Posted on July 18, 2024

For continued support of the Family Success Initiative Director who supervises a team of Family Coaches, facilitates weekly emotional support groups (called “Network” groups), and provides therapeutic support for Parent Advocates who have themselves once had first-hand life experiences within the child welfare system. This support helps the Advocates to better maintain their professional boundaries and composure while they, in turn, support families with household circumstances oftentimes quite similar to their own experiences. The NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) has scaled an approach based upon the Family Success Initiative that provides a Parent Advocate across every foster care supervisory unit within NYC. Because of their personally-lived ACS experiences, the Advocates can be sometimes be triggered emotionally while aiding their clients. Graham believes that the type of therapeutic support that the Family Success Initiative Director provides to the Advocates is essential to the success of the model NYC-wide, and hopes to demonstrate that through this effort. Graham’s overall mission is to ensure that every child whom they serve has a strong, loving, permanent family, and the opportunities and preparation to succeed in school and life.