T O C H I L D R E N W I T H S P E C I A L H E A L T H C A R E N E E D S

O P E N I N G D O O R S

Congratulations to these NACchildren and parents on their recent adoptions!

Javier was adopted by Sandra Fleming on April 22, 2010.

James was adopted by Helen Roman on May 13, 2010.

Clinton was adopted by Jean Miller on June 9, 2010.

Nigel was adopted by Bridgette Kennedy on June 10, 2010.

Jermaine was adopted by Patricia & Byron Morgan on June 24, 2010.

Stephone was adopted by Pamela Furlow on June 30, 2010.

Faith was adopted by Shelley & Kevin Patrick on July 21, 2010.

Ashley was adopted by Mary Ellen Cleary on July 22, 2010.

Anthony was adopted by Vanessa & Mahlon Walker on July 23, 2010.

If you know a family who can give a lovingfoster/adoptive home to a medically fragilechild, please encourage them to go to:

www.NacKidsCan.org/recruitment

or call: NAC’s Homefinding Department212.696.1550 or 646.352.9047

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

2 Letter from the Executive Director

3 B2H & Animal Assisted Therapy

4 Parent LuncheonsHarvard Summer InternshipSave the DateHow You Can HelpArtists’ Corner

5 Fifth Annual NAC’s Kids Olympics

6 RecognitionsGrants at WorkThank You Donors

Adoption News

NAC Expands – Again!

37 West 26th StreetNew York, NY 10010T 212.696.1550F 212.696.1602

15 West 26th StreetNew York, NY 10010T 212.994.7940F 212.994.3003

www.NacKidsCan.org

New Alternatives for Children, Inc.

NAC has been able to succeed with families who come to our doorwith devastating health and mental health issues. We continue toreceive referrals from the community for all our programs. In the pasttwo years NAC’s service population has increased by an estimated365 children. We now serve approximately 1,400 children from morethan 770 families annually and our full- and part-time staff numbersnearly 200. When the 11th floor at 37 West 26th Street became available, NAC leased the entire 10,000 square-foot floor. C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 2

Volume 4 Issue 1 Fall 2010

A R T I C L E O N P A G E 5

Celebrating

our NAC

Olympians!

Dear Friends,

You will notice that our new website address isNacKidsCan.org. We know that despite daunting healthcare and/or mental health issues, NAC kids can and doachieve what many in our society do not think possible.Often the public tends to equate a physical challenge with an intellectual limitation. We, at NAC, know this is not true! I have hundreds of stories demonstrating that our children have incredible courage, perseveranceand strength, which helps them achieve what some think impossible.

June is my happiest month – it is when I receive callsfrom NAC parents and young adults who tell me that they have graduated from high school, got a job, will go to college or are entering graduate school. For example, a young man who uses a wheelchair just received a$36,000 scholarship to study mechanical engineering atNYU. And my best call of the year: C’jae was a prematurebaby with failure to thrive. A wonderful NAC foster mother, Faith, saw her in the hospital and fell in love. She spent months at the hospital trying to feed the babywho did not have a suck reflex. Faith ingeniously fed herwith a medicine dropper. C’jae survived but doctors wereworried about her development. Faith adopted C’jae and other NAC children and moved to South Carolina. In June, Faith called to say that C’jae had graduated highschool and will enter East Carolina University in the fall.It’s thrilling for all of us who remember C’jae.

NAC staff and our families see miracles every day. Thankyou for all that you do to help us fulfill our mission tosee many more successes like C’jae’s.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

NAC Expands – Again!Previously a jewelry factory, the floor was already subdivided into airy

workspaces that now accommodate approximately 50 NAC Staff.

The move to the beautiful new offices this spring was an impressively

well-coordinated effort. You will now find our Preventive Services,

Partners in Parenting (PIP), Recreation Department, Educational Services,

and our Vocational Specialist and Resource Specialist on the 11th floor,

offering NAC services to families in the dynamic, comfortable and

well-organized new space.

New Alternatives for Children, Inc.

