Our Mission

We help children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We do this by providing comprehensive supports to children, youth, and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods.

We believe all kids have limitless potential. But for those growing up surrounded by poverty, family instability, and physical or emotional stress, life is too often about survival, not possibility. It’s unacceptable that in New York, a city of historic opportunity, so many of our children face serious barriers to realizing their own promise.

Children’s Aid is a professional powerhouse of solutions for young people. We are teachers and social workers, coaches and health care providers. We know what it takes to ensure children grow up strong and healthy, and ready to thrive in school and life: excellent education and health care, social-emotional support, and strong, stable families.

A Powerhouse of Solutions

Poverty cannot be overcome with one service or program at a single point in time. That’s why we commit to supporting children, youth, and families every step of the way. For more than 160 years, with your support, Children’s Aid has been able to help families change their lives by adapting to the ever evolving nature of poverty and constantly seeking improvement. We are on a mission to connect young people and their families with the tools they need to learn, grow, and become leaders of their own lives.

• Our home visits prepare expectant parents to welcome their newborn.
• We provide high-quality preschool to ensure children start kindergarten ready to learn.
• Our community schools focus on the whole child, while also engaging family members, to ensure that students succeed in the classroom.
• Thousands of kids join us after school and at camp for activities that keep the mind and body strong.
• If a family is struggling, our expert social workers staff react quickly to bring stability.
• We are there at every twist and turn to help teenagers navigate the transition to college or a career and, ultimately, an independent adulthood.

A Rich History

Children's Aid was founded in 1853 by Charles Loring Brace and a group of social reformers at a time when orphan asylums and almshouses were the only social services available for poor and homeless children in New York City. Children’s Aid operated lodging houses, fresh air programs, and industrial schools to support an estimated 30,000 poor and orphaned children living in the city’s streets.

READ ABOUT OUR HISTORY