Information for Parents

Floods
Children’s health in the aftermath of flooding.

The Children’s Advocacy Project (CAP) helps bridge the gap between the many quality social service agencies in the New York City area and the families that need their help the most.   The CAP website will assist families, health care professionals, and social service providers by furnishing the tools necessary to connect families in need to the appropriate social service agencies that serve them.


The Bloomberg Philanthropies working with Governor Cuomo are attempting to enlist COVID Contact Tracers as soon as possible.  This important request from Bloomberg Philanthropies requires just a click of your email!

We have been asked by Bloomberg Philanthropies to send out this link to enlist contact tracers in New York State.  This work is critical to reopening New York State and preventing the spread of the virus.  We hope you can share this opportunity with your employees and  to anyone on your email list.

Link for New York State Contact Tracing, click link here:   Help and get involved in the fight against COVID-19.

COVID-19 Parent Resources


Best and Worse States for Health Care


Having Trouble Putting Food on the Table?  SNAP Works. NOEP Helps.

The Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) offers free and confidential services to connect hungry New Yorkers with nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, stretching the monthly food budgets of all who meet program guidelines.  NOEP is available in many counties across the state and throughout all boroughs of New York City.  Find Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) coordinators here.


Smart Child Care – Free Child Care Services available in New York City

Safe Baby Products
This is a new online tool to help parents, families and friends keep children safe from harmful chemicals in baby products.  The guide is produced by the national Getting Ready for Baby Coalition, a nonprofit coalition of 100 organizations coordinated by Clean and Healthy New York working to change the marketplace so all babies have healthy environments with products that nurture their growth without harming their health.  There are currently over 1,000 chemicals in use today that can negatively impact a child’s health and development.  Many of them are in products for even the youngest babies.  Unfortunately, many parents aren’t aware of these dangers or how to find safer alternatives.  Parents should have access to free and easily accessible resources that help them better understand these safer products for their babies.  Designed to let you either zero in on a specific kind of product or work through the whole Guide so you can create a baby shower registry, the Safe Baby Products Guide offers information about potential chemicals of concern (“hidden hazards”) in products and what to look for when shopping.  Getting Ready for Baby partner MADE SAFE offers a certification program for products and companies that meet their criteria, and the Guide lists MADE SAFE certified products. The interactive tool even includes a feature that will allows you to build an online registry, which can be valuable to expecting parents seeking certified safe products as baby shower gifts.

IMPORTANT NEW DOWNLOADABLE GUIDE TO HELP FAMILIES IMPACTED BY ADDICTION THROUGHOUT NEW YORK STATE IS NOW AVAILABLE.

In response to requests for help from families across New York State struggling with a loved one’s addiction, Friends of Recovery – New York (FOR-NY), with support from the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS), has created the Family to Family Recovery Resource Guide.  This comprehensive, downloadable, free guide is based on feedback provided by family members from throughout the state who have “been there.”  It has been written for the families of people who have not yet found recovery, families of people in recovery, and families who have lost someone to addiction.  It can also be useful to individuals, friends and allies of those impacted by addiction, as well as prevention, treatment, and recovery service professionals.

Addiction can have a devastating impact on the families of those struggling with a substance use disorder.  In fact, it’s been said that addiction is a disease of 1+4 because it affects not only the individual, but at least four other loved ones as well.  Sadly, family members are often at a loss for how to help the individual in active addiction, other members of the family or even themselves.  To make matters worse, the shame and stigma society associates with addiction keeps those that need help from reaching out – even to close friends and relatives.   Instead, most families struggling with addiction suffer in silence and don’t know where to turn.

This free, comprehensive, downloadable guide provides answers to help families navigate the many barriers and challenges they may face. For example,

  • What to do if you suspect a loved one has a problem with alcohol or other drugs
  • Understanding the individual’s & the family’s rights regarding treatment and recovery support
  • Navigating the insurance process
  • Identifying and accessing support and treatment in New York State
  • Dealing with isolation & stigma
  • Taking care of yourself and others in the family

The Guide also includes links to many helpful state and national organizations, as well as informative articles and videos.

For additional information about the Family to Family Resource Guide and how your members can promote its availability to benefit their communities, please don’t hesitate to contact Susan Lee Murphy at 518-487-4395, ext. 12 or smurphy@for-ny.org.


Medical Links:

Cerebral Palsy Guidance

Provides vital guidance and assistance to parents of a child with cerebral palsy.  Included on this site is information on Cerebral Palsy and Bullying.