City Council Awards Forestdale $342,362 for its Strong Fathers and Transitional-Aged Foster Youth Programs
July 12, 2022
Forestdale, a leading family services provider in Queens and Brooklyn, received several major City Council and Speaker Initiative budget awards for its Strong Fathers program and wrap-around support for transitional aged foster children.
The awards will help support Forestdale's services for hundreds of Queens families.
We are profoundly indebted to City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Council Members Selvena Brooks-Powers, James Gennaro, Francisco Moya, Lynn Schulman, and Nantasha Williams.
The wrap-around support for transitional-aged foster youth will fund services that promote resilience, goal setting, and future planning – services which ultimately lead our youth to higher educational and career aspirations and outcomes, more positive relationships, financial literacy and solvency, and progress toward brighter futures as productive and contributing community members.
Forestdale’s Strong Fathers Program recognizes that active and loving fathers have a central role to play in the well-being of their children, families and community. It encourages and increases fathers' emotional and material engagement with their children through case management, parenting skills workshops - including anger management, domestic violence, co-parenting, child support; peer support groups, career counseling, co-parenting activities, and material assistance.
"We are profoundly grateful to Council Speaker Adams and the City Council for supporting Forestdale's efforts to help our families heal from family trauma and child poverty by nurturing strong families", said Forestdale Executive Director William Weisberg. "We are committed to leveling the playing field and creating a clear path of action to help our clients better manage past trauma and hardship."
About Forestdale
Established in 1854 as a child welfare organization, Forestdale delivers innovative, evidence-based services that promote healing, resilience, and opportunity for children and families.
Since moving its headquarters from Brooklyn to Queens in 1941, Forestdale has served our nation's most diverse borough focusing on low-income and immigrant clients, both in and outside the child welfare system.
As of 2020, Forestdale also provides Preventive Services to Brooklyn families at risk of child removal from the home. Our mission is to ensure that children and families have the fundamental assets to thrive and live independently. Our goal is to end the intergenerational transmission of poverty and trauma.