1. L.E.S Community Partnership
Mission Statement:
The mission of L.E.S Community Partnership Program is to assist the Administration of
Children’s Services (ACS) in improving their outreach to the Lower East Side/Chinatown
community. This includes increasing the enrollment of children in Head Start and other
early childhood services, connecting parents with community-based preventive services,
and collaborating more closely with foster care agencies to support families. The
Community Partnership seeks to meet these goals by working with the ACS and utilizing
the many different resources provided by community-based organizations in the Lower
East Side that have a record of being culturally competent and linguistically accessible.
Background:
L.E.S Community Partnership is a coalition of many different organizations that serve the
Lower East Side/Chinatown community and are interested in improving and reforming
the child welfare system so that it works better for families. By working closely with the
ACS, the different partnering organizations serve as the contact liaison between the ACS
and the Lower East Side/Chinatown community. Collaboration between the different
organizations allows resources to be shared more effectively.
*See the other side for a list of partnering organizations.
The goals and objectives of the L.E.S Community Partnership are to:
• Increase the enrollment of children in Head Start, day care, and other early
childhood services
• Increase the enrollment of parents in community-based preventive services
• Encourage more eligible Lower East Side residents to become foster parents for
Lower East Side children who are in foster care
• Provide support for current and prospective foster parents so they can properly
provide for the needs of the children in their care
• To improve the foster care visitation and the conferencing process so that it
works better for families with open ACS cases.
• Develop relationships between local schools and social service agencies within
our network.
By forming a coalition of social service organizations that serve the Lower East Side,
foster care agencies, community-based health centers, community advocacy groups,
faith-based organizations, and other relevant partners, we believe that we will be able to
meet these goals. Our Community Coordinator serves as the link to all of these agencies,
but our goal is to build long lasting linkages between all of our members.
The Community Partnership also serves to be a resource center for community residents
who need information about social service programs for their families. We have
developed a resource directory that community members and social service providers can
use to access the services that they need. We also encourage community members to be
more involved in helping to support children and families here in the Lower East Side.

2. Contact Us:
For more information about the Lower East Side Community Partnership Program and
how you can get involved, contact:
Flora Ichiou Huang,
L.E. S Community Partnership
Community Coordinator
184 Eldridge Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 387-0557 x4224
lescpi@gmail.com
Feel free to contact us with any questions. We welcome any new members who are
interested in partnering with us to help improve child welfare services in the Lower East
Side/Chinatown community. Below is a partial list of the organizations that are already
part of this partnership:
University Settlement and The Door–fiscal conduit
Chinese-American Planning Council
Administration of Children’s Services
Lower East Side Family Union
The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Catholic Guardian Services
Chinatown YMCA
New York Center for Child Development
Dewitt Head Start
Educational Alliance
Grand Street Settlement
Bank Street Head Start
Council on Adoptable Children
NYCHA Family Services
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center
Ryan-NENA Community Health Center
St. Nick’s Alliance
Department for the Aging – Grandparent Resource Center
Children’s Museum of the Arts
The Family Justice Center
New York County District Attorney-Office of Community Affairs
City of New York Commission on Human Rights
Henry Street Settlement
Lower Eastside Service Center, Inc.
Legal Information for Families Today
Resources for Children with Special Needs
Family Cook Productions
Nazareth Housing
Coalition for Asian-American Children and Families