By Vincent Madera 

For more than two decades, I have worked with young people in foster care and their families. I’ve seen what can change when a child has the opportunity to live with a grandparent or another relative. That disruption in their lives can be eased when families can stay together, when connections are not broken.

I think about a grandmother who wanted to care for her grandchild after the youth could no longer live safely with their parents. The grandmother was living in a single-adult shelter, surviving on a fixed income. She was ready to open her home but she lacked the stable housing – she was committed to help, but could not overcome the financial hurdle. 

When a child cannot remain safely with a parent, placement with a relative or family friend can preserve ties to culture, to school, and to community when so much else is changing. But a suitable relative shouldn’t be ruled out just because the city does not have sufficient housing available to families with modest incomes.

Unfortunately, situations like this are far too common in New York City. According to the Mayor’s recent Management Report, the share of children entering foster care who were placed with relatives dropped from 42.2 percent to 37 percent in Fiscal Year 2025, well below the City’s 50 percent goal.

A relative who is unable to care for a child in their home may not be the end of that youth’s search for family.  Caseworkers may continue working to identify other relatives and trusted adults, and a child eventually may find a permanent home through reunification, guardianship, or adoption. Still, living in a home with a relative can offer continuity and promise.

The housing challenge doesn’t end when a child transitions out of foster care. In fact, for teenagers and young adults without a permanent family home to return to, aging out can mean searching for an apartment while trying to finish school, finding a job, and managing adult responsibilities.The same shortage can destabilize them at a time when they seek stability.

The City already offers housing support to some families for whom housing is a barrier to reunification or prevention, and to eligible young people leaving care. These programs matter, but they are not a substitute for affordable homes and assistance that families can access when they need it.

New York needs both immediate help for families and a larger supply of deeply affordable homes. For relatives considering a placement, practical assistance with rent, utilities ,and other necessities, or a larger apartment, can make a difference.

At the same time, the City must build housing that supports long-term stability. The Eliza, a 174-home affordable development in Inwood created by The Children’s Village and our partners, shows how housing can be coupled with resources that help residents thrive. 

The Eliza features a public library, a pre-K program and an Activities, Culture and Training Center, and has apartments for young adults transitioning out of foster care, and illustrates a broader lesson, that an affordable apartment can be part of a connected community, with services and opportunities nearby.

We recognize that the City is committed to addressing these needs, and while committing to creating more affordable housing in neighborhoods that need to do their fair share, is working to reduce the number of youth in foster care, which now stands at less than 7,000.

Now we must ensure that progress includes ensuring that children can remain safely connected to their families, and whether young people leaving care have a real opportunity to build independent lives. 

That requires that relatives have the support they need to care for a child, and that young adults have a stable home of their own when they are ready for one.

Vincent Madera, MSW, is the Division Director of the Training Institute and Permanency at The Children’s Village (CV).