Senator Stewart-Cousins Awarded For Supporting Kinship Care

Yonkers, NY - The Kinship Support Program at the Family Service Society of Yonkers awarded Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins with the CURA Award for her staunch advocacy of grandparents and other relatives who raise children at the New York State Kinship Navigator’s Kinship Care Month luncheon in Albany.

The Family Service Society of Yonkers acknowledged Senator Stewart-Cousins for fighting for kinship care throughout her political career. As a county legislator, she brought a number of important support programs for grandparents and other kinship caregivers to Westchester County, which have grown significantly and persist to this day. In her role as a Senator and Leader of the Senate Democrats, she has continued to fight for supportive programs at the state level and remains an ardent champion of these families. 

“The power of family love is transformative,” said Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “Children who stay close to their families even after they’ve been estranged from their parents are afforded the opportunity for a better life. The Senate Democrats fight each and every year to secure additional resources for these committed family caregivers who provide these kids with the stability and affection that every child needs and deserves. I will continue to work to ensure New York remains the state most committed to supporting kinship care services.” 

The New York State legislature unanimously passed resolutions designating September as Kinship Care Month for the third year in a row. Governor Cuomo also acknowledged the significance of the month in a proclamation.

Kinship care describes situations in which a grandparent or other relative raises the child or children of other family members. These relatives often care for the children because their parents lack the resources or emotional or financial stability needed to do so. One of Family Services’ top priorities is to place children who must be separated from their birth parents into homes with their relatives.

Research demonstrates that children who maintain relationships with their relatives are less likely to exhibit behavioral problems and three to four times less likely to experience maltreatment than children in foster care. Children raised by their relatives are also more likely to feel appreciated, cared for, and loved than children in foster care.

More than 200,000 families in New York State administer kinship care to their relatives, and more than 400,000 children are eligible for Kinship Services through the New York State Office of Kinship and Family Services.