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NYS Council on
Children and Families


Children's Plan

Families Together
in NYS

 
Coordinated Children's Services Initiative (CCSI)


Commissioners' Committee on Cross-systems Services for Children and Youth

ENGAGE Events Calendar

 ENGAGE Newsletter Archive

Happy Thanksgiving
  

Greetings!

The ENGAGE Team wishes you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving! 
From OCFS...
Know Your Permanency Options...  
Kinship Guardianship Brochure Cover 
Now Available in Spanish
 


The New York State Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP)
is an option for relative foster parents. KinGAP provides financial support and, in most cases, medical coverage for the child, beginning when the child is discharged from foster care to guardianship. This booklet informs related foster parents about how they might qualify for KinGAP, how to apply to the program, and the benefits they would receive. It includes a list of factors for foster parents to consider before they apply for guardianship and a detailed table that allows caseworkers and prospective relative guardians to compare the options of adoption assistance, kinship guardianship assistance, and foster care. Download the booklet in English and/or Spanish.     
NYC DYCD
Out-of-School-Time Funding Opportunity   

 

The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) has released its Out-of-School Time (OST) afterschool RFP for elementary and middle-school aged youth. Proposal deadline is December 16. This is a great opportunity for your agency to use its expertise and develop programs that meet the needs of the population you serve. DYCD is soliciting proposals from vendors and is offering a higher rate for services rendered by providers that serve populations that have special needs including mental health challenges in after-school programming. The youth and families served by your agency would greatly benefit from high quality and appropriate after-school programs. The total annual funding through this RFP is $75,859,700.   

 

DYCD encourages and will accept/answer any questions or concerns about the RFP or applying up to one week prior to proposal deadline.

 

Link to RFP 

NEW!
Family Peer Advocate Credential

Family Peer Credential

Families Together in NYS has developed a process for Credentialing Family Peer Advocates. This represents an important step forward - and a recognition of the importance of peer family support.

 

What is a Family Peer Advocate?

Family Peer Advocates have 'lived-experience' as the parent (biological, foster, adoptive) or primary caregiver of a child/youth with a social, emotional, behavioral, mental health, or developmental disability). They receive training to develop skills and strategies to empower and support other families. They foster effective parent professional partnership and promote the practice of family-driven and youth-guided approaches. 


The intent of this credentialing process is to formally recognize the expertise of Family Peer Advocates, to ensure all advocates demonstrate core competencies, to expand reimbursement possibilities, and to provide opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.

FTNYS Staff are available to support you as you complete your FPA Credential application.

For more information, please call  

Program Assistant, Christina Navojosky: cnavojosky@ftnys.org  

or  

Director of Training and Credentialing, Anne Kuppinger: akuppinger@ftnys.org,  

or  

visit www.ftnys.org/credentialing.cfm.

People First Waiver

Request for Information (RFI) 

 

The NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has published a notice (Nov. 15th) in the New York State Contract Reporter (NYSCR) announcing the availability of a Request for Information (RFI) that will gather public input regarding the developmental disability system reforms recommended by the People First Waiver design teams and summarized within OPWDD's 2011-2015 Statewide Comprehensive Plan.

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Through this process, it is OPWDD's intent to allow for broader input into the planning for the People First Waiver to help shape the way that the project moves forward from the varied perspectives of people who are affected by the system of supports and services. The RFI is an opportunity for any stakeholders who want to provide input regarding the provision of supports and services to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in a comprehensive and practical way.  

 

As the complete RFI is lengthy and asks many complicated questions, stakeholders who find it difficult to complete the entire RFI may:

  • Complete only some of the questions
  • Call the OPWDD information line and ask for assistance at: 1-866-946-9733
  • Use other opportunities for more general comments inclusive of the People First email at People.First@OPWDD.ny.gov 

Click here to comment and for more information. 

Learn More About the Effects of AlcoholFASD Logo
on Pregnant Women!
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Brochures in 5 Languages

Please click on the link below for the main page of the NYS OCFS public website where you will see the most recent FASD brochure in 5 languages-English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic. These single-page, 2-sided brochures offer basic information to parents or concerned adults with phone numbers and websites to learn more about child screening and referrals. 

Please circulate this resource and encourage your contacts to put the link on their website or print out a few brochures for their waiting rooms/bulletin boards. Thanks to NYS OCFS and  NYS OTDA
staff for their roles in providing free translation for the brochures!

Helping People Beat Poverty...
Building Assets for Economic Independence and Tax Credit Outreach

Assets for Independence (AFI) Grant ProgramDollar Sign

Assets for Independence (AFI), which is administered through the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, enables community-based nonprofits and government agencies to implement and demonstrate an assets-based approach for giving low-income families a hand up out of poverty. AFI projects help participants save earned income in special-purpose, matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). An IDA is a bank account that allows individuals and families to save money and eventually acquire an economic asset to build long-term financial stability.

 

For an application to be included in the review process in the upcoming 2012 cycles, it must be received by OCS no later than 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the receipt date as follows:

  • Winter Cycle - January 25, 2012
  • Spring Cycle - March 26, 2012
  • Summer Cycle - May 25, 2012 

Webinar Series for Prospective Grantees

The AFI Resource Center is offering a webinar series for prospective grantees and project partners. Register online now to participate in these interactive calls to learn more about AFI application requirements and procedures.

 

AFI Program Overview and Grant Process Webinar  

  • Thursday, December 1, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
  • Thursday, December 15, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
  • Tuesday, January 10, 2:00 p.m. Eastern 
  • Tuesday, February 28, 2:00 p.m. Eastern  

AFI Questions and Answers Webinar

  • Thursday, January 19, 2:00 p.m. Eastern 

Tips for Developing Resources and Partners for AFI Projects


Connecting the Pieces for Tax Credit Outreach!

Join the Administration for Children and Families, (ACF) grantees and partners for a Webinar on:

  • Wednesday, November 30, 2011 - 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. EST

    Click here to register and learn more about:  
  • the Basics of tax credits;  
  • Free Resources you can access to conduct Tax Credit Outreach;
  • Information on Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites; and
  • Special Tax Credit initiatives sponsored by the IRS.
Thank you for your continued interest in ENGAGE.

For the ENGAGE Team,
Bill Przylucki
Director, NYS Children's Plan

Robin Miller

Designer, ENGAGE Communications 

The ENGAGE Newsletter is an information sharing service.
Information presented in this newsletter is not all inclusive and does not imply endorsement of any particular methodology or program.