Fadwa’s Story

To say Fadwa is driven is an understatement. She doesn’t dream of becoming a surgical nurse, she is actively taking steps to make it happen. And to make her mother proud.

Fadwa lost her mother to cancer when she was just 13 years old. Her father expected Fadwa to assume her mother’s responsibilities and moved the family often, keeping them distanced from any extended family. She was not allowed to have friends or participate in extracurricular activities. She attended five different high schools and managed to maintain excellent grades while she cooked, cleaned, and took care of her two brothers and father.

At 17, she was abandoned by her father and placed in SCO’s foster care program. SCO helped stabilize the teen, placed her with a foster family, and eventually was able to locate a maternal aunt who opened her heart and home to her long-lost niece through kinship foster care.

Despite her early challenges, Fadwa stays focused on the opportunities ahead of her. SCO’s foster care staff helped her prepare for college; guiding her through the application process and helping her achieve both a Dream USA Scholarship and a Youth in Foster Care Award.  Currently a student at Borough of Manhattan Community College, SCO helped her secure an internship with a surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Fadwa’s goal is to keep her GPA high enough to get into nursing school. And we have no doubt she will achieve this and so much more.

 

Our Impact

SCO is focused on providing the best care and services to help our clients succeed. We are with them every step of the way, helping to open doors to opportunities, gain access to resources, and improve the quality of their lives.

How do we measure success? Through their success in achieving their goals in three overarching areas: Learning, Work and Well-being.

Learning

  • 96% of 12th graders in Family Foster Care graduated high school; 61% are enrolled in post-secondary education
  • 100% of eligible students at Westbrook Preparatory School took and passed the Regents exam
  • Children in our NYC shelters had a 96% attendance rate at NYC DOE schools
  • UB’s focus on Early Intervention was noted by NYC for being responsible for an unprecedented 28% jump in referral rates for Black children in Brownsville

Work

  • 100% of eligible residents at our Dix Hills Residential Treatment Facility participated in work, internship, or volunteer activities
  • 85% of residents in our group homes for adults with developmental disabilities attended Day Hab and received vocational services
  • 88% of young adults in foster care (ages 18+) are currently working or enrolled in school

Well-being

  • 99% of at-risk families throughout Brooklyn & Queens remained together and stable with family support services
  • 95% of women in our residential recovery program remained substance free
  • 90% of residents in our NYC shelters were successfully discharged to stable housing
  • 91% of babies in our Nurse-Family Partnership were current with immunizations at 24 months
  • 93% of adults with developmental disabilities living in SCO’s IRAs (group homes) made meaningful connections by participating in community inclusion activities

In FY 2021, SCO:

  • Sheltered 5,200 youth, adults and children experiencing homelessness
  • Helped 2,700 individuals with special needs develop skills to reach their full potential
  • Guided 5,400 children and teens on the path to academic success through after school, summer and work-readiness programs
  • Prepared 1,500 young children for kindergarten in our early childhood programs
  • Served 1,100 children and young adults in foster care and their families
  • Strengthened families and communities across the metro area, providing 14,000 New Yorkers with counseling, support and community-based services

Fadwa’s Story

Foster Care and Education

“I’m going to be successful regardless of what I’ve been through." Learn More

John Brown

"SCO has a direct impact on your neighbors." Learn More

100%

of eligible residents at our Dix Hills Residential Treatment Facility participated in work, internship, or volunteer activities

We shelter

5,200

youth, adults and children

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