FPWA believes strongly in working collaboratively with our member agencies and partner organizations to engage in strategic policy advocacy work. We are known as an organization that brings people together on cutting edge issues and galvanizes unified action to address root problems. FPWA’s building serves as a meeting center for a broad range of coalitions to gather regular to conduct policy advocacy. Below are the wide-range of coalitions and task forces that FPWA coordinates and actively participates with.

Child Welfare

FPWA Child Welfare Agency Executive Task Force

• The FPWA Child Welfare Agency Executive Task Force is a membership-only group that brings together FPWA’s foster care and preventive service providers to discuss critical issues affecting the child welfare community. Members provide input and share ideas regarding system delivery changes, policy and funding developments, and needed investments on the City and State levels. Members also have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers, including elected and appointed officials and child welfare policy experts. The information provided in Task Force meetings is extremely valuable to FPWA’s advocacy efforts and is used to inform and develop FPWA’s budget and legislative agendas for the City and State.

Preventive Services Action Network (PSAN)

• FPWA is a central part of PSAN, an alliance of non-profit advocacy and membership-based organizations dedicated to improving the quality of, and increasing access to, neighborhood-based preventive services in New York City.

Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA)

• FPWA is an active member in COFCCA an association of agencies, is actively committed to strengthening families, children and communities through strategic advocacy, education and the promotion of quality, culturally competent services in the State of New York. http://www.cofcca.org/default.asp

NY Children’s Action Network (NYCAN) Child Welfare Committee

• FPWA participates in New York CAN, a broad-based initiative that brings together a variety of coalitions, organizations, and individuals all concerned about issues affecting children and families with the goal of elevating the importance of supporting all children in New York State. http://www.scaany.org/nycan

College Access Consortium of NY (CACNY)

• The College Access Consortium of NY (CACNY) is a network of community-based organizations, colleges, and secondary schools committed to assisting students in obtaining admission into institutions of higher education. FPWA participates in CACNY to help students, especially vulnerable populations, obtain access to higher education. http://www.cacny.com

Early Childhood Education

Economic Justice and Social Welfare Network (EJSWN)’s Child Care Committee

• Along with the Committee’s Co-Chairs, FPWA plays a leadership role in the EJSWN’s Child Care Committee. The Committee advocates for a high quality, accessible Early Childhood Education system in New York City using a multi-layered approach. The committee works both to ensure that programs have access to the full range of resources necessary to provide quality care and that parents have information and a range of options to meet their family’s need.

Winning Beginning New York

• FPWA is a participating member of this statewide coalition which works to inform policy-makers and the public about the many benefits of early care and learning including home visiting, child care and Pre-K. The coalition aims to build a broad-based constituency to make investment in quality early care and learning a top public priority in New York State. http://www.winningbeginningny.org

City Council Universal Pre-K Working Group

• City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s staff convenes a group of advocates to work collaboratively toward full implementation of Universal Pre-Kindergarten in all five boroughs in New York City

Early Childhood Strategic Group

• FPWA is an active partner in the Early Childhood Strategic Group (ECSG). The ECSG is a partnership of twenty organizations and individuals dedicated to creating a comprehensive and fully integrated early care and education system in New York City. Its members include advocates, policy consultants, education providers and other early childhood organizations. The ECSG has worked actively since 1997 to promote full implementation of Universal Prekindergarten as a step toward a more coordinated and well-funded system of early care and education in New York City. http://ecsgnyc.org

NY Children’s Action Network (NYCAN) Zero to Five Committee

• FPWA is a member of New York CAN a broad-based coalition that brings together a wide range of coalitions, organizations and individuals concerned about issues affecting children and families with the goal of elevating the importance of supporting all children in New York State. The coalition’s mission is to provide a unified and powerful voice to improve the lives of all New York’s children, youth and families through the promotion of adequate resources and changes in policies and practices.

Elderly Welfare

FPWA’s Elderly Welfare Task Force

• FPWA’s Elderly Task Force is one of the organization’s key advisory groups on elderly policy and programmatic affairs. Task force members provide valuable input on the development of elderly welfare legislative agendas, initiatives impacting senior service delivery systems, and suggested advocacy activities. Members of the task force include Executive Directors and management of FPWA’s senior service member agencies, experts in the field of aging, and FPWA staff. Social service leaders serve as guest speakers and present information on such topics as long term care reform and the restructuring of aging services. Elected officials and their staff members also attend elderly task force meetings.

New York City Citizen’s Committee on Aging

• FPWA is represented on the Board of Directors of The New York Citizens’ Committee on Aging which promotes the status and well-being of older persons as productive members of society. The Committee ensures that policy issues affecting older persons are heard, understood, and acted upon. http://www.nyccoa.org

New York Connects Long Term Care Advisory Council

• The purpose of the State Long Term Care Advisory Council is to advise the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) on the implementation and future development of NY Connects. Currently different systems exist to serve individuals who need long term care services and New York State is working in partnership with the counties and the City of New York to provide information and assistance through NYConnects: Choices for Long Term Care.

