Team Bios

At Children’s Aid we help children—and their families—living in poverty to succeed and thrive. We have been serving children for more than 160 years, a longevity that is a testament to our ability to adapt to the ever-changing needs of youth. After all, you don’t thrive all these years without being innovative. Today, Children’s Aid serves nearly 50,000 children and their families at more than 50 sites throughout New York City. All aspects of children’s development are addressed as they grow, from health care to academics to sports and the arts. Because stable children live in stable families, a host of services are available to parents, including housing assistance, domestic violence counseling, and health care access.

At Children’s Aid, we believe all kids have limitless potential. Children need strong, stable families and communities that surround them with encouragement and support for their academic success. The organization is a professional powerhouse of solutions, made strong by our 2,000 plus staff of community-based experts, dedicated to the education, well-being, and future of young people. We are teachers and social workers, coaches and mentors, medical and mental health care providers collaborating with families, leaders, and activists. For 160 years we have been knocking down barriers so that children can learn, grow, and lead.

Beginning in 1992, Children’s Aid has operated community schools in partnership with the New York City Department of Education. Starting with the success of I.S. 218 and P.S. 5 in Washington Heights, the effort has grown to encompass 22 elementary, middle, and high schools located in several of New York City’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. These partnerships—which draw upon a rich tradition of community schooling that can be traced back to social reformers such as John Dewey and Jane Addams—have become the Children’s Aid model: a powerful strategy that draws on a strong body of current research about the supports, services, and opportunities young people need to thrive.

We remain the only community school proponent that both teaches and consults. Our experience, expertise, and 160-year history of knocking down the barriers that poverty puts in the way of children’s success mean that we are a valuable partner to districts, community leaders, and government agencies. We draw upon a body of research and our own data about the supports, services, and opportunities young people need to thrive. And we are always adapting, so we understand the need for communities to tailor their schools to their unique set of circumstances.

In 1994, Children’s Aid created the National Center for Community Schools in an effort to respond to the increased demand for information and advice about community schools implementation. NCCS facilitates learning opportunities that draw on our community schools practice in New York City, as well as on lessons learned from around the country, including Children’s Aid adaptations and other models. NCCS also plays a central role in local and national advocacy to advance the community schools movement and highlight this approach in the broader education agenda.

Children’s Aid established the National Center for Community Schools to channel our experience into exceptional academic environments. We help communities develop the skills, relationships, financial resources, and policies needed to transform traditional public schools into community schools. We have touched nearly every major community school initiative in the United States and beyond, supporting communities’ desire to transform their schools and communities. NCCS also plays a central role in local and national advocacy to advance the community schools movement and highlight this approach in the broader education agenda.