Children’s Aid and Family Services
Posted
on Mar 12, 2016
Fair Lawn Rotarians were glad to welcome Mr. Jerrold (“Jerry”) Binney, the recently appointed President and CEO of Children’s Aid and Family Services to our March 10th meeting. Since 1899 Children's Aid and Family Services has been recognized as a leader in adoption and specialty therapeutic services for children who have been severely traumatized and abused. This organization is dedicated developing and enhancing its capacity to provide special needs adoption, early childhood education, foster care, counseling, and other social services to those who are disadvantaged, at-risk or in crisis.
Children’s Aid and Family Services offers additional services to a variety of populations in need. Since 2010, the organization has been an approved provider of services for children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program includes comprehensive in-home assessment and support by staff specially trained in Applied Behavior Analysis. For children and young adults unable to remain in their homes due to the extent of their disabilities or family circumstances, Children’s Aid and Family Services has established community residences that provide round-the-clock care. Six group homes for persons with developmental disabilities are located in Bergen Essex and Passaic counties.
They also are addressing alcohol and drug abuse issues through The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources. The Center is a recognized leader in addressing the prescription painkiller and heroin crisis facing communities in northern New Jersey. The Center offers a host of evidence-based prevention program, reaching more than 16,000 youth and adults in 2014.
Children’s Aid and Family Services supports working families and low income families through the Turrell Childcare and Early Learning Center in Paramus and through Zoe’s Place. Turrell serves more than 200 children aged between eight weeks through kindergarten. It provides a comprehensive curriculum, nutritious food and safety net support if necessary. Zoe’s Place is a home for pregnant/teen mothers located in Garfield. This residence provides safe, supervised housing along with education, vocational training, life skills and services necessary to become self-sufficient. One of the only residences for teen mother in northern New jersey, Zoe’s Place houses five mothers and their infants, preventing them from homelessness and helping them to build solid and meaningful futures. The Baby Basics program serves low-income families with children ages newborn through two years, providing them with nutritional formula, diapers and related social services. It is estimated that one in three families in America struggle to afford diapers and cut back on other basics such as food and utilities to meet this expense (National Diaper Network). Children’s Aid and Family Services distribute more than 16,000 diapers a month to these families.
Children’s Aid and Family Services effectively works to assist the most vulnerable members of our communities:
- Abused and neglected children
- Young families and the working poor
- Children and adults with developmental disabilities
- Children and families at risk of harm from alcohol and drugs
The services we provide go well beyond the basics, addressing challenges with compassionate and comprehensive programs that make real and long lasting differences in people’s lives. The agency is set apart by our focus on quality: from our well maintained facilities to our expertly trained staff who are the best in their field.
For more information, about Children’s Aid and Family Services please contact Jerry Binney at 201.261.2800 or visit their website at www.cafsnj.org.