New York State Coalition on Aging

• FPWA is on the Board of Directors of NYSCA which believes that older adults have the right to live as independently as possible, with dignity, in their homes and communities with the appropriate support services. For over thirty years, NYSCA has provided strong advocacy, professional development, leadership skills and education for individuals and organizations serving older adults. We are dedicated to strengthening and expanding community-based services. http://www.coalitionforaging.org

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Coalition Steering Committee

• The SSI Coalition of New York is reconvening to address the sub-poverty level of the SSI (Supplemental Security Income) grant in New York State. About 700,000 disabled or elderly New Yorkers depend on this important government program that denies them the dignity of a standard of living adequate to their health and well-being. The goal of the SSI Coalition is to persuade elected federal and state officials to eliminate poverty for the SSI population.

HIV and AIDS

FPWA’s AIDS Leadership Coalition

• The AIDS Leadership Coalition is an advisory group primarily composed of members of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies which was formed to take collective action through partnership with community bodies in identifying and shaping humane and just public health policies for New York communities affected by HIV and AIDS. The AIDS Leadership Coalition convenes face-to-face meetings the last Thursday of every month at FPWA.

HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council of New York – Policy Committee

• FPWA is a voting member of the Policy Committee of the HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council of New York, which was established by the Mayor of NYC in 1991 and is charged with developing spending priorities and allocating for Ryan White CARE Act Title I funds based on the needs of the ever-changing HIV/AIDS epidemic. The purpose of the Policy Committee is: to involve the Council in educational and advocacy efforts for a broad, effective community response to the HIV epidemic; to provide information regarding funding trends and pending legislation that might impact the EMA's continuum of care; to receive input from the HIV community on policy issues; the develop the Council's position on HIV-related policy issues for recommendation to the Executive Committee; to determine priority and level of effort for specific policy issues; and to develop strategies for ensuring that those positions are adopted by the federal, state and local governments. www.nyhiv.org

New York AIDS Coalition

• FPWA is a member of the New York AIDS Coalition (NYAC) which is an alliance of community-based service providers and their supporters working for increased funding and fair policies for people living with HIV/AIDS in New York State. NYAC was founded in 1988 to overcome the overwhelming information and communication gaps that exist between community-based organizations and policy makers in New York State. FPWA works closely with staff from NYAC to develop legislative and budget agendas, strategies for public education activities and campaigns that will increase awareness of the needs of people living with HIV and AIDS. www.nyaidscoalition.org

Medicaid Matters New York

• FPWA is a member of Medicaid Matters New York, a coalition of over 125 groups representing those most affected by Medicaid policy debates: Medicaid consumers low-income and disabled New Yorkers who rely on this crucial public program for basic, lifesaving health care. In addition to participating on the coalition’s monthly conference call, FPWA also serves as a member on the Medicaid Managed Care work group.

New York City AIDS Housing Network

• FPWA is an organizational member of New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN). NYCAHN is a membership organization comprised and led by low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. Its mission is to empower low-income people living with HIV/AIDS to organize our community including the nonprofits that serve us, to advocate for more housing, better housing and sound public policies for people living with HIV/AIDS. FPWA works closely with the Executive Director of NYCAHN to develop advocacy strategies that will advance the campaign on putting a 30% cap on household income pay toward the cost of shelter for those who are living with HIV/AIDS. www.nycahn.org

New York Association of HIV Over Fifty

• FPWA is an organizational member of New York Association of HIV Over Fifty (NYAHOF), which was formed in 1991 to ensure concerns about the epidemic’s impact on people over the age of fifty and their support networks are addressed, and to generate educational, programmatic, and policy initiatives in the field of aging. www.nyahof.org

National Minority AIDS Council

• FPWA is a member of the National Minority AIDS Council, which was founded in 1987 to develop leadership in communities of color to address the challenges of HIV/AIDS. NMAC represents a coalition of 3,000 F/CBOs and AIDS service organizations (ASOs) delivering HIV/AIDS services in communities of color nationwide.
  www.nmac.org

Income Security

Economic Justice and Social Welfare Network (EJSWN)’s (formerly the Welfare Reform Network)

• EJSWN, sponsored by FPWA, was founded in 1989 and is a coalition of organizations and individuals that advocates for humane income security policies. EJSWN's tools include information sharing, grassroots activism, networking, public and consumer education, and legislative and administrative advocacy at the city, state and national levels. http://www.fpwa.org/cgi-bin/iowa/policy/income_security/article/127.html

EJSWN Policy & Advocacy Committee

• (PAC): FPWA coordinates the PAC which analyzes and monitors government policy and administration of the public assistance on the City, State and Federal levels. The members of the committee advocate for improvements in laws, regulations and program administration.

