Children embody our richest aspirations, yet they are also our poorest, most vulnerable minority, defenseless in the face of abuse, neglect, homelessness and poverty. The Association to Benefit Children (ABC) was created to amplify the voices of defenseless children by combating the debilitating effects of poverty and championing the right of every child to a joyful and nurturing childhood.
ABC’s programs are located in New York City and include early childhood education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, educational advocacy, housing assistance, permanent supportive housing for families with HIV/AIDS, mental health services, family support and preservation, crisis intervention, a therapeutic afterschool program, youth leadership development and mentoring, and a Saturday program for families in the community of East Harlem.
By creating replicable, cost-effective and humane model programs that influence public policy, by speaking out in public forums, by widely circulating its special reports and by bringing class action lawsuits on behalf of children in need, ABC has achieved the following essential reforms:
- ensuring inclusionary education for disabled preschoolers
- securing HIV counseling, testing, and treatment for all children including those in foster care
- diagnosis and treatment for homeless children with asthma
- eliminating the cruel and expensive practice of “boarding” babies.
In so doing these things, ABC has permanently altered the public debate, improving the lives of children who, otherwise, might have waited unnoticed, vulnerable and suffering, with no advocate to witness their pain and give voice to their needs. http://www.a-b-c.org/