New York City Foster Care Field Visit
Start:June 10, 2013
End:June 10, 2013
Location:New York , NY
Foster Youth Caucus Member Rep. Charlie Rangel and Co-Chair Rep. Karen Bass hosted a field visit in New York City on Monday, June 10.
The field visit in New York kicked off at Harlem Children’s Zone, a nonprofit once heralded as "one of the most ambitious social-service experiments of our time," by the New York Times.
This organization works to break the cycle of generational poverty for the thousands of children and families it serves through free parenting workshops, a pre-school program, public charter schools, and child-oriented health programs.
The Foster Youth Caucus visited HCZ to learn more about their unique, comprehensive model which strengthens families, increases the chance of family reunification, and ultimately, can prevent the need for foster care.
The Caucus also heard from (from left) New York City Commissioner Ronald Richter of the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) and Casey Family Programs President & CEO William Bell who provide an overview of trends in foster care NYC.
Unfortunately, New York City and other urban jurisdictions across the nation have reported that between 60-85% of the domestic minor trafficking victims are current or former foster youth.
That's why Caucus Members Bass, Rangel, and Rep. Yvette Clarke felt it was important to visit Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS), the only organization in New York State specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking.
GEMS also works to reform the systems and policies that make sexually exploited youth especially vulnerable. At the confidential location of GEMS headquarters, Reps. Bass, Rangel, and Clarke heard from trafficking survivors who shared how GEMS helped them exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential.
The last visit of the day was to Google Ideas, creators of the Global Human Trafficking Hotline Network. Caucus Members Bass, Clarke, and Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. joined Google Ideas to learn more about their anti-trafficking innovations and participated in a brainstorm of potential engagement on foster care.
