Our Story

YRI is a responsive research, program, and policy organization that supports the New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and its state and local partners. YRI’s work enhances OCFS’s program and service provision. At the same time, YRI’s work helps OCFS serve as a national leader in innovation, collaboration, research, and excellence in building understanding of the intricacies and complexities of working with children, families, and adults.

YRI provides training and learning opportunities in the areas of child welfare, juvenile justice, childcare, adoption and foster care, youth development, child and adult protective services, and services for the blind; supports OCFS and its partners by providing rapid response to new and emerging human services priorities in New York State by promoting new and more effective methods for service delivery and access; and seeks and administers public and private funds and partnerships to support emerging human services priorities.

At the core of all our work is a focus on improving equity and access to services that promote stability and wellbeing for children and families.

Our initiatives help break cycles of poverty and help connect families to services that increase their access to high quality care and education opportunities from birth to higher education, keeping children safely in their homes, and connecting youth with jobs with life-sustaining wages.

YRI is committed to examining its practices to ensure that they support a culture that values Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and promote respect, value, and dignity for all through intentional and strategic implementation. We celebrate the diverse cultures and identities of our staff, partners, and those we serve.