Open to ALL Foster, Kinship and Adoptive Parents Throughout the State!

Announcing  a Lunch and Learn Facilitated by The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights | Kelly Albinak Krib, Esq. and Shaina Simenas MSW, MPH

The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights will join the Coalition for a Lunch and Learn on September 29th at noon. Shaina Simenas LMSW, MPH and Kelly Albinak Kribs, Esq. will lead a conversation regarding the unique issues that arise when immigrant children are involved in the domestic child welfare system and discuss areas of advocacy or support for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents. They will also answer questions.

Shaina Simenas is a Co-Director for the Young Center’s Technical Assistance Program. Shaina has been a staff member with the Young Center since 2016 and prior to joining the Technical Assistance Program, Shaina served as the Managing Social Worker for the New York office. Through her work with the Young Center’s Child Advocate program, Shaina has extensive experience advocating for the best interests of vulnerable unaccompanied immigrant children in federal custody on issues of care, custody, reunification, safe repatriation, and legal relief. She holds master’s degrees in Public Health and Social Work from New York University. While at New York University she worked with middle and high school students in the Bronx, facilitating individual and group counseling for those at risk of dropping out. She received her undergraduate degree from American University in Health Promotion with a minor in Spanish. She first joined the Young Center as a volunteer Child Advocate in 2015.

Kelly Albinak Kribs is a Co-Director for the Young Center’s Technical Assistance Program. Kelly first joined the Young Center in 2016 and most recently served as the Managing Attorney of the Child Advocate Program team in the Chicago office. In her work with the Child Advocate Program, Kelly drew upon principles of child welfare, international, and immigration law in order to evaluate and execute best interests advocacy on behalf of unaccompanied and separated immigrant children on matters of their care, custody, reunification, safe repatriation, and legal relief. She has collaborated closely with social worker colleagues to help develop an interdisciplinary approach to assessing best interests as well as best practices for child-centered, developmentally appropriate, and trauma-informed engagement with immigrant children. Prior to joining the Young Center, she worked in private practice and clerked for a federal district court judge. She received her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and her undergraduate degree in communications from Northwestern University. Prior to attending law school, Kelly worked at a research center on Latin American issues and taught English in Nicaragua. She began serving as a volunteer child advocate with the Young Center in 2008.

Events will be held in the AFFCNY Network; a free support network for New York’s adoptive, foster and kinship communities. 

The Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York programs and services are of no charge to families, every dollar donated helps us bring these needed support groups, trainings and events to the families that need it. 

Your generous gift allows us to continue and expand vital Coalition programming like this!

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