Focusing on Abilities, Possibilities and Dreams

Founded in 1975, Birch Family Services is a leading provider of education, employment, and community support services for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities and their families in New York City. Every year, the organization supports more than 2,000 people across 31 locations in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. From preschool to graduation, employment, housing and beyond, Birch Family Services provides fully integrated programs and services to support individuals in achieving their goals across their lifetime.

Our values reflect a commitment to:

  • Quality services that are individualized, person-centered, and include:
    • Education from early childhood through age 21;
    • Customized employment, internships, job training, and placement;
    • Life skills, community connections, family education, and support;
    • Housing and residential options with 24-hour supervision.
  • A strengths-based philosophy that recognizes the abilities and skills of the
    people we support.
  • The engagement of individuals and families in a manner that facilitates choice.
  • The promotion of community inclusion that ensures people have access and are
    able to participate in their communities.
  • The professional development of our workforce, and providing training to other organizations and the public to assist individuals in achieving their fullest potential.

Our culture is compassionate, dynamic, forward-thinking, and innovative. This ensures our ability to:

  • Understand the complex and diverse needs of individuals and families we
    support, including a sensitivity to cultural differences.
  • Guide individuals with developmental disabilities of all ages through a complex and changing service system in order to obtain the best services and supports available to them to fulfill their goals.
  • Recruit, train, and retain a quality workforce with diverse expertise that enables us to provide a broader range of services for individuals and families.
“After attending one of Birch’s schools, my son can’t stop talking. And he talks in complete sentences. My hope for him is that one day he will be able to live independently.”
- Soraya, Birch Parent

Supporting more than 2,000 individuals and their families each day throughout New York City.

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