Our Programs

Fun Friday: PAW’s Got Talent

August 13, 2021  |  Leave a reply

Want to know how much fun you could be having at work? Check out this “PAW’s Got Talent” flyer for our afterschool program at the Preparatory Academy for Writers PAW Jam performance showcase. Our youth development staff at the program decided to have a laugh and photoshopped their faces onto an image of “America’s Got Talent” judges — and the youth participants loved it!

pictured from left to right:
Christopher Thompson, Media & Music Production
Vanessa Hazzard, Assistant Director
Charles Anderson, Principal, Preparatory Academy for Writers
Jessica Behr, Education Coordinator
Carolyn Johnson, Program Director

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“Just a Kid from Queens”

August 3, 2021  |  Leave a reply
Jeff Dess, Kevin Garland at Parsons Beacon

Queens natives inspire a new generation at our Parsons Beacon afterschool program

The Child Center of NY prioritizes hiring people from the neighborhoods we serve and providing relatable role models that convey to our children just how much they are capable of achieving.

Our Parsons Beacon afterschool program’s “Just a Kid from Queens” virtual speaker series, which ran from December to June, highlighted Queens natives who are doing amazing things with their lives and gave participants a unique opportunity to ask questions, learn about fulfilling career paths, and connect their current lives to the future they envision. Equally important, the young people in the program learned how people like them faced challenges, both personal and societal, and met with success. Continue reading →

Q&A with Bernard Sebastian

August 3, 2021  |  Leave a reply

A Parsons Beacon alumnus shares his journey

A core principle of The Child Center of NY is that connecting children with relatable role models helps them succeed. We constantly look for opportunities to expose our program participants to adults from their communities who have built fulfilling futures.

That idea was the impetus behind Parsons Beacon afterschool program’s “Just a Kid from Queens,” a virtual, interactive series featuring speakers who grew up in Queens and went on to do amazing and rewarding things with their lives.

Bernard Sebastian

One speaker, Bernard Sebastian, was doubly relatable to our Parsons participants, as not only did Sebastian grow up in Queens, but he also was a participant in our Parsons Beacon program when he was a child. Continue reading →

Early Childhood Education in Action

May 26, 2021  |  Leave a reply
HHS Secretary Becerra, NYC DOE Chancellor Porter, and NYC First Lady McCray Visit our Corona Early Childhood Education Center

HHS Secretary Becerra, NYC DOE Chancellor Porter, and NYC First Lady McCray Visit Us in Corona

HHS Secretary Becerra, NYC DOE Chancellor Porter, and NYC First Lady McCray Visit our Corona Early Childhood Education Center

On May 25, we had the honor of showing U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, New York City Department of Education Chancellor Meisha Porter, and NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray and her son, Dante, the important work we do at The Child Center.

They toured our Early Childhood Corona center, which includes Early Head Start and Head Start/EarlyLearn programs. We were grateful for the opportunity for them to see our programs in action, and for us to learn more about their commitment to early childhood education and wraparound care, a cornerstone of Child Center programs. 

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Social Work Month 2021: Social Workers Are Always Essential

March 22, 2021  |  Leave a reply
Chrissie Chua, SBMH

By Traci Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer

Chrissie Chua, Long Island City school-based mental health

Lead Clinical Coordinator Chrissie Chua conducts tele-therapy sessions with her clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Governor’s office deemed The Child Center staff essential. That is in no small part because of our social workers and other service providers and support staff. They are essential to their clients, and to our community at large, and I can think of no better theme for Social Work Month 2021 than this year’s theme: Social Workers Are Essential. Continue reading →

Black History Month Happenings 2021

February 18, 2021  |  Leave a reply
Black history month at ocean bay cornerstone

Celebrations Look Different, Spirit Is the Same

Black History Month Bulletin board at Ocean Bay community Cornerstone

At The Child Center of NY, we know every day is a day to observe, study, and appreciate Black History. From the first days of our nation when York played a pivotal role in the Lewis and Clark expedition, to today’s Black luminaries like President Barack Obama and Presidential Inauguration poet Amanda Gorman, Black Americans are an integral part of the fabric of our country.

That’s why in honor of Black History Month, many Child Center programs took the time not only to study and appreciate Black History, but also to celebrate it.

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School Tips: How to Help Children Struggling with Remote Learning

December 11, 2020  |  Leave a reply
Girl at a laptop Chromebook engaged in remote learning during COVID pandemic

screenshot of distance learning, remote learning, virtual learning

As NYC schools shift between in-person and hybrid learning models during the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing is for sure: Remote learning will be around in some fashion for at least a few more months.

Parents across the city remain understandably anxious about how to help their children adjust to full-time remote learning or blended-education options. The Child Center of NY, a community-based organization that works to close the gap for New York City’s under-served communities through afterschool programs, counseling, and many other services, has been helping parents in need with related issues since before the pandemic hit New York City.

Nicholas Ferreira, one of The Child Center’s Senior Vice Presidents of Youth Development, offers up the following tips that he and his staff provide to parents in under-served communities. Continue reading →

August Martin High School Now Has Higher-Than-Average Graduation Rate

November 24, 2020  |  Leave a reply
August Martin High School culinary students with Lidia Bastianich

AMHS scholar-chefs with Emmy award-winning public television host, best‐selling cookbook author, and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich. Read the full story behind the photo: childcenterny.org/the-child-center-of-ny-on-pbs/.

Ready for some good news for which to give thanks? August Martin High School (AMHS) in Jamaica, Queens, achieved a 91.7% graduation rate for the 2019-2020 school year!

“This is a great achievement, exceeding NYC’s average high school graduation rate,” says Amanda Etienne, The Child Center of NY’s Senior Vice President, Youth Development.

The city-wide high school graduation rate for New York City was 77.3 percent in 2019, the most recent figure. Continue reading →


Recent Blog Posts

Media of the Month: Destination: Princeton University for WIOA Participants

By Michelle London Program Director, WIOA Learn & Earn On March 1, participants of The Child Center’s WIOA Learn & Earn >>

Gerda Gonzalez, a social worker at the school-based mental health center at Pam American International High School, presents at a CIOB event on self-harm.
National Social Work Month: Q&A with Gerda Gonzalez, LMSW, School-Based Clinical Coordinator

The road Gerda Gonzalez, LMSW, took professionally to become a social worker was not a straight path, but today, she’s confident >>

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