YRI Emerging Needs Fund

We believe that the next step in YRI’s evolution is to build our capacity to respond quickly to emergent human services needs by establishing a standing project management team. Without this resource, it will be difficult to efficiently implement emergent projects to ensure that our target populations get the support they need as quickly as possible. To this end, YRI has established an emerging needs fund to purchase equipment, software, and supplies necessary to give our team the tools they need to respond to emerging needs within 24 hours. The emerging needs fund will support YRI’s capacity to:

  • Quickly hire staff and carry out pilot projects

  • Implement project-specific focus groups

  • Provide a framework for identifying best practices and generating policy recommendations

  • Provide data tracking and expert review; and support the development of data-informed training resources to inform larger statewide strategies

  • Allow YRI to leverage funding not accessible to state agencies

  • Oversee grant implementation

  • Work closely with a group of project partners

These focus areas are essential to YRI’s success in carrying out its mission to support OCFS and the communities it serves as emerging needs and opportunities arise.

Please join us in strengthening services and resources that support New York State children and families. Your gift to the Emerging Needs Fund could help YRI launch projects that help children access childcare and early education opportunities. For example, the New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has tasked YRI to respond to emerging and immediate needs, such as Childcare Subsidy disbursement and Universal Pre-K rollout. OCFS oversees childcare services for more than 780,000 children through more than 17,000 regulated childcare providers and more than 11,000 legally-exempt childcare providers. In 2018, 64% of New York State residents lived in a childcare desert, areas where there is only one daycare spot for every three children (Source: childcaredeserts.org). Early care and education promotes school readiness, especially for at-risk youth, and childcare access helps keep parents working. Our work impacts children and families throughout New York State. Ultimately, we have the potential to impact millions of people.