Grant Serves Severely Traumatized Youth

Foundation Helps Fund Northeast Parent & Child Society’s Mohawk Dormitory Program

“The Foundation’s generous lead gift inspired other local donors to follow …We thank The Schenectady Foundation for helping us bring home eight boys who need the love and support of our community to become self-sufficient adults.” -- Laura Alpert, Director of Communications, Northeast Parent & Child Society

Sadly, there are some children in our community who, because of their level of emotional disturbance and danger to self and others, require specialized care beyond the capability of local residential treatment centers. These youngsters are often hospitalized for extended periods, or placed in juvenile detention or in high cost out-of-state facilities.

Northeast Parent & Child Society, one of the largest nonprofit child-serving organizations in the Capital Region, sought to create a local alternative: a new residential treatment program in the Mohawk Dormitory of its Children's Home. The new facility is designed to provide a safe, secure environment offering intensive therapy to severely traumatized children. The goal of the program is to heal the effects of child abuse and neglect, resulting in positive change in attitudes and behaviors, allowing timely transition to less restrictive care in the community.

To help bring this project to fruition, Northeast turned to The Schenectady Foundation, which provided a grant of $40,000. “The Foundation’s generous lead gift inspired other local donors to follow,” said Laura Alpert, Director of Communications at Northeast.

The result is the new eight-bed Mohawk Dormitory Treatment Program, which is providing local, specialized, intensive residential care for boys, ages 12 to 16 years. With Northeast providing this service locally, family members are able to participate in treatment, which greatly enhances the possibility of success.

“We thank The Schenectady Foundation for recognizing that all children have unlimited potential, and for helping us bring home eight boys who need the love and support of our community to become self-sufficient adults,” said Ms. Alpert.

To fill a pressing need for local residential care for severely troubled youth, Northeast Parent & Child Society acquired funding from The Schenectady Foundation to build a special safe and secure dormitory offering intensive therapy.