irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $14.29MFAMILY FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION PROGRAMS PROVIDE FOSTER CARE CHILDREN WITH A SAFE AND LOVING HOME THAT PROMOTES GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, ENABLING CHILDREN TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING EACH CHILD PERMANENCY VIA REUNIFICATION WITH A BIRTH PARENT OR ADOPTION WITH A FOSTER PARENT.
- #2 $11.12MSTART WITH HOPE PROGRAM PROVIDES SHORT-TERM SHELTER TO UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE CHILDREN (MINORS WHO ARRIVE IN THE US WITHOUT A PARENT OR GUARDIAN, AND WHO ARE FLEEING AREAS OF EXTREME POVERTY, VIOLENCE, SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, DRUG RELATED GANG ACTIVITY, AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING) UNTIL THEY ARE UNIFIED WITH A SPONSOR FAMILY.
named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Campus-Based Programs
Short-term residential programs in Syosset, NY offering trauma-informed care, on-campus schooling, therapy, and rehabilitation for unaccompanied migrant children, justice-involved youth, and adolescents with serious adjustment difficulties.
Community-Based Family Support Programs
Prevention and family strengthening services including care coordination, clinical mental health support, domestic violence intervention, and post-permanency support to prevent foster care placement.
Family Foster Care & Adoption
Provides safe, temporary foster care and adoption services for children, with support for reunification, kinship guardianship, or permanent placement. Includes case management, behavioral health, education, and aftercare services.
Group Homes in the Community
Family-like residential settings for children in crisis, including teen parent and child homes, foster care group homes, and behavioral health-focused residences with comprehensive clinical and educational support.
S.T.A.R.T. (Safe Transition and Reunification Track) with Hope
Specialized services for unaccompanied minors, including home studies for sponsor families and post-release support to ensure safe integration into community settings.
START With Hope
Short-term residential shelter and support services for unaccompanied migrant children fleeing poverty, violence, trafficking, and gang activity, until reunified with a sponsor family. Includes home study and post-release services nationwide.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Residential Care for At-Risk Youth 4 activities
- Preventive and family support services to avoid foster care placementProvides community-based prevention services and support to keep 860 at-risk children out of foster care and safely at home; delivers services to support parents in developing skills to safely raise children, including specialized programs for families affected by domestic violence.
- Residential and group care for children and adolescents with complex needsProvides structured residential care for approximately 100 adolescents with serious adjustment difficulties and operates group homes in family-like, community settings for children with complex needs who cannot remain at home, including a campus-based short-term residential program in Syosset, NY, with clinical, experiential, and academic components.
- Services for pregnant and parenting teens in foster careOperates teen parent and child residences in Brooklyn, South Ozone Park, St. Albans, and East Massapequa, NY, providing stable housing and support services for pregnant or parenting teens in foster care and their babies.
- Support for unaccompanied migrant and refugee childrenProvides short-term residential care and shelter services for approximately 190 unaccompanied refugee children from infancy through age 17, including home study and post-release services for unaccompanied minors in sponsor homes nationwide through the START With Hope program.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Advocacy for racial justice and systemic reform in child welfareAdvocates for racial justice by examining systems of oppression in institutions such as the child welfare system.
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Medicaid Health Home Care Coordination 1 activity
- Community-based care coordination and support servicesProvides Medicaid-funded care coordination and support services as part of The Collaborative for Children and Families Health Home in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island.
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Child Welfare and Protection Services 1 activity
- Foster care, adoption, and family reunification servicesProvides foster care, adoption, and family support services to 347 children, facilitated 6 permanent adoptions, and supported 51 foster care children in healing and reuniting with their families; also secures permanent loving homes through adoption for foster youth and provides post-permanency support services for families transitioning out of foster care.
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Outpatient Mental Health Clinic Services 1 activity
- Integrated health and clinical support servicesDelivers integrated health services combining medical, behavioral, and mental health care for children and families with complex needs; employs licensed clinicians specializing in mental health, intimate partner violence, and substance misuse to support Child Protective Specialists in Queens; implements evidence-based clinical models including TF-CBT, ARC, SPARCS, and the Sanctuary® Model.
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Foster Youth Transition Support 1 activity
- Transitional and independent living programs for youth aging out of foster careOperates the Bridges to the Future program, offering job training, scholarships, housing assistance, and life skills coaching for foster care youth transitioning to adulthood.
