http://www.jbfcs.org

A JBFCS Pioneer
Work with an entire family. Cut the number of children being removed from their homes. Keep a family unit together. Help parents become better parents. These were only some of Marilyn Johnson's goals.

After 16 years of dedicated service at JBFCS, Marilyn, Director of the Preventive Services Division, has retired. She was a pioneer in creating new models of service. Family-Team Conferencing encouraged social workers and other mental health professionals to help families articulate goals, understand their strengths, and note progress they’ve made in treatment. Lenny Rodriguez, JBFCS Deputy Executive Vice President, admires Marilyn’s management style, which encouraged supervisors to reach for additional responsibilities and create their own unique style. As a result of her mentoring, the Preventive Services Division has a cadre of directors that stands out among their peers in child welfare. Marilyn will be missed at JBFCS, but her legacy and determination live on in those she trained and in the models she created.

A Warm Welcome
With big shoes to fill, Sharron Madden is prepared to take over as the Division Director for Preventive and Domestic Violence Services. We welcome her to JBFCS. Sharron has more than 30 years experience in the social work field, mostly recently as New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital's Director of Social Work and Family Centered Care. Sharron focuses on working with children and families who have been victims of physical and sexual abuse, suffer from the affects of domestic violence, and deal with mental health issues.

Mishkon Cruise
On Thursday, April 21, Mishkon, our homes in Brooklyn for people with developmental disabilities, embarks on its annual Atlantis Yacht Cruise! Clients and staff set sail to welcome spring and celebrate the warm weather in style.

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Rewarded by Smiles

Shawn Howard

Listen as Shawn Howard, Administrative Director at Staten Island Family Services, talks about his inspiration, what his mother taught him, and the best part of his day in our continuing series, A Look Inside.

Dedicated To: Marchella Pierce

On September 2, 2010, four-year-old Marchella Pierce was found dead in her Brooklyn apartment. She weighed just 18 pounds. On March 24, 2011, two former NYC child welfare workers were charged with criminally negligent homicide. Although the debate continues on whether these charges are justified, the loss of this young life is tragic. Ralph Peterson, Recreational Coordinator at Kaplan House, wrote this poem in Marchella’s honor.

A four-year-old has taken her last breath

And now a system of checks and balances are put to the test

Who should be held accountable for the pain and abuse seen through her precious

And tiny little eyes

Who will be held accountable for her last loud and silent cries

Is it the hands of her bloodline accused of rocking the cradle

Or those who took a vow to protect

And said they were ready, willing, and able

Failed by a system and neglected at home

A four-year-old’s childhood dreams

Have been turned to stone

As a society we can no longer sit idly by

As our children slip between the cracks

And silently die

Marchella Pierce your life was short

But never in vain

For a community will rise

And fight in honor of your name