Family Services

Family Services include an array of services that support the whole family. These services include social services, ACS preventive services, immigration support, food assistance, and benefits assistance. Search your community for service providers and think about how they could be potential Community School partners.

Children’s services are responsible for supporting and protecting vulnerable children. This includes providing children and their families with extra help. Where children are thought to be at risk of harm, children’s services will take steps which aim to make sure they are kept safe.

Services include but are not limited to:

  • Public Assistance

  • Employment and Unemployment Benefits

  • Access to Food

  • Health Care

  • Utilities

NYC Department for Aging partners with hundreds of community-based organizations to provide services through senior centers, naturally occurring retirement communities, case-management and home-care agencies, home-delivered meal programs, mental health and friendly visiting programs, and much more in each borough.

Preventive services are designed to help families keep their children safely at home. They help to promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children and their families in their own homes and communities.

Immigration support services in NYC can include but are not limited to:

  • Emergency contact resources for those fearing deportation;

  • Legal and social service providers

  • Public benefit programs

  • Worker’s rights

  • Small business assistance

  • Consumer rights and

  • A range of other issues relevant to immigrants living in New York.

Explore the Immigrant Rights and Services Manual for more information

There are two ways to get free food quickly: get groceries from a food pantry, or a cooked meal from a community kitchen. Find the closest food pantries and community kitchens by using the Food Map.

In NYC, victims of domestic violence may receive temporary housing, emergency shelter and supportive services for themselves and their children. All programs provide a safe environment as well as counseling, advocacy and referral services.

Check out this Step-By-Step online portal to help with benefits applications.