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The Redlich Horwitz Foundation partners with youth and families, government agencies, service providers, and foundations.
Youth and Families
In June 2020, the Redlich Horwitz Foundation launched its inaugural Parent & Youth Advisory Board, comprised of youth, parents and adoptive/foster/kinship caregivers, in order to develop a balanced understanding of child welfare issues by gaining insights from youth and parents who have first-hand experience with the system.
As we believe those who have experienced the foster care system are experts in identifying the system’s shortcomings, strengths, and possible solutions, we look forward to learning from them to guide the Foundation’s priorities and strategies.
Government Agencies
With the goal of supporting system-level improvements in foster care, the Redlich Horwitz Foundation works closely with government officials and departments to disseminate knowledge, convene leaders and experts, and identify and scale best practices and policies. RHF partners and funds public-private partnerships with the NY Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), and 28 counties across the state. These partnerships include technical assistance and data-driven analysis to develop and implement strategies to improve permanency and increase family-based care.
Our largest investment and top priority in 2019 and beyond is to support counties with Family First Readiness, as they work to reduce residential care placements, increase certified kinship and expand prevention services to keep more children at home, safely.
Family First Transition Fund with OCFS
Goal: Public-private partnership to provide technical assistance to 18 NY counties in planning and implementing strategies to reduce congregate care, increase kinship placements and expand prevention services, in alignment with implementing the Family First Act.
Grant Total: $800,000 over 2 year
No Time to Wait: ACS with Public Catalyst and Action Research Partners
Goal: Decrease time to permanency for children in care 12+ months, which has resulted in significant increases in adoptions and Kin GAPs.
Grant Total: $912,000 over 4 years
Fiscal Models: ACS with Public Catalyst and Action Research Partners
Goal: Transition the New York City child welfare system into a fiscal model which will produce improved outcomes for families and children.
Grant Total: $651,000 over 4 years
Fifth Annual Permanency Summit: OCFS and Casey Family Programs
Goal: Share permanency improvement strategies with 150 child welfare experts, leaders, judges and community groups from the 11 largest NY counties
Grant Total: $170,000 over 5 years
Service Providers
Service Providers are the direct line to supporting vulnerable children and families in child welfare with the critical services and case management necessary to strengthen permanency. The Redlich Horwitz Foundation develops deep partnerships with provider agencies and community-based organizations to identify and promote service delivery improvements and expand innovative programming. RHF learns alongside agency leadership to better understand the key drivers of quality family-based care and community-based services, and seeks to expand the models that work.
These partnerships require that the providers’ leadership share a vision, commitment and sense of urgency to constant quality improvement; alignment with county-wide objectives; and a data-driven analysis of the best strategic action plans coupled with ambitious goals.
A small sample of our service-provider partners include:
Graham Windham - In full partnership with families and communities, Graham Windham strives to make a life-altering difference with children and families who are overcoming some of life’s most difficult challenges and obstacles, by helping to build a strong foundation for life: a safe, loving, permanent family and the preparation to thrive in school and in the world. Graham serves families in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester County.
Children’s Village - Through family support, community engagement, and short-term residential interventions, CV helps families, children, and teens succeed. CV works in New York City and Westchester County.
Rising Ground - Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground has been at the forefront of evolving community needs. They are a leader in utilizing result-driven, evidence-based practices. Rising Ground's work is a positive force in the lives of more than 25,000 individuals annually.
Northern Rivers - With a mission of providing life-changing care to children and families, Northern Rivers provides an array of human services in 35 NY counties. The Parsons Child and Family Center is working in partnership with Albany County to improve kinship placement and support.
Children’s Home of Jefferson County - Operating more than 22 programs in Northern New York, CHJC is a multi-faceted human services agency providing therapeutic-crisis respite care, family permanency services, and behavioral health services.
Foundations
The social sector is strengthened when philanthropic foundations collaborate to align goals and funding, and nowhere is this more true than in child welfare where multiple systems, providers, and other entities intersect to support vulnerable children and families. The Redlich Horwitz Foundation works in collaboration with many national, regional, and local philanthropic partners to learn alongside each other and at times, co-fund critical initiatives for improvements. Some examples include:
NYC Foster Care Excellence Fund @ New York Community Trust: A pooled fund supported by five foundations in NYC to support improved foster and kinship parent practice at NYC provider agencies. View the press release here.
NYC Foster Care Funders Group @ Philanthropy NY: RHF’s executive director, Sarah Chiles, co-chairs this citywide network of funders with a focus on foster care in NYC, with Jeannine Balfour of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Foster Care Workgroup @ Youth Transition Funders Group: RHF’s executive director, Sarah Chiles, co-chairs this national group of foundations that meets bi-annually to learn from experts about new approaches, best practices, and model policies impacting transition-age youth in foster care.
NY Funders Alliance: A network for funders in upstate New York, where RHF’s director of programs, Rashida Abuwala, has presented on child welfare issues.