This spotlight report examines how COVID-era parental job loss affected children’s behavioral health development, using data from the Early Childhood Poverty Tracker (ECPT), a representative, longitudinal study of families with young children born in New York City. The report draws on three ECPT surveys that followed families from before the pandemic in 2019 to the early and middle phases of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021.

After the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, New York City experienced a historic decline in employment, losing nearly a million jobs. This massive job loss exposed many children to the economic insecurity associated with parental job loss, which could have harmful effects on children’s development.

Rosemarie Ewing-James ’80 dedicated her career to improving the lives of children. Retirement hasn’t stopped her.

When Rosemarie Ewing-James ’80 appears on a video call for our interview, she is sitting in a nondescript office overlooking a busy highway — a surprising backdrop given that she retired last year.

Since 1854, Forestdale has stood as a pillar of support for families in Queens and Brooklyn. We were founded to serve families in crisis, and today, we continue that mission providing trauma-informed care, parenting support, and stability to thousands of families each year. But now, we face a crisis that threatens the very foundation of our community: the disruption of SNAP benefits.

Forestdale Appoints Lorraine Stephens as Executive Director

The Forestdale Inc. Board of Trustees is pleased to announce Lorraine Stephens, MSW, as the new Executive Director (E.D.), effective May 19th, 2025. As E.D., Ms. Stephens will leverage her considerable expertise in government services and nonprofit management to guide Forestdale's growth and improve services for underserved communities in Queens and Brooklyn.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner (ACS) Jess Dannhauser today announced plans to expand a number of key programs aimed at helping youth in foster care connect to college and future career opportunities, fulfilling another commitment in Mayor Adams’ 2025 State of the City address.

The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development is proud to announce the expansion of DYCD’s Fatherhood Initiative, adding 17 new programs across the five boroughs and doubling the number of fathers we serve from 1,500 to 3,000.

NEW YORK — New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard today announced the awarding of 17 new contracts as part of the expansion of the Fatherhood Initiative.