Bushwick Making Children Important, the BMCI, is a Child Welfare Network that serves as a forum to share resources, ideas, information, and referrals in order to strengthen Bushwick families. In addition to a strong collaboration of agencies, staff and local service providers are part of the organization, and the emerging membership with Community Partnership Initiatives has only enhanced the community-based networks in the district.

Our Goals:

• Connecting Child Care/Head Start to Preventive Services

The Bushwick Community Partnership Initiative recognizes the need to strengthen relationships, networking capabilities, and information flow between child-care and preventive services. This goal is being accomplished in the community by the development of a “one-stop shop” which will be located at the Bushwick IMPACT organization.

For more information about Bushwick IMPACT, please log on to:
www.bushwickimpact.org

• Foster Care Recruitment

Determined to recruit parents for our young children and teens, the Bushwick CPI organizes many recruitment events, trainings, and support systems for foster parents in the community. Orientations are hosted monthly at local libraries for families interested in becoming a foster parent.

• Family Team Conferences

Family Conferences are designed to keep children in the Bushwick community safe, and to direct families to accessible resources. If a child is at risk, then he or she is placed with loved ones, family members, or family friends. Family conferences also set goals for the parents and children to reach in order to achieve a quality relationship.

• Visitation

The Bushwick Community Partnership is committed to providing smooth, productive visits with families and children that will take place in family-friendly locations within the community, including the Bushwick Impact office and the Brooklyn libraries. At the Bushwick Impact office families have the opportunity to cook and enjoy family time with their children in a neutral setting.