New Yorkers For Children Statement on the Mayor’s Mental Health Plan
(New York, NY) — Alan Yu, Executive Director of New Yorkers For Children (NYFC), an organization dedicated to helping those aging out of New York City’s foster care system, issued the following statement in response to Mayor Adams and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s announcement of Care, Community, Action: A Mental Health Plan for New York City:
“New Yorkers For Children commends Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) for recognizing and responding to the city’s growing mental health crisis by creating a three-part plan which includes both child and family mental health.
With the mental health crisis among young people growing daily, particularly for those with experiences in the child welfare system, we applaud the Mayor for increasing access to mental health care for youth and their families in a timely, culturally-responsive, and affordable way. This mental health plan marks an important step forward for New York City.
We also encourage the City to invest comprehensively into its mental health plan to ensure these worthy efforts reach all vulnerable young people, including those aging out of the system and those who do not necessarily have a traditional family structure. The young people NYFC serves are frequently in their twenties and do not have immediate family members who can help guide them to the needed resources and services to achieve their goals. NYFC strives to empower these young people by providing them with wraparound support, direct cash assistance, and credentialed mental health counselors on staff.
As Mayor Adams and DOHMH implement this plan, NYFC stands ready to be a partner with the City in ensuring all of New York City’s young people, including those who are oftentimes overlooked, are included in the conversation.”
About New Yorkers for Children
NYFC is a nonprofit organization that improves the well-being of youth and families in the child welfare system, with an emphasis on older youth aging out of the system. NYFC provides direct educational, financial, and emotional support and develops programs to fill gaps in the system in partnership with foster care agencies, community organizations, and the NYC Administration for Children’s Services. The organization is working toward a city where child welfare organizations have an abundance of resources to care for youth and families at risk or in need of support to lead safe, healthy, and rewarding lives. Find out more at www.newyorkersforchildren.org.
Contact: Nasreen Hussain
[email protected], 347-853-2980