Come visit our lovely campus in Forest Hills, NY on Tuesday, May 21 from 4pm – 8pm for an open house! 

Meet our family of caring, dedicated workers as we answer your questions about foster parenting and foster care.

Forestdale is located at – 67-35 112^th Street, Forest Hills, NY 11375.

Light refreshments will be served. No registration or fee required. 

Under New York law, once a child reaches their 16th birthday, they are considered criminally responsible for their actions. In 2010, over 46,000 16- and 17-year-olds were arrested in New York State; 75 percent of those arrests were for misdemeanors, according to the New York Law Journal. This policy is harmful to youth and does nothing to promote public safety.

What Does Adult Criminal Responsibility Mean?

From the moment of arrest of a 16- or 17-year-old:

• The police are not required to notify a parent when the youth is held or questioned.

• The adult criminal court does not have funding or authority to link youths to rehabilitative programs available through the Family Court which may address the issues that led to arrest.

• A youth may receive a lifetime criminal record if denied “Youthful Offender” treatment.

For more information on Raise the Age, visit the New York Center for Juvenile Justice.

On April 16 Forestdale celebrated its third Annual Benefit at the Jerome Green Space in downtown Manhattan.

The event—sponsored by J.J Burns & Company, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Citibank, and Winget, Spadafora & Schwartzberg, LLP—raised over $53,000 for the Forestdale Scholars Program, which provides academic support for foster youth in grades K-12.

Over 150 guests enjoyed the musical styling of DJ Wolf, an open bar sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery and Russian Standard Vodka, and a bhangra dance performance by Palvi, a Forestdale youth. Attendees included Judge Michael Corriero, founder of the New York Center for Juvenile Justice; Melinda Katz and her partner Curtis Sliwa; and representatives from C&V Consulting, one of last year’s honorees.

JetBlue’s Social Responsibility Team, also honored at last year’s benefit, was in Boston for the evening in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon tragedy. Attendees observed a moment of silence in honor of the victims and their families.

Honorees Erwin Penland with Executive Director Anstiss Agnew

Executive Director Anstiss Agnew honored Erwin Penland Advertising and Linn Tanzman, founder of Culture For One, for their dedication to Forestdale’s youth. “Their passion and creativity cannot be stressed enough,” said Anstiss. “Their creative insight has helped to turn great ideas into realities.”

Erwin Penland showcased a video featuring Forestdale foster parents and youth discussing the many ways they’ve benefitted from the organization. In one segment, a young mother held back tears as she described her wish for her daughter to know strength in the face of adversity. “I want her to see that if Mommy can do it, then she can do it too,” she said.

Executive Director Anstiss Agnew with Forestdale youth Palvi and Honoree Linn Tanzman

Linn Tanzman founded Culture For One to inspire children living in foster care through exposure to the arts. Since launching the program in 2010, she said, “I’ve learned a few simple things. These are awesome kids with great potential. They love and appreciate new experiences. And most importantly, the attention, enthusiasm, and encouragement we share with them makes a big difference.”

For more photos visit our gallery

Congratulations to Manuella Y. on being recognized as Teen Toolbox’s Teen of the Month.

Each month the Teen Toolbox spotlights a youth in foster care who is “leading a life of promise and making a positive impact in her community.” Teens are nominated by foster care agencies nationwide.

We nominated Manuella to be celebrated because of her strength and the great example she presents for others. She has set her sights on pursuing higher education in San Francisco, with the goal of becoming a professional sports or fashion photographer.

Manuella is often a spokesperson for Forestdale youth at agency events, including last year’s annual benefit. Her poise and honesty make her a role model and inspiration both to other youth and to Forestdale staff. Last year she received 1^st prize in Youth Communication’s 14^th Annual Awards for Youth in Foster Care for her essay “Cracking Open My Secret”, a deeply personal essay where she revealed her own history of abuse and called on teens to speak out and ask for help.

Manuella’s greatest piece of advice for other youth in foster care: said, “Keep going and you will make it somewhere in life. Never look down at your situation or the reason why you’re in care, because it doesn’t define who you are—what you make of your future does!”

Forestdale Youth Manuella Y. accepting an award with Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Commioner Ronald E. Richter at Youth Communication’s 14th Annual Awards for Youth in Foster Care

Adam Eggers rejoins Forestdale after 5 years at ACS

Adam B. Eggers has rejoined Forestdale as our Senior Program Administrator. In this role, he will oversee implementation and evaluation of privately-funded initiatives including Solution Based Casework, personal financial counseling and career development services for youth in foster care.

