Twenty-eight Foster Care agencies were awarded Certificates of Excellence, along with AC S' Direct Care Adoption unit. The event was hosted by the New York Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation in Coney Island. Joining the Mayor and Commissioner was the Executive Director and Vice President of the New York Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation, Louis Garibaldi, along with more than 100 New York City foster and adopted children. One of the most important new initiatives at ACS is a program to increase the number of children adopted each year.
Nothing is more important to a child than having a stable family life.
We must redouble our efforts until every single child in our care has a permanent and loving home. I established ACS in February 1996 to protect the children of this city. One of the most important goals is to find permanent homes and families for all available children. And I congratulate Commissioner Scoppetta and his staff for their hard work, dedication, impressive results and meeting these goals. However, there are still thousands of children who need and deserve caring families.