Children’s Aid's Programs and Approaches to Reduce Issues of Social Justice

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Social Justice
Social justice is the equal access to opportunities, privileges and wealth in the society (Hytten, Kathy, and Bettez 5). The concept of social justice arose in the 19th century in the period of the Industrial Revolution and successive revolutions in Europe that were aimed to create a democratic society and redress capitalistic exploitation of human labor. Because of the wide gap between the poor and the wealthy during this period, the early advocates of social justice mainly emphasized on property, capital, and the distribution of wealth. In the mid-20th century, the scope of social justice had expanded to accommodate other dimensions of social life, such as race, gender, environment, and other causes of inequality. During the period, the perception of social justice took a new look as it expanded from being measured and acted on by a nation to the global human dimension. The principle of social justice is necessary for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among the countries, and according to the estimates of ILO, there are almost two billion people who live in situations that are affected by the conflict, of whom most are young people (Sorrells). From the existing and the ongoing literature, the issues of social justice are rampant in society, and to attain a prosperous society, there is a need to address these issues of social justice.
In every county, social problems exist. For instance issues of housing, crime, high poverty levels, racial conflict, and drug addiction are common in New York. Both the government and non-governmental organizations have formed organizations in trying to solve the effects of social problems in the city. Children’s Aid of New York is an organization that assists children and youths by giving them necessary assistance to succeed in school and life after school. It is a non-profit organization, and the current purpose of the organization is to ensure that there are no boundaries among the young peoples’ ambitions. Besides, the organization also ensures that there is no limit to the abilities of young people. The mission of the organization is to help children affected by poverty to succeed and thrive, both in education and life after school. The organization provides comprehensive support to the children, youth and the families in neighborhoods of New York City in an effort to achieve its goal. Its ideology is that all children have the potential to prosper. However, children from low-income families or ones with emotional stress end up surviving. When children lead a life of survival, their potential is limited. It is, therefore, from this perspective that Children’s Aid felt a need to address the issue, as it is unacceptable for the children to live in a historic city of opportunity and face barriers that hinder them from attaining their goals.
In 1992, following a rise in social concerns among the young population in the society, The Children’s Aid partnered with the New York City Department of Education. The partnership aimed to incorporate a strong curriculum program and establish both children and family support programs to eliminate educational barriers for the youth. Since then, the organization has grown over two decades to sixteen community schools. The second stage of growth took place during the City-sponsored expansion of community schools, and from the development that began in late 2014, the organization saw the addition of several schools as part of the expansion effort (69). The organization is a powerhouse solution for young people. It is constituted of social workers, teachers, health care providers, and coaches. Such professionals understand how to raise children healthily and robustly that helps them prosper in school and life. The organization recognizes that the alleviation of poverty cannot be based on a single service or program at a single point in time, and this is why it supports the family as a whole and not only children. It has been functional for more than one hundred and sixty years that has helped families turn their lives around. It helps connect young people and their families with the requirements they need to learn, grow, and manage their lives.
The programs at Children’s Aid are divided into different categories to ensure high-quality services to the desired groups (Méndez 269). Some of the programs include health and nutrition, academic and social-emotional learning, and family and community. Regarding family and community, the organization does not only offer children opportunity to shine, but equip parents and the guardians with tools necessary to strengthen the family and promote themselves and the communities. Parenting is a challenge, so, Children’s Aids understand this, and that is why it provide both the parents and the guardians with all types of support they need. It has also partnered with the government and other non-profit organizations in stabilizing and building on the community strengths because it believes that effective advocacy is crucial to generating more funds and direct public policy towards supporting children, youth, and families. The external investments of the time and money into the mission of the group, at both the individual and cooperate levels, has had a dramatic impact on its outcomes.
One critical program is health and nutrition. Children and youth need a balanced diet to prosper in school and life; ...