Eggers previously served as the director of the legal department’s federal reimbursement unit at the Administration for Children’s Services, where he led quality control measures for over 200 attorneys and support staff throughout the city.  A San Francisco native, Eggers earned his J.D. at the McGeorge School of Law at the University of Pacific.

Prior to joining ACS, Eggers served as Director of Quality Improvement and Training at Forestdale.  During his tenure, the agency was awarded the top ratings by ACS for four years in a row.

“I’m excited to have input on so many initiatives at Forestdale,” says Eggers. “The goal is always to take one success and repeat it so that we can bring consistent, high quality services to all the families we serve.”

A father of two, Eggers has over 15 years of experience in volunteering. He has served on his community board and presently serves on the board of his local Jewish community center.

“We’re excited and grateful to have Adam back on our team. He knows our community, he knows the child welfare system, and his compliance and managerial skills will benefit the entire agency,” said Anstiss Agnew, Forestdale Executive Director.

This spring Forestdale began a partnership with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC in conjunction with the NYC Department of Community Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment to bring financial education to members of the Forestdale community.

The pilot group consists of participants in the Fathering Initiative and teens in Foster Care. This initiative is an exciting opportunity to strengthen our financial services, ultimately leading to more empowered and self-sufficient families.

Career Specialist Michelle Mcleod, Fathering Specialist Larry Edwards and Youth Development Specialist work with Forestdale teens and fathers on Financial Empowerment

Youth Development

Many of our teens have just begun working and preparing for financial independence as they age out of foster care, a process that can be both emotionally and economically stressful.

Youth Development specialist Dyna Tucker and Career Specialist Michelle Mcleod will lead the teens through the basics of financial education.

By helping the teens to understand the fundamentals of banking and credit, Tucker and Mcleod look forward to “empowering them to become financial stewards for themselves.”

Fathering Initiative

While the Fathering Initiative already includes financial education as part of its educational program, the Financial Empowerment Initiative allows for staff to address the specific needs of individual fathers.

“By teaching financial education, we have the chance to give the fathers a fresh start,” said Fathering Specialist Larry Edwards.

Edwards, who will be hosting group and individual counseling sessions for fathers, hopes that the F.E. initiative will have far-reaching impacts.

“Our hope is that with this foundation, our fathers can safeguard their children from making the same mistakes that they did financially”

Overall Goals

• Establish or improve credit score
• Decrease debt
• Develop and manage safe and affordable banking relationships
• Build savings
• Address other pressing issues relating to financial security

For more information on NYC DOE visit: www.nyc.gov/ofe

On Friday, January 25, Forestdale’s Youth Development Department presented our first Winter Festival, with parents and staff gathering for an evening showcase by our talented youth. The performers had developed and perfected their routines during the fall session of after-school classes. Throug the evening, staff and foster parents helped to raise over $200 by bidding on original art created by teens in Forestdale’s art classes.

The Silent Auction raised over $200 for Forestdale’s Youth Development Department.

Aleecia B. provided the background music for much of the evening, including a solo guitar performance of “Sweet Home Alabama” as well as an original percussion piece. Shanise S. sang Adele’s “Someone Like You” to a standing ovation, followed by two original poetry readings from Danielle D. and Tara K.

During the intermission, the crowd enjoyed a menu prepared entirely by Forestdale teens, consisting of Crab cakes, turkey and beef meatballs, sandwiches, truffles and homemade condiments.

Palvi M. brought Bollywood moves to the Forestdale campus.

Kimalysha S., Elisha B., Chemoy M. and Avrial M. rounded out the evening with a hip-hop dance routine performed to “Get Light”, followed by an energetic dance from the Bollywood film “Aaja Nachle” perfomed by Palvi M. Aleecia B. closed the evening with a musical piece after which Brady Funn, Director of Educational Opportunity & Workforce Development, gave his closing remarks and thanked all the youth who participated.

On December 5, 2012, Forestdale received a grant of $75,000 from the Pinkerton Foundation to support our Career Focus Initiative. Under the guidance of Director of Workforce Development Brady Funn, the funding will be used to provide 50 Forestdale youth with personalized employment counseling, including career exploration workshops, job skills training and structured internships.

Employment prospects for vulnerable youth are at an all-time low, with many lacking the basic academic and soft skills necessary to build a career. As many as half of the young people who age out of New York City’s foster care system fail to obtain and hold jobs, according to a 2011 report from the Center for an Urban Future. The Career Focus Initiative facilitates positive experiences during the critical early stages of employment, when youth set work habits for the rest of their adult lives.

Many thanks to the Pinkerton Foundation for supporting Forestdale’s mission, and for helping to prepare our youth for fulfilling careers.