Akwesasne Community Social Services Division Earns Top Ranking for Child Placement in State of New Yorkby Native News Online Staff |
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Social Services Division has successfully
placed all children under their custody into homes in the Akwesasne in
2015 thanks to the efforts of their Preventive/Foster Care Unit that
includes: (front row, from left) Renee Massaro, Home Finder; Ella
Fuller, Program Manager; and Heath Kuhn, Caseworker; (back row, from
left) Shari Adams, Administrative Assistant; Jade White, Commissioner;
Chloe Cebek, Caseworker; Stacee Loran, Caseworker; and Krystal Phillips,
Caseworker
Published February 15, 2017
AKWESASNE — The community of Akwesasne has long been
known for taking care of its own; whether it be supporting our elders,
helping a family recover from a tragedy, dealing with the loss of a
beloved one, or providing a welcoming home for a young child. Akwesasne
is certainly one of the most caring and giving communities and figures
released by the New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services
for 2015 can back up that claim— the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Social
Services Division exceeded statewide rates for placing children in least
restrictive home environments.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment that our community can take immense
pride in serving the best interests of our children,” said Social
Services Commissioner Jade White. “The unconditional willingness to open
their doors to welcome a child in need into their home is true
testament to our Relative and Certified Foster Parent’s noble decisions
to be involved with our child welfare system. We recognize that this
honor would not have been made possible without the cooperation of our
Preventive/Foster Care Unity and Foster Parents and we look forward to
future collaborations.”
In a statewide-ranking of 60 county and tribal social services
departments, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe ranked first in placing 100
percent of children into Relative Foster Care or Home-Based Care. The
state average for placement in 2015 was 68.8 percent for Home-Based Care
and a 28.08 percent for Relative Foster Care. Every child that was
placed into the custody of the Tribe’s Social Services Division was
welcomed into a safe, healthy and stable home environment in Akwesasne.
This is the first time in Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Social Services
Division history that they have achieved the top ranking for placing
children in Relative Foster Care or Home-Based Care. Much of the success
in finding homes is due to the outreach they undertake throughout the
year, which includes an Annual Foster Parent Recruitment Event in May
during National Foster Care Awareness Month. They also participate in
local events, such as the Annual Wellness Day that is attended by
hundreds of community members where they encourage individuals to “Be a
Super Hero” by choosing to be a foster parent to a deserving child.
“Foster parents and relatives play an essential role in providing
temporary, safe, and nurturing homes to children when their parents are
unable to care for them,” shared Preventive Foster Care Program Manager
Ella Fuller. “The safety of the child is always a priority and
considerable thought is given to finding the most suitable home
environment, whether it be with other family members or foster parents
who are looking to adopt. Our goal is to help bring families together.”
If you want to learn more or are interesting in becoming a part of the
Foster Care Program, please call the Social Services Division at (518)
358-2728.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please: Share your reaction, your thoughts, and your opinions. Be passionate, be unapologetic. Offensive remarks will not be published. We are getting more and more spam. Comments will be monitored.
Use the comment form at the bottom of this website which is private and sent direct to Trace.