Program Overview
Project Access supports and facilitates non-custodial parents’ access to visitations with their children.
Clients Served Last Year:
536
Program Contact:
Alfredo Rosario
Program Director
Funding Generously Provided by:
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and private donations.
Contact Information:
3555 Veterans Memorial Highway
Suite B
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
(631) 737-1454
alfredo.rosario@eac-network.org
Program Description
The Problem:
In New York State, over 40% of children are born out-of-wedlock, with most being raised in single-parent households. The emotional and financial needs of children in separated families are often stressed or overlooked, and are common if the parties are in conflict over parental access to and visitation with their children. Conflict, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, and/or mental health issues impair parents’ judgement and affect children’s well-being.
Our Solution:
Provide counseling services, parent education, mediation, development of parenting plans, and visitation enforcement in a neutral, safe, and conflict-free setting.
How We Do it:
Project Access works with parents to improve their individual and cooperative parenting (co-parenting) skills, apply their parenting skills to their child-raising responsibilities through safe, meaningful parent-child time, raise awareness of the importance of emotional and financial support of the child(ren) regardless of the interpersonal relationship between parents, and how to access child support enforcement services.
How You Can Help:
Project Access is in need of arts and crafts materials, Toys R’ Us or Home Depot Master Tool Bench, toys, Wii games, new seating, a TV to show parenting videos, and lockers for non-custodial parents to secure their belongings in during visits. To support Project Access with a gift, click here or call (516) 539-0150 x117.
The Outcomes of Project Access
After improving parent relationships, children develop better life coping skills and have a greater chance of success to become self-sufficient adults.
In a recent survey, 17 out of 18 non-custodial parent participants reported positive outcomes with an increase in the number of hours, days, and/or holidays they spend with their children, as compared to the time prior to their involvement in the Project Access program.