B O A R D O F D I R E C TO R S

PresidentVirginia Aaron

Vice PresidentsJohn R. Cannell, Esq.Jonathan A. KneePatricia S. LevinsonAndrew P. Mezey, MD, MS

SecretaryBarbara R. Rauch, LCSW

TreasurerLouis Lipschitz

President EmeritaElizabeth S. Pforzheimer

Diane AbbeyTerri D. Austin, Esq.Bryan BellerPascal DesrochesVivian Farah Alan R. Fleischman, MDRobert L. FriedmanJill Sabin GarnerSusan G. GevertzCarol GutmanPeter R. Haje, Esq.Joseph R. IannielloRonald IervolinoThomas A. JareckiMark N. Kaplan, Esq.Meryl R. Kaynard, Esq.Fern June Khan, MSWRobert D. MarcusAdam L. MillerThomas Newman Eugene A. PinoverSanford B. PraterEric J. RosenGlenn RufranoMeryl ShermanSusan M. Slater, MSWAlma T. Young, MSW, Ed.D.

Advisory DirectorsMargaret Grey, Dr. P.H.Sandra LernerK.D. Hendricks-Muñoz, MDCecily Truett

Directors EmeritiIris AbronsDale G. BergerMichael P. GaertnerLouis Maloof Wayland M. Mead, Esq.Stephen Richardson, Ph.D.Lorraine Tregde, MPADuncan WhitesideMary C. Wolf

Executive DirectorArlene Goldsmith, LCSW, Ph.D.

Arlene Goldsmith, LCSW, Ph.D. E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R

O P E N I N G   D O O R S     P A G E   2

www.NacKidsCan.org

cele

brat

ing

nac

yout

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O P E N I N G   D O O R S     P A G E   3

Most NAC children do not have pets.

This is due to limited family budgets and

the challenges of caring for medically fragile

children. These children do not have the joys

of playing with or caring for a pet that loves

them. However, animal-assisted therapy can

offer moments of great pleasure with a pet.

For many children, we see improvements

in attention span, communication, and social

engagement. Children often experience a

reduction in anxiety, and children with

limited movement can become more active.

Barbara Babikian, who oversees the program,

brings Delta Society-certified therapy dogs

to NAC every Thursday to work with a

group of children. Some children have never

petted an animal. They are happy to make

the acquaintance of the dog, but they may

be shy about actually touching the animal.

The dogs are gentle and patient with the

children as they learn to pet and play with the

dogs, and how to signal the dogs to do tricks

– a skill the children find greatly rewarding.

Animal Assisted Therapy

B2H

B 2 H

NAC’s Bridges to Health (B2H) program has grown rapidly as it fulfills its objective to provide services to children in foster care who are medically fragile, diagnosed with developmental disabilities, and/or areseverely emotionally disturbed. We currently have 107 children enrolled, with an eventual goal of 200. We also have a B2H staff of more than 80 members, including Directors, Supervisors, Health CareIntegrators, and 58 per diem Waiver Services Providers.

Adrienne Lawler, Associate Executive Director for Management and Operations, Kris Claphan, Director of Healthcare Integrators, and Mike Celentano, Director of Waiver Service Providers, lead the NAC team. After four years in NAC’s Homefinding Department, Kris has an in-depth understanding of the NYC foster care system. Mike has ten years’ experience overseeing NAC’s Transportation, Case Aides and Recreation programs; the two thus offer experienced support of the skills needed by HealthCare Integrators (HCI) and Waiver Services Providers (WSPs). Says Ms. Lawler, “B2H wouldn’t be where it is today without the co-leadership of Mike and Kris. With B2H providing services for NAC as well as 26 other foster care agencies in the city, their responsibilities extend to a lot of kids, many of whom may need in-home services from a WSP two or three times a week. Mike and Kris are doing a superlative job.”

Editor Marcia Scanlon

Contributors Pam Adams, StephanieGardner, Wendy Geringer, Jessica Lutzke,Linda Peck, Patricia Bryant-Reid, BrianSchatz, David Shichman, Bradford Stevens,Carolyn Synol, Jenny Traslavina, AnthonyWilliams

Distribution Lydia Roman

Designer Shari Finger Design LLC

Nicole at “Girls’ Day” with Victoria Lo.