Empire State Economic Security (ES2) Campaign

• FPWA co-coordinates the ES2 Campaign, a statewide coalition of over 200 social service providers, faith based groups, and concerned citizens coming together to say that New York can do better. ES2 seeks to improve the lives of low and moderate income New Yorkers by challenging state leaders to make better choices for our families. Specifically, ES2 promotes ongoing access to education and training; good jobs for all; affordable, high quality health care; income security for all; decent, affordable housing; high quality, affordable child care; and affordable, accessible transportation. http://www.economicsecuritycampaign.org

Education and Training Task Force (ETF)

• FPWA is a member of ETF, a diverse representation of individuals and organizations responding positively to consider the future of education in New York. ETF wants to build a full continuum of educational opportunities for all individuals throughout childhood and beyond.

Welfare Law Taskforce

• FPWA is an active participant in the Task Force meetings that are held by Legal Services of New York City. The meetings provide an opportunity for advocates in legal assistance programs, as well as in social services and community organizations, to share valuable information and develop strategies concerning the laws, policies and practices that affect legal services clients.

NY Children’s Action Network (NYCAN) Economic Security Committee

• New York CAN is a broad-based coalition that brings together a wide range of coalitions, organizations and individuals concerned about issues affecting children and families with the goal of elevating the importance of supporting all children in New York State. The coalition’s mission is to provide a unified and powerful voice to improve the lives of all New York’s children, youth and families through the promotion of adequate resources and changes in policies and practices.

Workforce Development

FPWA’s Workforce Development Task Force (WDTF)

• WDTF is a member-based group also open to selected professionals from the fields of workforce development, education, training, and employment services provided throughout New York City. WDTF brings together program directors and staff for meetings held four times during the course of the year. These meetings offer a forum for discussion so participants can learn about innovative best practices, develop new strategies to overcome challenges, and contribute to the FPWA policy agenda in the area of workforce development. Outside agency guest speakers, along with featured programs at FPWA member agencies, facilitate discussions about a wide variety of issues, such as: serving individuals with barriers to employment, building strategic partnerships with workforce intermediaries and employers, improving job placement and retention outcomes, and expanding career advancement opportunities.

Green Pathways Out of Poverty (GPOP)

• FPWA spearheads this new coalition of community-based, educational, and business organizations dedicated to promoting economic and environmental justice by creating, for individuals in poverty and those who face the greatest barriers to employment, green collar jobs that improve the economy, mitigate climate change, conserve the environment, increase community empowerment, and improve public health. To view the GPOP Policy Brief, go to: http://www.fpwa.org/binary-data/FPWA_BINARY/file/000/000/123-2.pdf

NYC Adult Literacy Coalition (NYCAL)

• The New York Coalition for Adult Literacy (NYCAL) is comprised of adult literacy teachers, managers, students, and allies from community -based organizations, CUNY campuses, libraries and Dept. of Ed programs across NYC. NYCAL advocates for an adult literacy system that provides quality, comprehensive and accessible educational services to the over 3.9 million adults in NYC who need them. NYCAL believes that being able to read and write, learn English, obtain a GED, and enter training and post secondary education are the rights of every New Yorker, and the cornerstone to an equitable and just society.

JobsFirst NYC

• JobsFirst NYC, which FPWA is an active member, works behind the scenes to improve services for New York City's out-of-school and out-of-work young adults. As an intermediary, JobsFirst NYC foster partnerships among service providers, engage the business community in solutions, and secure funding to support innovative programs. The JobsFirst NYC coalition is a catalyst for connecting young people to the workforce. http://www.jobsfirstnyc.org/index.php

Campaign for Tomorrow’s Workforce (CTW)

• FPWA is a member of CTW, a coalition of organizations and leaders committed to envisioning, championing, and building a system to solve the crisis of "disconnected" young adults aged 16 to 24 who are neither in school nor engaged in work. http://www.campaignfortomorrowsworkforce.org

College Access Consortium of NY (CACNY)

• The College Access Consortium of NY (CACNY) is a network of community-based organizations, colleges, and secondary schools committed to assisting students in obtaining admission into institutions of higher education. FPWA participates in CACNY to help students, especially vulnerable populations, obtain access to higher education. http://www.cacny.com

Youth Services

FPWA’s Youth Services Network (YSN)

• The Youth Services Network is comprised of FPWA member agency representatives who provide a wide array of youth development and enrichment services throughout the city. YSN meets every two months to discuss policy and program topic areas of interest and concern.

New York City Youth Alliance

• The New York City Youth Alliance is a consortium of youth-focused organizations that together represent hundreds of thousands of youth and families in New York City, advocating on their behalf on both the City and State levels.