The Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA) offers leadership, voice, and vision to the private nonprofit agencies that provide the vast majority of child welfare and juvenile justice services in New York.

Leadership

COFCCA’s membership includes more than 100 nonprofit organizations – nearly all the leading private nonprofit providers of child welfare and juvenile justice services in New York State. This broad membership enables COFCCA to speak on behalf of the nonprofit child welfare service sector. COFCCA represents the concerns and interests expressed by provider agencies – large and small, upstate and New York City, urban, suburban, rural, community-based, and residential.

COFCCA’s leadership on issues of child welfare and juvenile justice policy and practice is derived from the cumulative experience of member agencies and their long-term commitment to meeting the needs of at-risk children and troubled families in New York State. COFCCA member agencies include some of the oldest – and most progressive – nonprofits in New York. While some of these agencies can trace their histories back more than a century, all COFCCA members have h2 experience providing high quality child welfare services for the communities in which they are located. COFCCA members offer invaluable continuity and historical perspective – a perspective based on the real life experience of providing day-to-day care and treatment for children and families in crisis – for child welfare and juvenile justice systems continually, constantly striving to improve services.

Voice

COFCCA gives voice to the concerns and issues of its member agencies and effectively carries their message to administrators, policy makers, and legislators in state and local government. We advocate for what is in the best interests of the children and families served by member agencies, and represent the interests of the private agencies in their work with public sector partners.

COFCCA meets on a regular basis to provide input on policy and practice issues with the Commissioners of the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), the NYS Education, and Health Departments, as well as with local social service districts as appropriate.

COFCCA advocates with the Governor, the Division of the Budget, and the State Legislature in support of the appropriate financial resources needed to provide quality services. COFCCA also monitors all legislative initiatives which may impact child welfare and juvenile justice services, and advocates on behalf of member agencies and the families they serve. COFCCA serves as the primary vehicle for organized and effective communication between public child welfare and juvenile justice authorities and the nonprofit agencies, which provide the services.

Vision

COFCCA, together with its member agencies, plays a critical role in shaping a continually evolving vision for the highest possible quality child welfare and juvenile justice services in New York State.
Collectively, and individually, COFCCA member agencies constantly strive to improve the nature and quality of services they provide children and families.