TESTIMONY
Testimony: Mike Bobby, Deputy Commissioner of DYCD Provides an Overview of Their Family Support Services
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9 min
Mike Bobbitt, Deputy Commissioner, and Ebony Jordan Wilson, Assistant Commissioner for Community Development at DYCD, present an overview of family support programs. Highlighting initiatives like the Fatherhood Initiative and healthy families, they detail how these programs, funded through the Federal Community Services Block Grant, aim to reduce poverty and support self-sufficiency in NYC's low-income neighborhoods. They share success stories and the impact of programs on enhancing father-child relationships and supporting families' well-being.
Speaker 3
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Good morning, Chair of Stevens, and members of the Children And Youth Committee.
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I'm Mike Bobby, Deputy Commissioner of Community Development at the Department of Youth And Community Development.
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I'm joined by my colleague, Ebony Jordan Wilson, Assistant Commissioner for Community Development.
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On behalf of Commissioner Howard, Thank you for this opportunity to update the council about BYCD's family support programs.
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We appreciate that the is uplifting some of our lesser known programming.
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The fatherhood initiative and healthy families and seniors programs or services that help improve the lives of NYC families.
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As you may be aware, these programs along with others are funded through the Federal Community Services Block Grant.
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Since 1996, DUI City has served as the Community Action Agency for the city.
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Receiving federal CSBG funds and distributing those funds to local programs in accordance with the goals of the federal statute.
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CSPG funds enable DYCD to provide services for the most vulnerable New Yorkers.
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Through these funds, Dubai City aims to reduce poverty and empower people to achieve self sufficiency in targeted low income neighborhoods throughout the city's 5 boroughs.
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Fatherhood is funded city wide while healthy families and seniors programs are funded through the neighborhood advisory boards, which are in 41 communities across the city.
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I would be remiss if I didn't thank chair Steven's efforts to encourage local elected officials to appoint members to the NAVs.
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We would be delighted to meet other members of the council to discuss the NAVs and our easy appointment process.
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The fatherhood initiative was established in 2002 in recognition of the positive influence that fathers have on their children.
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Children who have strong relationships with their father are less likely to get into trouble at home, school, or in the community.
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An active and nurture nurturing style of fathering is also associated with better verbal skills for infants, greater patients for toddlers, and better intellectual functioning and academic achievement among adolescents.
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For the past several years, the program has supported a diverse group of community based organizations that specialize in working with disconnected youth, child welfare, working with the formally incarcerated and workforce development.
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Programs offer a robust staffing model with case managers and outreach and retention specialists.
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This model supports the recruitment of custodial fathers and other peer mentors for program participants enables them to offer voluntary monthly co parenting workshops for interested custodial moms.
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Increases awareness and coordination to address child support and visitation concerns, and better ensures appropriate screening and referrals to providers of legal services, mediation, domestic violence services, and other necessary social services.
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Programs are targeted in community districts with a high need for fatherhood services based on the number of children born to unmarried women and the number of individuals on probation.
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In city fiscal year 2023, a reported 1067 non custodial fathers reconnected with their children.
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Duensity's childhood programs partner with many city agencies and state and federal partners, including the New York State Office of Children And Family Services, New York State Department of State And the United States Department of Health And Human Services Administration for Children And Families.
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We work with these partners to promote a flagship event dad's sick or child to school day each September.
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This statewide campaign encourages fathers and male caregivers and male role models to show their children the importance of education by visiting their schools at the start of the year.
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And staying involved throughout the year.
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Many dads served by our programs have embraced this challenge and the participating CEOs have developed additional referral sources through burgeoning relationships with schools after school and head start programs.
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As part of our efforts to continually improve childhood programming, BYC has provided targeted training and technical assistance to assist programs in initiating outings for dads and co parents to attend, including museums, picnics, grocery shopping, etcetera, at which pro pro which co parents can demonstrate appropriate behavior and share parenting roles managing the engagement of their children.
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The neighborhood development areas initiative or NDA initiative, Foster's community level engagement to ensure both that residents have opportunities to contribute to change in their neighborhoods, and that services address the most pressing needs of each community.
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These contracts address and service areas, including the 2 we are discussing today.
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Seniors, the social, cultural, and supportive services.
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These programs provide a range of services for adults ages sixty and older, such as social, cultural, and recreational activities, inter generational activities, exercise and nutrition, and access to social services to improve their physical, social, and emotional well-being, and increase self sufficiency.
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These programs serve both those who are homebound and those who are not.
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Programs must offer assistance in accessing services and benefits.
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Social, cultural, and recreational services, and family development coaching.
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They assist participants in demonstrating self advocacy skills and improvement of mental, behavioral, and physical health, and well-being.
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Healthy family support services programs aim to support and strengthen families using a holistic, strength based approach based on the principles of family development.
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Last year, do I see healthy families programs work with 5140 families to address issues concerning childcare, domestic violence, substance abuse, HIV AIDS, and physical and mental well-being.
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This includes advocacy and assistance in obtaining government benefits and other social services.
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Each program offers services tailored to community support service needs, which can include SNAP, WIC services, avoiding eviction, nutritional skills, and weatherization assistance.
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Funding decisions are made by hearing directly from New Yorkers and what services are most needed in their community.
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In 2022, NYC conducted a robust community needs assessment across the 41 neighborhoods with the highest incidences of poverty as well as citywide.
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This CNA aimed to document their views on one of the highest priority social service needs, to improve the well-being of their own communities.
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USD collected over 24,000 usable responses from a total nearly 30,000 responses.
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In conclusion, we'd like to share a story of one of our many successful program participants.
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A dance served by our fatherhood initiative thanked the program for its tangible and meaningful support.
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His child and co parent lived in another state.
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Causing his absences as a father to be even more apparent, not wanting to be an absent dad.
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He struggled to identify a pathway back into his child's life.
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Felt, excuse me, that felt appropriate and attainable, recognizing the need for support.
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He found and reached out to one of the fatherhood programs funded by aycd.
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Unlike some fathers who are mandated to attend programming, this father began and completed the program as a voluntary participant.
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Attending a 12 week course and working with dads in similar situations motivated him every week.
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Each week brought him closer and closer to being the father he aspired to be come.
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He strive to be a present father and a positive male figure in his child's life.
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Like many others, his goal was simply to be involved and be a dependable parent for his child.
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Upon completing his classes, he next expressed interest in finding employment.
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The case manager at the program reached out to a partner organization to refer the dead for an employment opportunity where he was hired.
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After a few months, he was offered a permanent position.
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During his time with the program, the dad built a closer relationship with his co parent to whom he apologized for previous grievances and his absence.
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Insights gained from being in the childhood program shifted his perspective and allowing him to see the co parent in a new light.
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Their co parenting relationship was reinvigorated, and the father worked to repair the dynamic with newfound appreciation for the co parent.
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And her efforts to care for their child.
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He was even able to participate in a parent teacher conference while visiting his child in another city.
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His dedication to the program presented him with the opportunity to be a better father using the tools and the teachings provided to him.
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Duez City's mission is to improve the quality of life of New Yorkers by collaborating with local organizations and investing in the talents and assets of our communities.
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To help them develop, grow, and thrive.
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Thank you for the opportunity to share ayc's efforts to serve New York's low income individuals, families, and communities, We're pleased to answer your questions.
Speaker 1
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Thank you.
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You have a number of questions.
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I'm gonna jump right into them.
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Since 1996, the NYPD have served as a community action agency.
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CAA for New York State.