News & Events

With support from a dedicated classroom team and a heavy dose of family involvement, this high-energy “doer” from the Bronx finished his first year of pre-school with Birch Family Services engaged and motivated to learn about whatever the world has to offer.

Inspired by her teacher and mentor, Herbert G. Birch, M.D., Phyllis Susser established the Herbert G. Birch School for Exceptional Children in 1975 with 28 students and 11 staff members. Learn more >>

With New York City in Phase 4 of its reopening strategy and public schools set to reopen, we would like to take this opportunity to update the Birch Family Services community on how we are continuing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and how we are moving forward as an organization dedicated to empowering individuals with autism and developmental disabilities to lead fulfilling lives.

REOPENING UPDATE (Posted October 15, 2020) All Birch Family Services school programs will be opening on September 14, 2020. Please

The event will be hosted by our Education Leadership on Thursday August 20, 2020, and is open to the public.

Since the mandatory closure of schools and programs went into effect across the state, Birch Family Services residential staff have had their hands full making sure that everyone they support remains engaged, calm, and safe during this difficult time.

For a second year in a row, participants in Birch Family Service's New Frontier program were invited to a presentation and workshop by a corporate partner to learn the Dos and Don’ts of interviewing for a job.

Birch Family Services Celebrates the 2020 graduates of our Phyllis L. Susser School for Exceptional Children.

Thirty-six families joined teachers and staff from our Springfield Gardens Education Center in Queens for a second end-of-year Wave Parade!

What we are seeing across our city and the country is that people are sad, angry, and demanding change. Many of us may be experiencing those feelings as well.

Our Springfield Gardens Early Childhood Center in Queens held its first "Wave" parade, inviting parents to drive over to the school and wave and see their children's teacher friends!

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Birch Family Services will be offering NYS Mandated Training live via Zoom Meetings.

In recognition of National Nurses Week, it is an honor to celebrate you – our nursing staff – and take a moment to recognize all nurses and health care staff within our community.

Birch Family Services Education program leadership send a note of appreciation to our teachers and teacher aides in recognition for all that they do with diligence and commitment, even in the most difficult of times.

To show their heartfelt appreciation for truly heroic work during an extraordinarily difficult time, a group of Birch Family Services volunteers surprised direct support professional and residential staff with "Hero Banners" and a party. 

Birch Family Services response to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of the individuals and families we support. This health crisis has brought out the best of who we are and what we do.

The goal of the Challenge, which begins on April 22, 2020, and ends on May 5, 2020, on #GivingTuesdayNow, is to help raise awareness and critical funds necessary to support individuals with autism and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through a remote learning activity that encourages hands-on learning exercise on how we depend on community workers, one preschooler from Birch’s Washington Heights Education Center was moved to get Thank You cards into the hands of some of the city’s essential worker heroes.

Arlene Evans, the residence manager of Birch's 45th Street residence, talks about how her team came together in a spirit of courage and mission around the people they support in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Direct Support Professionals and Residential staff at all of our residential homes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx received

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Birch teachers, teaching assistants, and related services staff, students can still look forward to seeing and hearing their teachers each morning, from the safety of their computer screens. 

Birch Family Services is actively recruiting for essential positions within our Community Services Residential Program.

Birch Family Services Direct Support Professionals have gone above and beyond the call to service since the very beginnings of the health crisis in New York City.

Teachers at all Birch Family Services schools are providing remote learning plans that that students can follow along with at home.

We're all trying to adjust to homeschooling these days, but Daniel from our Riverdale Early Childhood Center is making it look easy.

With the closing of schools and daycare centers, some of you may be struggling to balance your childcare needs with your work schedule. The NYC Department of Education (DOE) has launched a new program which may provide some relief in this area.

While Birch Family Services school principals, teachers, and other Education staff are Providing Remote Learning Plans for students at home, we've Birch Family Services Education staff is compiling a number of additional resources that may help everyone get through the day. Updated regularly.

In response to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Birch Family Services will postpone its Annual Spring Gala and 45th Anniversary celebration, originally scheduled for May 7, 2020. We will let you know when we have confirmed a new date.

In response to the impact of the Covid-19 virus, we have decided to postpone our Annual Spring Gala. We will update you when we have a new date.

As more is learned about COVID-19 and how it is affecting New Yorkers, we are making every effort to keep our community informed about how Birch Family Services is responding to changing circumstances and maintaining services for the more than 2,000 people we support each day.

In line with the NYC public schools closures announced today by Mayor de Blasio, all Birch Family Services preschool and school-age programs will be closed to students beginning Monday, March 16, 2020.

As is the case every day, the health and safety of our staff and the people we support continue to be our number one priority. Birch Family Services is taking the situation very seriously across the organization and following all guidelines from authorities to best protect our staff and individuals in our programs.

