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Forever Family Built on Strength

While February 4th was the day that Penny and Steve Kerr officially welcomed Sophie to their family, their bond goes back to the moment they met. There was an instant connection when Sophie came to their front door at only three months old. “For a couple of days, we just sat in awe of this…
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“Love is Respect” – February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Join the “Love is Respect” (www.loveisrespect.org, @loveisrespect) campaign by sharing one of the below images to promote self-empowerment & healthy relationships. Everyone is deserving of a healthy, loving relationship! #KnowYourWorth #TDVAM According to the CDC (Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC): Of students who…
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Stanley G. Falk Student Follows Passion, Accepted to Alfred State

Computer icon Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Joshua, a senior at the Stanley G. Falk School, echoed this sentiment when he said, “My ultimate objective is for whatever job I have, I have fun with it.” This is not the only similarity that…
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CRJ Hosts Virtual Mediator Recognition and Holiday Party

Staff from Child & Family Services’ Center for Resolution and Justice (CRJ) recently got together to deliver cheese trays and cookies to each of its volunteer mediators that RSVP’d for the annual mediator recognition and holiday party event. Our team had to make the event virtual this year due to COVID-19, so the challenge was…
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Meet Kimberly Backey, Director of Family Preservation Services

Child & Family Services is delighted to announce the hiring of Kimberly Backey as our Director of Family Preservation Services. Starting earlier this year, Kim has already made her mark on C&FS leading Foster Care and Adoption, Preventive Services, Wraparound Services, and Health Home Services. We asked Kim a few questions to help our supporters…
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Liz Kasimu Named NYS Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health Employee of the Year

Congratulations to Liz Kasimu, who recently received the NYS Coalition for Children's Behavioral Health Employee of the Year Award! The following speech about Liz was written by C&FS's Chief Operating Officer, Linda McCartan. It is my sincere honor to introduce you to Liz!  Starting with C&FS a year ago, she has made a tremendous impact.  Liz…
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Mental Health Matters for the Holidays – Upcoming Webinar

Mental Health Matters for the Holidays WebinarMonday, December 14 at 12:00-12:30pm Click here to register for the webinar. You will receive a Zoom link upon completion of registration. If you cannot attend, sign up and we will send you the link afterwards. Join us for a discussion about this very different holiday season.  If the…
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Common Questions About Foster-to-Adopt

November is National Adoption Month. Our Foster Care and Adoption Program is still operating during the pandemic, so it is possible to open your home to a child in need! What does it mean to foster-to-adopt? The process begins when a child is placed in the home of foster parents. The ultimate goal throughout fostering…
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Meet Chantele Thompson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Child & Family Services is thrilled to welcome Chantele Thompson to our team!  As Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Chantele will be responsible for recognizing, creating, and implementing plans to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within our agency. She will also be promoting and developing training programs to enhance employee understanding on diversity, equity,…
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A Letter for National Adoption Month

Nicholas Largo, Program Manager of Foster Care and Adoption, reflects on overcoming barriers to adopt during the pandemic. November is National Adoption Month. It is a month when we recognize the need for forever homes for children in foster care, a month when we take time to thank and celebrate all of our adoptive families who…
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Halloween Tricks and Treats Come to Children at Residential

The costumes. The candy. The games. Staying up late. For children, there are few days throughout the year more exciting than Halloween. As we all know, though, this year’s Halloween feels different due to the pandemic. Trying to keep the season’s fun alive for the kids, our Residential team has been hosting “Spooktacular” events. “Our…
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Shine the Light Marks the Start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

On October 1, Child & Family Services commemorated the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at its annual Shine the Light press conference. With the pandemic continuing to affect each of us, this year has seen a great amount of uncertainty. While it is always difficult for a domestic violence survivor to escape abuse, the…
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