Our mission is to provide programs and services that will empower families, youth, and individuals by helping them to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for successful living in today's society. Our motto of “Building Communities by Strengthening Families” is the driving force behind all of our services.

Description and/or History:
Since our founding in 1975, CDSC has helped more than 20,000 families and individuals from low-income neighborhoods to become self-sufficient and self-reliant. CDSC has made great strides in its efforts to improve the lives of families in Central Brooklyn. Our mission is the backbone of how our organization provides services to our communities. It is the strength that guides our employees to be the highly professional and dedicated group of individuals they are.

We are motivated by the belief that vibrant, healthy communities start with strong, secure families. Since our beginning, we have been in the forefront of the struggle to advance the causes of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised members of our society by combating racism, poverty, and unemployment while addressing the needs of low-income families.

Our unique ability to recognize and adapt to changing community circumstances and needs enable us to continually provide proactive, responsive, relevant, and quality programs and services to our clients. CDSC is a major contributor to the economic strength of the Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant communities. Annually, over $2,000,000 passes through CDSC and into the community for services rendered. We employ over 50 residents from the community at competitive salaries.
Accomplishments

CDSC has achieved numerous critical successes for low-income families. Below are some of our accomplishments:

• Created, with the New York City Child Care Resource and Referral Consortium, a toll-free line to provide information and assistance to parents and child care provides on a myriad of child care related matters in different languages including Russian, Chinese, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. The hot line receives up to 100 calls per day.
  
  
• Each year, through our preventive services program we help to stabilize families and prevent 300 children and youth in Central Brooklyn from being placed or re-enter into the foster care system.
  
  
• Through our CCR&R program we help over 6,000 families annually to access child care information and resources, and connect them to subsidy funding to pay for their child care needs. We received a Best Practices certification for demonstrating our competence in the field of Child Care Resource and Referral.
  
  
• We help more than 3,000 individuals annually to become self-employed by establishing home-based early childhood programs through training, technical assistance and resources.
  
  
• We collaborated with the New York City Coalition Against Hunger to form the Brooklyn Alliance of Community Services (BACS), a neighborhood network of emergency food programs and social service organizations in Central Brooklyn. Through our Emergency Food Pantry we help to feed 800 children, seniors, and adults each month.
  
  
• Created a partnership with the Brooklyn Outreach Center (BOC) to assist child care providers in becoming successful entrepreneurs.
  
  
• Requested and received funding from ACS to develop an Enhanced Teen Preventive Service program.
  
  
• More than 20,000 families as well as individuals from low-income and minority neighborhoods have become self-sufficient and self-reliant as a result of our programs and services.

Historical Timeline

1969 – 1979


• Six single mothers from the Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant communities of Brooklyn, New York, organize a parent support group to provide safe, affordable and quality child care services for each other and their broader community.
  
  
• The Grail Corporation, a Catholic women’s organization, donates a building to the Nursery. The Nursery receives major contributions from The First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn Heights, Chemical Bank, and private donation from the residents of the Fort Greene community.
  
  
• The Nursery receiving funding by the NYC Agency for Child Development and loses its during the NYC fiscal crisis under the mayoralty of the Honorable Abe Beame.
  
  
• The parent support group becomes the Herman Hannaham Day Nursery named in memory of Ms. Hannaham’s husband who was a tireless worker in the Fort Greene community for a fuller and more meaningful education for black children.
  
  
• The Herman Hannaham Day Nursery opens with a class of 13 pre-school children.
  
  
• The nursery incorporates itself as the Child Development Support Corporation under the leadership of Freddie Hamilton
  
  
1980 – 1990


• The Nursery loses city funding but continues to operate exclusively on parent fees.
  
  
• CDSC sponsors The Mind Power Family Services, a preventive services program, to help families stay functional and remain intact as they addressed issues with drug abuse. The program receives funding by the NYS Department of Social Services as a demonstration project.
  
  
• NYC Human Resources Administration funds Mind Power Family Services as a permanent program.
  
  
• Sponsorship of the Child and Adult Care Food Program begins. CACFP is a federally-funded nutrition education and meal reimbursement program that helps caregivers to serve nutritious and safely prepared meals and snacks to children and adults in child care settings.
  
  
• CDSC receives city funding to sponsor an Emergency Food Pantry.
  
  
1991 – 2001


• CDSC purchases, renovates, and moves into its present home located at 352-358 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.
  
  
• CDSC adds new programs to its scope of services. These programs include: Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Youth Programs, Head Start, Family Child Care Network, Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R), Foster Care and Adoption; and an Emergency Food Pantry.
  
  
2002 – 2007


• CDSC receives funding to sponsor an Enhanced Teen Preventive Services program.
  
  
• CDSC’s Co-founder and Executive Director Freddie Hamilton retires and Marcia Rowe-Riddick is named is the new CEO.
  
  
• CDSC forms an alliance with Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families (EGSCF) to manage our foster boarding home and adoption services.
  
  
• CDSC is recognized as best a practices organization



Contact people:


Mireille Massac, Public Relations Coordinator, (718) 398-2050 ext. 8219, (email) Sarah Pritchard, Volunteer Coordinator, (718) 398-2050 , ext. 8501, (email)

Address:


352-358 Classon Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 (See a map)


Web Site: http://www.cdscnyc.org

Directions:

By Subway: Take the G line to the Classon Ave. stop. Walk south on Classon. By Bus: Take the B38 to Classon Ave. and Lafayette Ave. Walk south on Classon. Take the B48 to Classon Ave. and Lafayette Ave. Cross to. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: G to Classon Avenue ,   Walk distance (in minutes): 1   Nearest Bus Stop: B38 to Classon Avenue at Lafayette Avenue, 1 minute walk