On Aug. 22, a coalition of 80 nonprofit human services providers submitted a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo requesting a $354 million reinvestment in a sector that has been battered by cuts, job loss and low wages since the financial crisis of 2008. These organizations, which provide valuable and critical services in communities all over the state, took the brunt of budget cuts in 2010 ($1 billion) to help cut state spending and close deficits. Since then, the Cuomo administration has directed state agencies to operate in a flat-funded environment with little to no growth for new programs or investment in existing programs.
As the parent company of two long-established service agencies, Northern Rivers Family Services has seen firsthand the impact that budget cuts and flat funding has had on nonprofit human services agencies in New York. On July 23, 2012, New York state approved the incorporation of Northern Rivers Family Services as the parent company of Northeast Parent & Child of Schenectady and Parsons Child and Family Center of Albany, two of the oldest and largest human services agencies in upstate New York. Combined, we employ 1,250 individuals in more than 40 service locations.
This move to affiliate was a response to challenging times. Both organizations were increasingly seeing children and families struggling with more complex conditions and a greater demand for services. Unfortunately, service rates in state contracts do not always provide adequate reimbursement.
This reality is what motivates Northern Rivers and the other 79 organizations to campaign for this much-needed investment. With a record $4 billion budget surplus, the state has the monetary resources to put the human services sector on a path to financial stability.
John Henley
Albany
CEO, Northern Rivers Family Services
www.northernrivers.org