New York J 1911: Commending the Westchester Children's Association of White Plains, New York, upon the occasion of celebrating its 110th Anniversary

Bill Text

Senate Resolution No. 1911
 Senator MAYERBY:
          the Westchester Children's AssociationCOMMENDING
        of White Plains, New  York,  upon  the  occasion  of
        celebrating its 110th Anniversary
    It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize andWHEREAS,
pay  tribute  to  those  organizations  of  high  purpose   and   worthy
accomplishment whose endeavors have faithfully served the welfare of the
youth of the State of New York; and
    Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with itsWHEREAS,
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commend  the  Westchester  Children's  Association  upon the occasion of
celebrating its 110th Anniversary to be celebrated on Wednesday, June 5,
2024; and
   On June 5, 1914, Westchester Children's  Association  (WCA)WHEREAS,
was  established  by  a  group of citizens, underwriting the salaries of
Westchester's first six child welfare workers; and
   To this day, the mission of WCA has  been  to  improve  theWHEREAS,
lives  of Westchester's young people by shaping policies and programs to
meet their needs and by keeping their  well-being  at  the  top  of  the
public agenda; and
    The  vision of WCA is for every child to be healthy, safe,WHEREAS,
and prepared for life's challenges, regardless of race or zip code; and
    Westchester  Children's   Association   is   the   leadingWHEREAS,
independent  voice  for  Westchester's  youth,  advocating for effective
policies and programs for children since its inception; and
   From 1914 through the 1940s, WCA established the Children'sWHEREAS,
Court in Westchester, the first in New York State;  other  advocacy  for
the  youth,  including  remedial reading programs and guidance programs,
were instituted in the  county's  public  school  system;  a  vocational
guidance  and  placement  service  and a child guidance center were also
inaugurated to provide assistance for the children and  their  families;
and
    Throughout  the  following  four  decades,  WCA  pioneeredWHEREAS,
advancements for the mental health of the children  of  the  Westchester
community,  placing  the  first  clinical  psychologist  in the county's
public schools and establishing an early childhood counseling center  in
Mt.  Vernon; and
     Additionally,   Operations   Crossroads,  which  connectsWHEREAS,
children and  their  families  with  essential  assistive  services  and
programs  related  to issues addressed by the Family Court, was founded;
presently operated by Children's Village, the county's first shelter for
runaway and homeless youth was instituted; and

    Through  the  1990s,  Westchester  Children's  AssociationWHEREAS,
created   several   programs   which   championed   the   investment  in
state-sponsored  health  insurance,  the  supervised   visitation   with
non-custodial  parents,  and  the prevention of involvement in crime and
delinquency of the county's children and youth; and
    To  care  for the children of court litigants, the YonkersWHEREAS,
Family Court Children's Center was founded; two additional Centers  were
established in White Plains and New Rochelle; and
    The  new millennium delivered increased public investmentsWHEREAS,
in early-childhood mental health, the  coordination  of  government  and
community  agencies  to  provide  free  or  low-cost health insurance to
children, the advocacy for improved  pediatric  emergency  training  for
EMTs  and  ambulance  volunteers,  and the Child Health Advocacy Network
(CHAN); and
    From  2010  until  the  present,  Westchester   Children'sWHEREAS,
Association  led  a  successful campaign to make children a priority for
government spending, preserving more than $7  million  in  county-funded
services for the community's youth; and
    The  WCA has provided opportunities for community outreachWHEREAS,
and overall personal development for young people  and  their  families;
and
   The success of the Westchester Children's Association is inWHEREAS,
direct  correlation to the efforts of its members, whose involvement is,
and always has been,  characterized  by  an  impressive  commitment,  an
unbridled  enthusiasm,  and  an uncompromising standard of excellence in
all endeavors; and
   It  is  the  sense  of  this  Legislative  Body  that  whenWHEREAS,
individuals and organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are
brought  to  our  attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by
all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
   That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  toRESOLVED,
commend  the  Westchester  Children's  Association  upon the occasion of
celebrating its 110th Anniversary, and to honor its  members,  past  and
present,  who  have labored so conscientiously to secure and improve the
quality of life for the youth of the community; and be it further
   That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  beRESOLVED,
transmitted to the Westchester Children's