What if I told you that one of New York City’s oldest and largest child welfare agencies started with just five dollars? This is the story of The New York Foundling. It began in 1869.
Sisters of Charity saw a growing crisis. Very poor immigrants and social disruption led to abandoned infants. St. Peter’s Convent often found babies at its doorstep. Sister Mary Irene FitzGibbon knew something had to be done.
She approached Mother Mary Jerome. She asked to rescue these children. Archbishop John McCloskey urged them to open an asylum. And so, The New York Foundling Asylum was born.
Operating from a rented house on East 12th Street, Sisters Irene, Teresa Vincent, and Ann Aloysia received their first infant on their first night. Sister Irene placed a white wicker cradle inside the front door. Her goal was to care for unwanted children. Forty-five more babies followed in the first month.
The Foundling soon opened a boarding department. They placed children with neighbors due to lack of space. By January 1870, 123 babies had been left at The New York Foundling. Within a year, they purchased a larger house at 3 Washington Square. After two years, The Foundling had accepted 2,500 babies.
Notes left with the abandoned babies are part of a collection at the New-York Historical Society. The New York Foundling also accepted unmarried mothers.
With a state matching grant, construction began on a new property. It was located between East 68th and 69th, Lexington and Third in 1872. An adoption department was established in May 1873. The New York Foundling began finding permanent homes for children.
Between 1875 and 1919, The New York Foundling Hospital sent infants and toddlers to pre-arranged Roman Catholic homes via “Mercy Trains”. By the 1910s, 1,000 children a year were placed with new families.
To provide medical care for mothers and children, The New York Foundling became The New York Foundling Hospital. St. Ann’s Hospital opened in 1880. It provided unmarried mothers with medical treatment. St. John’s Hospital for Sick Children opened in 1882. It developed pediatric practices. Dr. Joseph O’Dwyer invented intubation here. This saved thousands of children from diphtheria.
In 1881, Sister Mary Irene established one of the first day nurseries for pre-school children of working mothers.
Today, The New York Foundling continues its mission. Its administrative headquarters are located at 590 Avenue of the Americas. The Foundling operates programs across New York City, Rockland County, Westchester County, Putnam County, and Puerto Rico.
The New York Foundling provides foster care, adoption services, and educational programs. It also offers mental health services and juvenile justice programs. They help individuals with developmental disabilities. They even run Head Start programs in Puerto Rico.
From a five-dollar start to a vast network of support, The New York Foundling has touched countless lives. It stands as a testament to compassion and dedication. It is a beacon of hope for children and families in need.