Educational Support and Advocacy
Educational success is key to building a strong foundation for the future. NAC believes in children’s abilities, not their disabilities. Our staff works closely with our children and families to assure that all NAC children, despite their disabilities or life-challenges, reach their full potential.
NAC’s Educational Support and Advocacy Program is designed to meet the unique and individual educational needs of medically fragile children and their siblings. Many of NAC’s children require specialized educational, nursing and transportation services in order to attend school. Medical procedures and frequent hospitalizations may also interfere with school attendance and educational progress. NAC has Masters-level Education Specialists on staff to work one-on-one with our children, their families and the school system to ensure that every child is receiving the optimal educational opportunities for his or her abilities, and is progressing toward maximum independence as an adult.
School Advocacy
Each medically fragile child at NAC is assigned an Education Specialist. The Specialist goes to schools, homes, after-school programs, and any sites where educational services are provided in order to work collaboratively with the children and their educators. Together with the family and NAC Social Worker, the Specialist helps to create an education plan that is appropriate to the needs and goals of the child. NAC Education staff also advocate with the NYC Department of Education to provide busing and any other services needed to minimize the impact foster care placement can have on the child's academic success.
College Bound Program
A quarter century ago, children who used wheelchairs or had other physical disabilities or chronic illnesses were not considered “college material.” At age 15, Tamara, who uses a wheelchair and has brittle bone disease, was given some advice by her high school guidance counselor – not to bother to take the SAT’s because she would not be suitable for college life. Luckily, Tamara did not take that advice. Today she is in graduate school at New York University working on her Master’s degree in Art Therapy.
NAC believes that all children can achieve their dreams – whether it is going to college, working in the community or contributing to society in another way. NAC established the College Bound program to provide medically fragile NAC youth and their siblings with the information, resources and encouragement necessary to begin and/or complete their college dreams. NAC’s Educational Specialists begin working with students while they are in high school on preparing for and applying to college, and then assist them throughout their college years.
The College Bound program provides students with tutoring prior to taking the SAT’s, selecting and applying to colleges, college visits, assistance with financial aid applications, and direct assistance with the purchase of supplies needed to begin dormitory living. NAC also works with individual families to help them to prepare for some of the everyday challenges that a medically fragile youth may encounter on a large college campus. In addition, NAC advocates for any services the youth may need in college for an optimal experience, including special transportation, assistive technology or attendant services.
Parenting Education
NAC offers a variety of parenting education classes and support groups for parents of medically complex children. The goal of the program is to help parents feel more competent in their parenting abilities, and thus, be more effective parents. NAC educational staff work with birth parents who are caring for children at home as well as birth parents whose children are in foster care and who have a goal of reunification. The program curriculum covers important milestones in child development and addresses topics such as positive discipline strategies, communication skills, health and safety, and disabilities and advocacy. NAC staff are sensitive to parents’ issues and are careful to explain diagnoses and other difficult and technical terms to parents in plain language.
Early Intervention (EI) Program
It is fundamentally important to intervene early in the lives of very young children with disabilities. The goal of Early Intervention services is to identify and evaluate infants with special needs as early as possible and provide the appropriate interventions to improve child development.
NAC’s EI program provides developmental evaluations by highly-qualified Developmental Pediatricians, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, and Special Education Teachers, service coordination and direct services for children up to the age of three. Group programs are also offered to teach parent/child interaction skills and help infants and toddlers to get a head start. The value and importance of children's play is continually emphasized, and parents have monthly individual meetings with NAC’s educational and therapeutic staff to discuss their child’s progress.
Contact us
To find out more about NAC's Educational Services, please contact the Education Director, at 212-696-1550 or via email at
education@NacKidsCan.org.
The percent of school-age children at NAC who were promoted to the next grade level or graduated from high school in 2009.
- Tamara, NAC client with brittle bone disease
NAC Kids Can
NAC has helped over 100 children with disabilities and chronic illnesses make their college dreams come true.
Get Involved
A little help goes a long way. School supplies, house warming baskets, a new book to read...all make a world of difference to NAC children and families.
Volunteers are Key
Volunteers are a valued part of NAC's team. They provide meaningful support to staff and NAC children, such as providing one-on-one mentoring, or guiding kids through pet-assisted therapy.