O P E N I N G   D O O R S     P A G E   4

NAC held its annual Parent Luncheons at Blue Smoke/ Jazz Standard on May 13 and May 20. This event honors our birth, foster,and adoptive parents for their commitment, perseverance andcourageous spirit in caring for children with severe and chronicmedical conditions. Parents enjoyed a festive luncheon and receivedcertificates honoring their parenting as well as a gift donated byThe Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. Parents spoke eloquently abouttheir experiences and shared how their lives have improved withNAC’s help. One foster family’s story is shared below.

NAC has benefited for several years by having summer interns from the Center for Public Interest Careers (CPIC) at Harvard. This program, funded by the HeckscherFoundation for Children, places Harvard undergrads as interns in non-profit organizations committed to improving the lives of children and youth in NYC.NAC was fortunate to have Victoria Lo as our intern this year. Victoria worked with NAC’s Recreation Department, setting up children’s activities, and with Dr. John Encandela, Director of Research and Evaluation in developing a pilot evaluation protocol. Victoria excelled in both areas and reported the following story after an outing to the zoo (names are changed):

Artists’ C O R N E R

Celebrating Isaiah!

S AV E T H E DAT E S !

Tuesday, November 9, 2010The NAC Kids Can Benefit Event will be held on Tuesday, November 9, 2010. Once again, we will enjoy the elegance of the Pierre Hotel as we celebrate the achievements of NACchildren. We are pleased to announce that Peter and Helen Haje will be our Honorees.

If you would like to attend, please contact Cindy Cavalli, at 212.696.1550 x262 orNacBenefit@NacKidsCan.org or visitwww.NacKidsCan.org

Thursday, November 11, 2010NAC’s third annual book fair will make booksavailable to NAC children of all ages!

H O W Y O U C A N H E L P

There are many ways to support NAC. We welcome financial gifts and donations ofgoods and services. We invite you to volunteerfor NAC activities and to attend our benefitevents. The rewards of getting to know NAC children and families are extraordinary.

For more information, please contact Jessica Lutzke, Director, Volunteers andCommunity Relations, at 212.696.1550 x230or jlutzke@NacKidsCan.org. You will find information about volunteer activities andNAC’s wish list at www.NacKidsCan.org

“My husband and I got the baby in the middle of the night. We looked at the baby, we looked at each other, and then the baby, then each other, and we said, ‘Now what do we do?’ We thought we would know everythingwe had to do, and then we didn’t. But NAC has answered all our questionsand has been with us every step of the way.”

H A R v A R D   S U M M E R I N T E R N S H I P

P A R E N T L U N C H E O N S

First Place!

“Telma is a bright girl with a talent for writing.As the NAC group set out for the Bronx Zoo,she listed the animals she wanted to see. At the Zoo, she took notes on these animals,observing how lemurs leaped, and noting thefoods these animals eat. She involved othersby asking questions and reading her notesaloud. She also wrote poetry. Her enthusiasmfor learning made it easy for staff to engageother students in the process. Her musingscreated the space for quieter kids to sharethoughts. David had a great time coming upwith words like ‘remarkable’ and ‘marvelous.’He seemed encouraged by Telma’s enthusiasmas she wrote down his suggestions. The Zoowas a perfect place for natural curiosities to flourish – for kids to have fun and be challenged at the same time.”

Isaiah’s class participated in a statewide poster contestabout bus safety, and he wonfirst place. The poster was on display at his school.Isaiah was awarded $100 and received a certificate at a ceremony. His poster wasthen sent to Albany to bedisplayed and possiblyentered in a national contest.

