Success Stories

Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families (EGSCF) is committed to providing all children with permanent families. If reunification is not a viable option, the Adoption Unit moves towards adoption.

For the past eight years, EGSCF has surpassed the achievement efforts of the New York City Children’s Services (formerly known as the NYC Administration for Children’s Services) city-wide compliance on the adoption milestones and, has consecutively received and maintained an “Outstanding” rating for finalizing adoptions.

From CY 2000 to 2006, the Adoption Unit completed 404 adoptions, of which 313 were pre-teens; and 91 were teenagers. In CY 2007, the EGSCF Adoption Unit met its NYC Children’s Services mandated goal and received a total score of 122% for completing and finalizing 62 adoptions, of which 52 were pre-teens; and 10 were teenagers. We are proud to note that our children and adolescents are never left without a permanent home.

Year Pre-Teens	Pre-Teens Adopted	Teenagers Adopted	Adoption Finalized
2000	40	12	52
2001	45	10	55
2002	33	8	41
2003	53	11	64
2004	39	22	61
2005	51	14	65
2006	52	14	66
2007	52	10	62

---

Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families is pleased to announce that our STEPS Teen Accountability Program (TAP) has been selected to participate on a panel presentation at the 13th National Conference on Domestic Violence celebrating the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the NCADV to discuss, Building Grassroots Leadership for Social Justice.

The TAPP Workshop “Youthful Offender Domestic Violence Courts: Can A Court Help Break the Cycle?” was selected from nearly 250 proposals nationwide. This workshop presents a model for how communities can come together to create change within the criminal justice system. The YODVC court was created through the collaboration of victim advocates, prosecutors, defense bar, and youth advocates who envisioned a better response to teen dating violence.

At the Conference, the workshop will discuss key issues of teen dating violence, the court system’s response to teen safety and offender accountability. It will be led by Hon. Miriam Cyrulnik, presiding Judge of the Brooklyn Youthful Offender Dating Violence Court (YODVC); Ms. Carol Grannum, STEPS to End Family Violence Facilitator of the Teen Accountability Program; the Teen Dating Violence Program at the Kings County District Attorney's Office and Center for Court Innovation (CCI).

Since the inception of the YODVC court, STEPS has continued to work closely with the court system and CCI and runs the only teen accountability program for males in New York City.

The Conference will be held on July 18 – 23, 2008 in Washington D.C.

---

• Rishauna Zumberg, RAPP Coordinator, from Manhattan Center HS of Sciences and Math, was invited in March by HRA to speak on a panel of accomplished women in the domestic violence field to celebrate Women’s History Month. The women spoke of their contributions to the women’s movement and the services and awareness that now currently exists.
• RAPP Coordinators from the STEPS Program Brandeis and Marta Valle RAPP schools selected two Peer Leaders to participate in presentations on “Teen Relationship Abuse 101”. The presentation was given to sixth graders at the Merrick Academy, a Queen’s, N.Y., public charter school, creating a successful and informative collaborative effort.

---

I wanted to say to you that I am so grateful for the RAPP program. I started working with RAPP as a summer Peer Leader in 2006. I learned so many things about myself working with RAPP. The program helped me become more aware of things. Before I started working with RAPP, I was in several past abusive relationships and I did not even realize it. RAPP taught me how to recognize an abusive relationship, how to stop a relationship from becoming abusive, and what to do when me or someone that I know is in an abusive relationship. I also learned that abuse had a cycle and that there was more than one way to abuse someone. I learned that abuse was not just a physical thing. Abuse could be mental, emotional or financial.

Through the summer, I learned so much. I didn’t realize that what I was being taught through activities like role playing and group discussions would help me learn with more enthusiasm. I found the answers to my relationship problems. When the program was over I left with knowledge which I now use daily in all of my relationships. Since participating in the program, I have been able to recognize when a relationship is unhealthy or when the person may be abusive. RAPP has had such a big impact on my life. RAPP has opened up my mind and given me the ability to work on having healthy relationships.

I am so thankful for this program. I think there should be more RAPP programs in other high schools because the information they provide and what you learn from the program can have a positive affect on the rest of your life.

Shaquila, 17 year old female from Brandeis High School

---

The STEPS Program is working with other NYC agencies, corporations and government institutions to assemble the first Teen Dating Violence Prevention Conference in over a decade. The Conference will be held in February 2009, and will coincide with “National Teen Dating Violence Prevention Week.”

---

The Administration for Children Services (ACS) defines Reunification as the discharge of a child or adolescent from care to a parent, relative or primary resource person. Family reunification continues to be the primary goal of the Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families (EGSCF) Permanency Services Unit. From 2001 to present, EGSCF has successfully reunified 1,328 children/adolescents to their birth parents.

---

Recently, one of the EGSCF children was bought to the attention of Fostering Smiles due to his outstanding accomplishments in sports. Angel Colon is in his Junior year at Cardinal Hayes High School, Bronx, N.Y. He represented the school by competing in the Varsity Boys Triple Jump meet at the 14th Annual Hayes Invitational & Bronx Catholic Championship that took place on January 5, 2008 at Fordham University, Ithaca, N.Y., where he finished in first place. Check out his performance statistics:

1. Angel Colon Cardinal Hayes 44'1.25"

Due to this stunning achievement Angel was one of three Cardinal Hayes athletes who qualified to compete in the State Federation Track and Field Championship Finals that was held at Cornell University on Saturday, March 8, 2008. He placed 17th in the Varsity Boys Triple Jump with a 44'1.5" footer leap.

