVID emergency relief funds for FRCs to provide emergency services and material items, assistance with isolation needs, parenting resources, and staff support to link families to other state and federal resources such as food and housing; in Utah and Vermont, federal CARES Act funds were used to increase the capacity of networks of FRCs to assist families.<\/p>\n

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In New York City, Community Partnerships \u2014 coalitions of providers and residents in 11 neighborhoods \u2014 and Family Enrichment Centers (FECs) also were able to quickly pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify, leverage, and distribute critical resources to residents in their communities to enhance family well-being. By investing in both, the New York City Administration for Children\u2019s Services (ACS) has created a community-based, primary prevention network in neighborhoods with high incidences of child neglect or maltreatment reports, thereby reducing the likelihood that poverty-related challenges will lead to unnecessary child protection involvement. These communities also abound with resilience and hope, and are uniquely anchored by social, cultural, and faith-filled leaders and institutions that help keep them strong. The Community Partnerships and FECs draw on these community strengths and assets to create space for community members to provide support to each other, use their voices to advocate for the next generation, and help their families strengthen their well-being. An early evaluation<\/a> of the FECs, published in March 2020 by Youth Studies Inc., found evidence that these centers are having a positive impact on a range of family protective factors associated with reductions in reports of abuse and neglect to child protective services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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What are Community Partnerships and Family Enrichment Centers in New York City?<\/h3>\n

Community Partnerships are coalitions of providers and residents that coordinate services and resources in 11 neighborhoods. They serve as ambassadors to the community, advocates for families, and advisors to the New York City Administration for Children\u2019s Services (ACS), helping to inform agency policy and practice and keep the city informed about community needs and resources. The Community Partnerships hire community ambassadors, who are local residents tasked with building trust and deeper community engagement, with a recognition that effective communication is not just one-way. The Community Partnership framework relies heavily on collective impact, two-generation approaches, and a commitment to equity. Each partnership comes up with its own mission, goals, values statement, and priorities, in collaboration with residents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Family Enrichment Centers (FECs), run by nonprofits, provide the community with a physical gathering place for individuals and families to connect and participate in a wide variety of formal and informal activities. FECs currently operate in three neighborhoods: East New York, Brooklyn; Highbridge, Bronx; and Hunts Point\/Longwood, Bronx. FECs aim to offer inviting home-like environments. To reduce stigma and increase access, no appointment is needed to visit any FEC, and residents do not need to provide any personal information to participate. FEC participants and staff co-design how the FEC operates and what happens in the space. The programming at these centers focuses on seven family protective factors: parental resilience; social connections; knowledge of parenting and child development; social and emotional competence of children; concrete supports in times of need; economic mobility; and strong relationships within families and among neighbors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Pivoting to adapt to the pandemic<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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As early quarantines forced Community Partnerships to cancel community meetings and FECs to modify their operations, both quickly found ways to continue to support community members. One of the most common activities during the pandemic has been the distribution of over 160,000 essential items, including bags of food, diapers, personal protective equipment (PPE), and personal hygiene items, as well as coats and other concrete resources<\/strong>. More than 5,600 resources to support remote learning for children, such as laptops, tables, Wi-Fi hot spots, and school supplies, also were distributed. Food and other essential items were distributed from FEC locations, in pop-up pantries in local housing communities and parks, and sometimes directly to residents\u2019 homes. FECs and Community Partnerships approached all this the same way they provide other services: no questions asked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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In order to address families\u2019 immediate, COVID-related challenges, the FECs and Community Partnerships provided a critical avenue to identify families facing severe financial hardships and link them to emergency assistance grant funds secured by ACS. These connections resulted in more than 100 families receiving privately funded cash grants<\/strong> without the expectation of government requirements. \u201cThe pandemic underscored what we already knew: that often what families need most is concrete support and services to address poverty and its related impacts. Throughout the pandemic, as families faced an enormous amount of stress, the work of the FECs and Community Partnerships proved to be crucial,\u201d said former ACS Commissioner David A. Hansell.<\/p>\n

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The FECs and Community Partnerships also provided information and referrals, as well as social support. One Community Partnership started a \u201cCall an Ambassador\u201d program, equipping staff with a Google Voice service and up-to-date information about the availability of community resources. Instead of waiting to be called, community ambassadors proactively reached out to every existing resident contact, surveying everyone they could reach to query what they needed. In total, the FECs and Community Partnerships provided nearly 10,000 referrals<\/strong>. For many residents, contact with FEC or Community Partnership staff was a lifeline. \u201cWhen people are going through a pandemic, they don\u2019t think anyone sees them or knows about them,\u201d says Monique Dennis Farrington, community ambassador for the Hunts Point Community Partnership. \u201cWhen they get a phone call, they know somebody is paying attention.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Two of the greatest needs families have expressed during the pandemic are access to resources and parenting support. These happen to be the bread-and-butter services of any FRC. So we have seen the demand skyrocket across the country and FRCs more than redouble their efforts, stepping up and operating on the front lines, even when almost everything else shut down.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Andrew Russo, Co-founder and Director, National Family Support Network<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Peer-to-peer support and partnership<\/b><\/h3>\n

