New Alternatives for Children (NAC) is a unique, award-winning child welfare agency offering strength-based social services, medical and mental healthcare and a wide variety of wrap-around services. We serve families that have at least one child with special needs, often in combination with mental health, behavioral and/or developmental diagnoses as well. NAC’s mission is to achieve safety, permanency and well-being within a family, for children who are at risk of abuse and/or neglect and have special medical and/or mental health needs among other challenges.
The children referred to NAC are medically complex and their birth families have devastating social problems. Their circumstances include poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, substance abuse, immigration and language barriers, parental illness, mental health problems and illiteracy. NAC's children may use wheelchairs or be dependent on medical technology in order to live. They may have HIV/AIDS, cancer, cerebral palsy, respiratory or cardiac problems or spina bifida, among other diagnoses. Growing numbers have asthma, diabetes and diagnoses on the autism spectrum. Some of the children have spent years growing up in the hospital, others have had more surgeries than birthdays, experienced fragmented health services, prolonged hospital visits, and/or medical and educational neglect.
Despite these challenges, NAC has outstanding outcomes and is one of the highest evaluated programs by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) among all NYC child welfare agencies (including those serving non-medically fragile children). To see our most recent impact numbers, please follow the link to our website: https://nackidscan.org/our-impact/
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(August 7, 2020)
(August 6, 2015)