OUR HISTORY

CHDFS, Inc. (The Center for Human Development and Family Services) was founded in

2002 by Dr. Julio Barros in response to the lack of services available to special needs

and mental health diagnosed children in the community. The organization’s origins

developed through a group of parents of children with special needs. This group took it

upon themselves to support one another and work as a whole, to better the lives of their

special children and themselves.

These parents began supporting one another to maintain a cohesive and healthy family.

A few members were licensed foster parents and provided emergency respite for

children in need. Through their training, founding members learned the importance of

permanency and how the lack of it can cause feelings of fear and abandonment and

shared this knowledge as well as their experiences with the group. There was a general

consensus that more assistance was needed in the community to help support their

children.

The group then made a plan to institute respite care among themselves and began to

carpool and share the responsibility of picking up and dropping off their children at

extracurricular activities. This group networked and shared information and resources.

This group of parents began the building blocks and the seeds that were to come in

developing the approach and philosophy at CHDFS, Inc. The group agreed to start an

agency that supported other parents and families facing similar challenges and

experiences. CEO Dr. Julio E. Barros took the step and moved forward to start the

foundations of CHDFS, Inc. He, along with a few other individuals, performed the

groundwork themselves.  Dr. Barros not only managed the business but also provided

some of the services himself.

After the formal incorporation as a Non-for-Profit 501(c) 3 corporation, CHDFS, Inc.

signed its first sub-contract with St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital (Child and Family

Institute) to be direct waiver provider for the OMH waiver program in Manhattan. Soon

after, due to the success of our workers in Manhattan, CHDFS, Inc. signed agreements

with the OMH providers throughout NYC to provide services in the OMH Waiver

Program.

After much success, CHDFS is very proud of its community/grass roots origin.  We truly

believe in supporting families to become sustainable units. We specialize in bringing

tools and services to families that are culturally sensitive.