On March 4, members of Birch Family Services' New Frontier program hosted its second annual Night of Recognition dinner event, where we celebrated the accomplishments of the members of our program as well as the extraordinary support from our professional partners.

Every year, Birch's eight preschool and three school-age programs participate in the national Read Across America campaign, a celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday, and literacy.

Due to water damage at our Soundview Early Childhood Program, the school will be closed for repairs until further notice.

Join us on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan as we Celebrate Our History and Imagine Our Future. Cocktail Hour: 6:30 p.m. | Dinner: 7:30 p.m.

Join us on February 27, 2020, in Flushing, Queens, and learn all about our school-age program that builds literacy, numeracy and communication into every aspect of learning, and offers experiences with music, the arts and technology, so that students can develop new skills, take risks, and achieve a strong sense of self-worth.

Samantha Nottingham joins the organization with 15 years of experience advocating for youth programs.

Whether heading out with a pair of binoculars to bird watch in front of the school or combining state-of-the-art technology and historic methods of stone polishing to create jewelry from stones found on a Queens beach, Dorreta Poris’s art class at the Phyllis L. Susser School for Exceptional Children is anything but typical.

Come visit our new school-age program and sit down with the Birch Team to discuss what we can offer, such as Small class ratios, smartboards, iPads, sensory materials, full-sized gym, separate lunch room, full-time nurse, and the following related services.

Students, families, and staff at Birch Family Services' Pelham Bay Early Childhood Center (PBECC) in the Bronx learned first hand what the Spirit of Giving is all about -- with a little help from the St. Theresa's School, Kris Kringle, and the United States Marine Corps.

We’re thrilled to announce that Birch Family Services President & CEO Matt Sturiale has been named to City & State New York’s Responsible 100 list .

When Luis became too sick to attend last year’s holiday party at his residence in Washington Heights, his friends made sure the party came to him.

Last week, students at Birch Family Services' Phyllis L. Susser School for Exceptional Children participated in the Flushing, Queens-based program's annual Science Fair.

With support from Birch Family Services Special Education Preschool program, this new kindergartener on the autism spectrum transitioned to a general education public school classroom at his local public school.

Birch Family Services’ recent Fall Food Drive provided a bounty for New York City students and their families over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Meet Dylan, a nineteen-year-old student at Birch Family Services' Phyllis L. Susser School for Exceptional Children with multiple diagnoses who never fails to bring a smile that lights up a room.

While he completes his degree, Jason, who is on the autism spectrum, works as a sales associate three to four days a week at Uniqlo in midtown Manhattan, a position he was able to acquire and keep with the support of his job coaches Deborah and Juliette at Birch Family Services’ New Frontier program. 

Our school-age program for children ages 5-11 focuses on the development of students’ abilities and uses a strengths-based approach in a supportive environment.

Put a smile on your face and help Birch Family Services empower people with autism and developmental disabilities to lead fulfilling lives when you shop on AmazonSmile!

The holiday season is just around the corner, and we invite you to help us double our impact! Look out for a post from us every Tuesday leading up to 2020 to learn about the people we empower all year round and how you can help!

Since 2017, volunteers from Lloyds Bank have partnered with the Birch Family Services New Frontier program to provide valuable interviewing skills and workplace-readiness advice to young adults with autism and developmental disabilities.

The 7th annual Birch Family Services 5K Halloween Fun Run and Walk was an amazing success, but much remains to be done. That’s why we’re still accepting contributions until Friday, November 15!

News 12 New York was on the scene at Birch's Pelham Bay Early Childhood Center in the Bronx yesterday morning to capture the program's Read for the Record festivities, just one of the many held at all of our nine early childhood and school age education programs.

Every year, Birch staff, Board members, friends, and volunteers have a blast participating in Jumpstart's Read for the Record. This year was no exception!

Justin Bachman, Sameer Gadre and Nicholas X. Jerez Bring considerable nonprofit marketing and financial expertise to the organization.

Students around Birch Family Services's Early Childhood Education and School-Age programs celebrated Halloween and the harvest moon with a whole lot of fun and just enough scary.

VOLUNTEER AT BIRCH: Each year, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record brings together millions of adults and children around the world each year to read the same book on the same day in order to raise awareness about the critical importance of early literacy.

This year's Birch Family Services 5K Halloween Fun Run and Family Day raised more unrestricted funds than any of our previous 5Ks, exceeding our goal of $100,000 and all of our wildest expectations.

Birch's own Nicole Hilalgo hosted a wine glass painting party in Brooklyn in support of the 7th Annual Birch Family Services 5K Run and Family Day to be held on Sunday, October 27th in Manhattan's Hudson River Park.

