Upstream City

In the final installment of Upstream City, Nora McCarthy calls on New York City to apologize and atone for past wrongs in child welfare.

Nora McCarthy on the need to measure progress as New York City increases efforts to move upstream and prevent child welfare involvement

An “upstream” approach should not be an argument for expanding the size or scope of child welfare systems, writes Nora McCarthy.

Community-led decision-making is key to real transformation of neighborhood conditions and support for families.

Nora McCarthy on the value of developing restorative pathways for families to achieve safety without system involvement

A healing agenda needs to end policies that perpetuate pain and expand access to a variety of practices that combat the effects of community trauma, writes Nora McCarthy.

It’s time for New York city and state to use every tool available to replace mandated reporting with community support, writes Nora McCarthy.

Safety grows in neighborhoods where residents look out for one another and band together to solve problems, writes Nora McCarthy.

We need to understand how neighborhood conditions impact families and address the conditions that raise the risk of child welfare involvement, writes Nora McCarthy.

Despite promising headwinds in "upstream" investments, New York’s safety net remains difficult and time-consuming to access and full of holes, writes Nora McCarthy.

In Upstream City, Nora McCarthy will explore the complexities of what an upstream approach might look like in New York City.