Help Make The Holidays Extra Happy! About ABOUT US OUR HISTORY PUBLICATIONS THE HISTORY OF MERCYFIRST 1894 St. Mary of the Angels Home founded in Syosset, NY by the Sisters of Mercy as a refuge for orphaned boys seeking shelter at the Convent of Mercy in Brooklyn. 1899 Angel Guardian Home founded by the Sisters of Mercy in Brooklyn, NY. The first residents are young orphaned girls. 1947 After WWII ended Angel Guardian was able to place more children in foster and adoptive homes; inaugurating its Adoption Department. 1967 St. Mary’s becomes incorporated as a separate child care agency and construction of cottages begins to care for older adolescent boys. 1974-1975 Angel Guardian initiates one of New York’s first Preventive Services programs and opens its first Mother/Child Residence, both in Brooklyn. 1980 St. Mary’s launches Group Home program on Long Island to serve the older adolescent boys to prepare for independent living. Program is later expanded to include older adolescent girls. 1986 St. Mary’s is selected to provide the first Preventive Services Program in Nassau County to help strengthen families and avoid the need to remove at-risk children from their home into foster care. 2003 Angel Guardian and St. Mary’s merge to unite two of New York’s leading child-welfare organizations. The merged organization is re-named MercyFirst in 2004. 2009 MercyFirst is awarded Sanctuary certification to become the largest agency in the country to be certified in this trauma-informed approach to providing services to children and their families. 2010 Syosset Campus goes co-ed to meet the ever changing needs of abused and neglected youth. 2014 START With Hope program begins with a grant from the Federal Government to provide residential and post-release services to immigrant youth. Doing so is in keeping with our mission and the priorities of the Sisters of Mercy. Are You Looking for Adoption Information or Old Records? If you are looking for information about yourself or a family member who was adopted through Angel Guardian or St. Mary’s or lived there at some time, you can submit a request for us to search our records. INFORMATION REQUEST Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation, effective January 2020, that establishes the right of adoptees to obtain a certified copy of their birth certificate directly from New York State. This new law does not unseal adoptee records nor does it allow MercyFirst to provide birth certificates. Birth certificates for adoptees born in one of the five boroughs of New York City can be requested through the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Birth certificates for adoptees born in the rest of New York State must be requested through the New York State Department of Health. For more information on the new legislation, consult the FAQ here. MERCYFIRST, 525 CONVENT ROAD, SYOSSET, NY, 11791, UNITED STATES516.921.0808 Privacy Policy Powered by Squarespace