Today, CAN members are engaged at various levels from securing “buy-in” for supporting employees with disabilities at their companies to considering volunteer or paid internships to creating full-time job opportunities to significantly impact the lives of young adults we support through our employment programs.

Residents from our 53rd Street house getting into the season on Saturday at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Harvest Festival.

Each year, Jumpstart's Read for the Record brings together millions of adults and children around the world each year to read the same book on the same day in order to raise awareness about the critical importance of early literacy.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month was enacted in 1945 by Congress to promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities and highlight the fact that many Americans with disabilities are capable of making meaningful contributions to the workforce.

Acing the interview is essential for anyone searching for a new job. While a strong resume may spark an employer’s

Award-winning Jamaican-Canadian author Olive Senior and acclaimed Bronx illustrator Laura James visited preschoolers at Birch's Soundview Early Childhood Center to read from their books critically acclaimed children's books.

We are seeking volunteers to help manage specific Race Day task as we raise critical funds to support children and adults with autism and developmental disabilities!

Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” This is what a Direct Support Professional does every day. Every time you embrace one of the Core Competencies you are living your most authentic life by serving others.

September 8-14, 2019 is National Direct Support Professionals Week. This is part of a national movement to bring attention to the critical role of DSPs supporting individuals with autism and developmental disabilities to lead the lives that they want as contributing members of their communities.

It's been a long six months of hotel living, but after six months of renovations, the folks from Birch's 183rd Street residence in the Bronx are happy to be home!

Recently, Birch Workforce Training and Development Coordinator Margaret Chiara conducted a workshop devoted to incorporating STEM-based learning across early childhood curriculum.

We invite you to join us at this important event as individuals we support, their families, our staff, board members, and community partners run or walk to raise critical funds to support our mission of empowering people with autism and developmental disabilities lead fulfilling lives.

Yesterday at the July meeting of our New Frontier program's Monthly Employment Group, NYPD Sergeant Omar Velez paid a visit to our offices to discuss safety in the community, what to do if you find yourself in an unsafe environment or situation, and how to best to interact with law enforcement.

Birch Family Services staff, board members, and friends joined about 800 others from the New York City disabilities community last night to celebrate the 2019 Sapolin Accessibility Awards.

Birch Family Services staff, board members, and friends joined about 800 others from the New York City disabilities community last night to celebrate the 2019 Sapolin Accessibility Awards.

Since 2008, this dedicated and compassionate employee has worked tirelessly with students at the Riverdale Early Childhood Center in both our early childhood and structured teaching classrooms.

On Saturday, individuals from Birch’s Burnett Street, Flatlands, East 53rd Street, and 94th Street residences; staff; friends; and families turned out for music, games – and food – for the Birch Family Services annual BBQ at Canarsie Park in Brooklyn.

Since 2008, this dedicated and compassionate employee has worked tirelessly with students at the Riverdale Early Childhood Center in both our early childhood and structured teaching classrooms.

With nearly 25 years at Washington Heights Education Center, this Early Education teacher represents everything we aspire to at Birch Family Services.

On May 9, 2019, we came together at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan to celebrate our many achievements over the past year and to help build a meaningful future for the people and families that we support.

This Mill Basin Early Childhood Center veteran and "life-long learner" eagerly shares what she's learned over 18 years of Special Education knowledge with her colleagues.

The teacher and teaching assistants at Birch's Long Island City Early Childhood Education Center received a wonderful note from a

Join us on May 9 at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan, as We Honor Long-Time Friends and Supporters at our Annual Spring Gala: Empowering People. Building Futures.

On April 16, guest speakers, Eric J. Felsberg, Esq. and Craig S. Roberts, Esq., of Jackson Lewis P.C., presented on Ensuring Successful Diversity and Inclusion Practices in the Workplace, with a focus on people with disabilities.

But it hasn’t always been easy for this “kind” and “determined” preschooler on the autism spectrum.

This professional development training session offered both ASHA CEUs for Speech Therapists and CTLEs for Teachers, Teacher Assistants, and Educational Leaders.

During the evening, we will recognize individuals and organizations whose vision, leadership, and endeavors are central to our Gala focus — Empowering People. Building Futures.

Before and After pictures of the much-needed renovations to our Springfield Gardens Education Center in Queens...

Matt Sturiale called on the NYS Assembly and Senate to add to each of their house bills a 2.9% Cost of Living Adjustment to this year’s budget.

Birch staff, families, board members, and volunteers from Lloyds Bank and Cooley LLP read their favorite Dr. Seuss books to students in honor of the beloved children’s writer’s birthday.

Since attending East Flatbush Early Childhood Center, Ava has shown a new enthusiasm for learning.

This school-age science leader helps younger classmates make the leap into the unknown.

President and CEO Matthew Sturiale welcomes visitors to the new Birch Family Services website.