Angel holds the Cardinal Hayes team record in the Triple Jump with a 42'11.75" leap.Currently, the top nine seeds in the NYS Triple Jump Meet are all seniors, so a new champ will be crowned next year. Angel, continue to improve your game. The entire EGSCF staff is rooting for you and we look forward to seeing what you will bring to the game when you enter your Senior year of high school.

---

Hello, my name is TB and I am a foster child in care at Edwin Gould Services. Since the age of 6, I have lived in and out of the foster care system. I admit that, over time, moving from one home to another has made me bitter. I have always imagined what it would be like to have a normal childhood and live solely with my parents. After a while, I realized that was just a dream and would never be my reality.

About a year ago, I was placed in the home and care of two loving foster parents who accepted me as their own. At first, I was resistant to their love and hard to deal with because I thought they would be like all the others who had let me down. However, they were persistent and never gave up on me. Once I saw that they were truly genuine and really cared for me, I slowly started to open up and became receptive to their love. I no longer wanted to be bitter and cold towards people. They taught me to forgive all of those who had deceived me.

I was once a child who was failing in school and at life itself. Currently, I am a straight A student with a 3.7 grade point average (GPA). I am also a member of the National Honor Society and a Teen Mentor at EGSCF. Now that I have plans to go to college, I am working towards reaching the goals that will get me there, and I have never felt better in my entire life.

I am truly blessed. I have a wonderful relationship with my Birth Mother and, I have two caring Foster Parents that I can rely on at all times. While most foster care experiences are associated with failure, I am proud to share my success story.

---

I can almost remember vividly the day the Borough of Child Welfare (BCW) came to take my two brothers and me away from our mother. It was as if everything was going in slow motion, the pain, the agony, and the tears. For years that traumatic memory replayed in my mind. From then on things, mentally and emotionally, began to change. I became frantic with anger and frustration. This made it hard for people to communicate with me.

My name is Fatima Reid and like a majority of kids that come to Edwin Gould I am a “foster child”. I’ve been in care from the age of six and since that time I’ve been living as a vagabond. I began to move from home to home without any remorse searching for that loving family that’s waiting to adopt me. The detrimental effects of being taken from my mother started to show through my grades in elementary school. I began scoring D’s and below on my report card and having that “I don’t care attitude.” My older brother, on the other hand, was the paragon when it came to good grades. His grades were always exceptionally high and he always got the attention that I longed for. I decided that I was going to follow his example. I began to practice paying attention in class and staying to myself.

As time passed I noticed I was doing exceptionally well. My writing and vocabulary skills began to improve. My Grade Point Average (GPA) has been over 3.5 since I made the decision to do better. As a result, I’ve received numerous achievement awards and Honor Roll mentions. Then I began to receive honors from my junior high teachers and Edwin Gould staff. I was even honored by President George W. Bush because of my good grades. My brother is an inspiration to my grades and that’s the truth. Seeing him deal with our “situation” and not giving up gave me the strengths to believe that I could do it too.

All I needed now was a family and on October 17, 2006, EGSCF found the Green Family, a home that was willing to put up with me, love me, and treat me like their own. For that I thank the staff at Edwin Gould for never giving up on me.

---

Cassie, age 5, was referred to the Children’s Therapy Program in January, 2005, due to exposure to domestic violence. When Cassie began therapy, she and her mother were residing in a domestic violence shelter. At that time, Cassie was having unsupervised weekend visits with her father as per a visitation order.

In sessions, Cassie reported that she did not want to see her father and that she was afraid of him because he hurt her mommy. She exhibited increased anxiety and fears, and was having difficulty separating from her mother. Cassie’s mother also reported that she was displaying increased aggression and uncontrollable tantrums.

In therapy, Cassie was able to express her fears and play out the traumatic experience of watching her father hurt her mother. Safety planning was reviewed on a regular basis to increase Cassie’s feelings of safety. Therapy also supported Cassie around the visits with her father and her parent’s separation. Many interventions assisted Cassie in sorting out her feelings about her parents, and determining how she can have a loving relationship with each despite the history of parental conflict.

Cassie will be terminating therapy services this month due the reduction in anxiety and increased ways of expressing herself. Cassie and her mother recently moved into their own apartment and are doing well. Cassie visits her father every other weekend and continues to build a positive relationship with him. Presently, Cassie acts like any well-adjusted child her age. She is happy, loves to laugh, play, and just be plain silly.

---

My name is EC and I am an 18 year old youth in the New York City foster care system. I first came into care at the age of 14, and since then my life has taken a drastic turn. I was exposed to things that I had never seen or experienced. I was considered a ‘problem child’. Like most of the children in foster care I wanted to do the right thing, but unfortunately I had no guidance. Youth without guidance usually get lost, and I was no exception.

I began using drugs and eventually was arrested. I thought my life would never change. Fortunately, I was accepted into a home filled with love and guidance. Currently, I am on my way to success. I am enrolled in a GED program in which I am doing exceptionally well and have an excellent attendance rate. To help me overcome my drug-dependency habit, I am also enrolled in a 60 day in-patient program at the Arms Acres Rehabilitation Program. Adjusting to the rigors of this program was difficult at first, but with the assistance of the Intensive Educational Intervention (IEI) Team, my foster family and the Edwin Gould Services employees, I have overcome the obstacles.

I finally see light at the end of the tunnel. I am now a Teen Mentor and a Youth Advocate for Edwin Gould Services. I plan to go to college by spring or fall, 2008. With such a great team supporting me by advocating for services and accessing programs beneficial to my well-being and educational success, I have been able to make many positive changes in my life.

---