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During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff from the FECs and Community Partnerships began meeting regularly once a week with ACS to share ideas and identify ways for ACS to support their efforts. (Previously, the FECs and Community Partnerships had held separate meetings.) \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter where we are, we\u2019re doing the same things,\u201d observes Rosa Diaz, community ambassador for the East Harlem Community Partnership. Farrington of Hunts Point agrees: \u201cWe need to collaborate and share resources across different areas. We\u2019re all ambassadors, and we\u2019re all in this together.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Community voice<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Both the Community Partnerships and the FECs involve community voice in their work. For example, everything in the FECs is co-designed with community members. This includes their names: The C.R.I.B.<\/a> [Community Resources in Brooklyn] in East New York; O.U.R. [Organizing to be United and Resilient] Place<\/a> in Hunts Point\/Longwood; and Circle of Dreams<\/a> in Highbridge. Community members also have a say in the furnishings and d\u00e9cor of the centers, and the programs they offer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Community members and families propose offerings (within the structure of the family protective factors) and determine how they are organized and run. Advisory councils (comprised of community members) and frequent parent caf\u00e9s also are sources of ideas. \u201cEverything the FECs do is co-designed with the community. The community members drive the programs and offerings, and they discuss with the staff what they think will work and what won\u2019t,\u201d says Crystal Young-Scott, ACS director for the FECs. \u201cThey really do take the lead.\u201d Since the launch of the three demonstration sites in 2018, the FECs have offered more than 1,000 programs and activities co-designed with community members, including several that are recurring events, including a women\u2019s small business development group, therapeutic art groups for the mothers of children impacted by local gangs, parent support groups, and movie nights for parents and their children.<\/p>\n

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Engagement and leadership by residents involved in the FECs and Community Partnerships come from staff being consistent, building authentic relationships, and developing trust. Concrete needs can be a starting place for connection. \u201cWe have to get past that trust (barrier) first \u2014 break down that wall,\u201d says Donna Downes, community ambassador for the Jamaica Community Partnership. \u201cThen they\u2019ll open their door and tell us what they need.\u201d<\/p>\n

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During the pandemic, the FECs and Community Partnerships adapted to meet the immediate needs of families by providing temporary food pantries. \u201cResidents are learning about our services because of the food pantry,\u201d says Dan Montas Tran, director of the Mott Haven Community Partnership, which saw its contact list grow from 70 residents pre-COVID to 1,200 less than a year later. His Community Partnership has also used the distribution of food packages as an opportunity to spread the word about other community resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Technology has been of particular concern for families during the pandemic. Many Community Partnership activities and FEC offerings went virtual to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and they helped provide families access to Wi-Fi hot spots and devices to support online learning and connection, as well as education about vaccines and where to get them. Since the start of the pandemic, the two programs combined have hosted nearly 700 programs and activities that have served approximately 21,700 individuals. During the pandemic, Community Partnerships also served as conduits for other city agencies to get information to residents, hosting 45 presentations about city programs and resources<\/strong>. Community Partnerships were not originally funded to do this work, but this is an area to explore for potential future investment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Personal outreach\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

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When the Community Partnerships and FECs were first established, they relied heavily on their relationships with other service providers to support outreach. Staff also made phone calls and visits to residences, schools, and other gathering places, and attended block parties and other local events. \u201cOutreach was really talking to people, getting people to buy in and trust and want to come to the space \u2014 knowing who the \u2018mayors\u2019 of each block and each building were, and tapping into them,\u201d says Denise Carr, family advocate for O.U.R. Place, the Hunts Point FEC. During the pandemic, with outreach more challenging, some staff reposted announcements on their personal social media pages to both increase reach and acknowledge the value of personal connections. \u201cI had to make my own Facebook page public, then someone would share it,\u201d recalls Farrington. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing that for the last 11 months because it was the only way to get the message out, be consistent, and gain trust.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Flexible funding and established connections<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Close relationships with trusted community partners have helped staff build relationships with residents and connect them to a wider network of formal and informal supports. Staff also listen to the community and, because of the flexible funding structure, are able to be responsive to how the community wants to spend resources. This was particularly valuable during the pandemic. Anthony Bowman, director of strategy and program development in ACS\u2019 Office of Community Engagement and Partnerships says: \u201cCommunity Partnerships not only have direct connections to parents but also relationships to many providers who can offer different perspectives and resources. It\u2019s so powerful when we collaborate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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I\u2019ve been in this community for 31 years and I had no idea that all these things existed. Now I\u2019m trying to tell other people I see struggling, who have children, to get them involved as well. The more, the better. We\u2019re like a family.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Parent, New York City<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Lessons learned<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Any time services are offered by or connected to an agency that provides child protective services, some families may feel wary about the potential for systemic over-reach or family intrusion. While funded by ACS, FECs and Community Partnerships are intended and designed to address families\u2019 needs in collaborative, supportive, non-intrusive ways. ACS and its FECs and Community Partnerships are learning important lessons along the way, including:<\/p>\n