The “Rethink Foster Care” Regional Initiative Highlights Unique Services in Support of New York City’s Most Vulnerable Children
NEW YORK, New York — April 16, 2014 — New Alternatives for Children, Inc. (NAC), New York City’s only child welfare agency exclusively devoted to serving children with severe disabilities and chronic illnesses, is launching a campaign to help more medically challenged children find loving foster families.
The marketing initiative, produced by Grey New York and entitled “Rethink Foster Care,” paints a powerful portrait of NAC’s foster care program. The print, radio and television advertisement spots challenge New Yorkers to reconsider any preconceived ideas about foster care, and invite them to consider caring for a deserving, at-risk child. “Rethink Foster Care” celebrates the compassion and strength of everyday people who are willing to find out just how rewarding it can be to open one’s home and heart to a child in need. NAC hopes to certify 100 new foster homes through this campaign, and give 100 children a loving family of their own.
“The need for quality foster parents is essential to ensure that our children don’t move from home to home, don’t age out of care, and don’t spend more time in foster care than necessary,” said Arlene Goldsmith, Executive Director of NAC. “NAC serves the most challenging children in foster care – those with a chronic medical condition, physical disabilities, developmental disabilities and/or mental health issues – and yet we have extraordinary outcomes. That is due to the quality of our foster parents and the ‘extra’ services NAC provides beyond case management. We treat every child who walks through our doors as one of our own. It is our hope that this campaign continues to elicit participation from competent and compassionate individuals willing to serve as foster parents.”
The integrated campaign includes:
- Local television and radio advertising in New York City (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhTR_uvmk84)
- Print and out of home advertising
- A website redesign (http://nackidscan.org) that provides educational content on foster care adoption, and links to learn more and take action.
NAC’s Dedication to Foster Care Services: For over 30 years, NAC has been committed to supporting New York City’s most vulnerable children by helping them find loving homes. Through NAC’s efforts, hundreds of children in foster care have been matched with permanent families. No child adopted at NAC via its Post Legal Adoption Network has ever returned to foster care, compared to 14% nationally that do.
ABOUT NAC:
Annually, NAC serves 1,500 low-income medically fragile children and their families throughout the metropolitan area. We help children with severe disabilities and/or chronic illnesses achieve permanent and stable lives by enabling them to stay with their birth families or helping them to be adopted by loving and nurturing foster families. Previous to coming to NAC, many of these children resided in hospitals, not because of medical need, but because their parents simply could not care for them at home. More than 50% of our children have multiple diagnoses, and approximately 40% use wheelchairs. Diagnoses include spina bifida, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, traumatic brain injury, brittle bone disease, autism or other chronic illnesses or disabilities. Through intensive family support, medical, mental health, educational, and recreational services, NAC helps our city’s most vulnerable children reach for and realize their potential. Today, NAC children are not only living with nurturing families but they are attending college, working in the community, and succeeding in areas never thought possible. For more information, visit http://nackidscan.org.
CONTACTS:
Sarah Schwarz, 212-696-1550, sschwarz@nackidscan.org
Elizabeth Ricardo, 408-849-3921, ericardo@grey.com