O P E N I N G D O O R S S TA F F

O P E N I N G   D O O R S     P A G E   5

June 19 marked the 5th Annual NAC Kids Olympics at ChelseaPiers. More than 800 NAC childrenand family members, along with200 community and corporate volunteers, enjoyed this exhilaratingday. Activities included relay races(with and without wheelchairs),rock-climbing, double Dutch, soccerand gymnastics. There were danceand craft workshops, Animal-Assisted Therapy, and picnic lunches.Our young NAC athletes gave ittheir all and every one of them got a well-deserved medal for hisor her efforts.

We sincerely thank the volunteersand sponsors who made the 2010 NAC Kids Olympics possible.Groups and corporate teamsincluded: Estée Lauder, New YorkLife Insurance, Accenture, NewBeginnings School, nycTIES,Allen Partners, and NAC’s Animal-Assisted Therapy teams. We alsothank Arvind Singh, Alexis Farah,and Steven Barall for their individualvolunteer efforts. Sponsors werethe Foot Locker Foundation andthe News Corporation Foundation.Beverages were provided by Pepsico.

CBS2 News was there with cameras rolling – go towww.NacKidsCan.org/news to see a video clip of the event.

Fifth Annual NAC Kids Olympics

PhotographySteven Freeman and NAC Volunteer Steven Barall

Grants A T W O R K

O P E N I N G   D O O R S     P A G E   6

We are pleased to acknowledge the following foundations andcorporations that have made grants to NAC since April, 2010:Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies; GoldmanSachs & Co.; Gurney Foundation, Inc.; Hedge FundsCare; Hyde & Watson Foundation; JPMorgan Chase and the Booth Ferris Foundation; Netflix; Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation; TJX Foundation; and the Von SeeBeck Charitable Trust.

Sponsorship for the NAC Kids Olympics was generously provided by the Foot Locker Foundation, Inc. and the NewsCorporation Foundation. Pepsico donated beverages forthe event.

We are particularly grateful to the children of P.S. 72 who made a donation to NAC through the “Penny Harvest,” a program ofCommon Cents New York, Inc.

We thank the following government officials for their recent support: State Assembly Member Micah Kellner, NYCCouncil Speaker Christine Quinn and NYC CouncilmanDaniel Garodnick.

Thank You

D O N O R S

Congrats!

JPMorgan Chase, administrator of the Booth Ferris Foundation,provided generous support for the renovation costs of thenew NAC space on the 11th floor. The Foundation funded elements of the construction, computer costs, other officeequipment and furniture, moving expenses, delivery andassembly of donated furniture, and design fees. This contributionenabled NAC to go beyond functionality and offer a lively,comfortable and inviting space to NAC staff and the familiesthat continue to receive comprehensive services under one roof.

2 0 1 0 N A T I O N A L F O S T E R C A R E L E A D E R S H I P A W A R D

Arlene Goldsmith received the 2010 National Foster Care

Leadership Award on May 15, 2010 in recognition of her

“indefatigable leadership and passionate commitment to

ensure a quality of life for chronically ill children through

New Alternatives for Children.” The award, presented by

the Rowell Foster Children’s Positive Plan and the Annie

E. Casey Foundation, was a celebration of mentors who

make a difference. Matilda Cuomo also received an award for

her leadership of Mentoring USA. The event highlighted the

lives of foster children and the mentors who inspire them.

NAC Board Inauguratesthe 11th Floor

NAC Board Members gathered on June9 to celebrate the completion of theexpansion. The spacious, colorful andcomfortable setting accommodated the festive event, and board memberswere impressed with the results. SaysNAC Board President Virginia Aaron,“The new 11th floor is a wonderfuladdition to the NAC offices. Not onlydoes it help relieve a severe over-crowding problem, it does so in anexceptionally bright and inviting space.Congratulations to all who worked onthis incredible transformation.”

Below: Adrienne Lawler, AssociateExecutive Director for Managementand Operations, received the firstElizabeth S. Pforzheimer Award forOutstanding Performance in recognitionof her leadership in the 11th floor renovation as well as in the developmentof NAC’s B2H program. The Elizabeth S. Pforzheimer Award for OutstandingPerformance is an annual award inrecognition of Mrs. Pforzheimer’s significant contributions to NAC duringher 28 years as NAC Board President.