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Animal-Assisted Support Services 1 activity
- Youth mentoring and emotional support programsOperates a mentoring program that pairs adult volunteers with youth to build trust and improve self-esteem, and runs a Therapy Dog Program (Project C.A.R.E) to help children manage emotions and improve emotional regulation.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$61.77M
Contributions & grants$675K1%
Program service revenue$59.12M96%
Investment income$37K0%
Other revenue$1.93M
expenses
Total expenses$61.30M
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$37.40M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$26.05M
Cash$1.39M
Investments$905K
Liabilities$23.34M
Net assets$2.71M
Liquid reserves0.5 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +9.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 8
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RENEE SKOLASKI | PRESIDENT/CEO | 35 | $341K |
| ACHIM KRETSCHMER | CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER | 35 | $200K |
| SAKINA HAYDEN HIDALGO | NURSE PSYCHIATRIC PRACTITIONER | 35 | $185K |
| FLOARIA LADJA | EXECUTIVE VP OF PQI | 35 | $184K |
| JOANNE CORDARO | CHIEF ADMINISTRATION OFFICER | 35 | $172K |
| TALYA GILAAD | PSYCHIATRIST | 35 | $150K |
| ERICA S MATTAR | SVP - LI RESIDENTIAL SERVICES | 35 | $142K |
| HARLEAN A DENNIS | SVP - EFFC | 35 | $124K |
board members · 15
- BRIAN J HECKER — CHAIR
- DARCY BELYEA — TRUSTEE
- ELIZABETH VENUTI — SECRETARY
- HAROLD THOMAS — TRUSTEE
- JAMES JEWETT — TRUSTEE
- KEITH LITTLE — TRUSTEE
- KEN MALE — TRUSTEE
- KEVIN J SHINE — VICE CHAIR
- PAUL TRAVERS — TRUSTEE
- PHOTEINE ANAGNOSTOPOULOS — TRUSTEE
- SCOTT GILDEA — TREASURER
- SR ALICIA ZAPATA — TRUSTEE
- SR MARGARET DEMPSEY — TRUSTEE
- SR MAUREEN JESSNIK — TRUSTEE
- WILLIAM MAY — TRUSTEE
relationships · 38
Who they work with
- ACS Child Protective Services Partner — Collaborates on clinical support services in Queens, NY.
- BDO Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- Captrust Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- Closet Factory Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- Consero Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- Crowe Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- FSC Foundation Partner — Foundation partner of MercyFirst
- GEICO Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- GEICO Philanthropic Foundation Partner — Foundation partner of MercyFirst
- Gallagher Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- HSC Foundation Partner — Practice partner of MercyFirst
- Hearts to Homes Partner — Practice partner of MercyFirst
- Help For Children Partner — Foundation partner of MercyFirst
- Jackson Lewis Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- Memorial Orthopaedic Athletic Training Center Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- Merrill Bank of America Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- NYS Government — Requires volunteer clearance through New York State for individuals working with youth.
- NetApp Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) Partner — Partnership to provide licensed clinicians supporting Child Protective Specialists in Queens.
- New Yorkers for Children Partner — Foundation partner of MercyFirst
- New Yorkers for Children Partner — Partnership to deliver post-permanency support services for children and families transitioning out of foster care in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island.
- Paycom Partner — Foundation partner of MercyFirst
- PharMerica Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- Ridgewood Savings Bank Partner — Corporate partner of MercyFirst
- Sisters of Mercy Network — MercyFirst operates as a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, aligning with their mission and values.
- Sisters of Mercy Network — Ministry affiliate and founding organization providing spiritual and institutional affiliation
- Sisters of Mercy Partner — Founding religious order that established the original homes and continues to inform the organization's mission.
- Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Partner — Foundation partner of MercyFirst
- TD Bank Foundation Partner — Foundation partner of MercyFirst
- The Collaborative for Children and Families Health Home Network — MercyFirst is a member organization providing care coordination and support services within this collaborative.
+ 8 more
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Based Family Preservationmethodology: community_based_preventionBy delivering preventive, community-based support services, MERCYFIRST helps families address challenges early and avoid foster care placement because keeping families together with targeted assistance leads to better outcomes than system intervention.
- Permanency-First Approach in Foster Caremethodology: permanency-firstBy prioritizing reunification or adoption as the primary goal for children in foster care, MERCYFIRST promotes long-term stability and development because achieving legal and emotional permanency is foundational to healthy child development.
- Trauma-Informed, Healing-Centered Caremethodology: trauma-informed careBy applying trauma-informed and healing-centered models across service delivery and organizational culture, MERCYFIRST improves client engagement, treatment involvement, and long-term well-being because addressing the root effects of trauma enables children and families to restore safety and achieve stability.