Our Issues

Westchester Children’s Association improves children’s lives by identifying their unmet needs, making those needs known to public officials and the public, and making sure those needs are met. As a multi-issue child advocacy organization, we use research, public education, community mobilization and advocacy to address the most pressing needs of children and teens.

WCA’s current and recent issues include:

Helping Families Thrive
Keeping Kids Healthy
Preparing Youth for Adulthood
Securing Positive Public Investments for Children

Helping Families Thrive

Bringing Home Visiting Programs to Westchester

President Obama’s promise to provide support for early childhood programs has helped focus attention on home visiting as a critical service delivery for strengthening children and families. WCA has established a new Workgroup to explore increasing home visiting programs in Westchester.
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Improving Parenting for Vulnerable Children

For thousands of families whose children are in foster care or at risk of placement, parenting education programs are often the primary tool to preserve or reunite families. WCA has studied the availability and efficacy of these programs and made recommendations for improvements that will help children thrive.
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Keeping Kids Healthy

Access to Health Insurance

More than 1 out of 4 Westchester children depend on State sponsored health insurance for their health care. Since 1998, WCA has spearheaded efforts to enroll more than 10,000 eligible children in New York’s health insurance programs.
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Social and Emotional Wellbeing for Young Children

Research has clearly demonstrated the connection between young children’s healthy emotional development and their lifelong cognitive and social functioning. In 2006, WCA pushed for the creation of an innovative program that brings preventive mental health services to children in day care centers.
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Preparing Youth for Adulthood

Supporting Foster Teens

Half of Westchester’s foster children are aged 14 or older and many may be leaving foster care in a few years to live on their own. To provide a better start for foster teens, WCA successfully advocated for a coordinated public-private effort to make sure foster teens are better prepared for adulthood.
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Securing Positive Public Investments for Children

County and State Budget Advocacy

Each year, WCA organizes and mobilizes young people, parents and advocates to insure that children and youth needs are adequately funded in the County and State budgets. These efforts have resulted in numerous victories for children.
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