2025 Annual Report - Report - Page 5
Message from our President and Board Chairman
Dear Friends,
2025 was another remarkable year of impact at Abbott House, made possible by the strength
of our community and the generosity of supporters like you. Together, we touched the lives of
2,281 individuals - children and youth in foster care, adults with different abilities, and families
in crisis - each with their own story, struggles, hopes, and dreams.
Thank you for believing that their stories matter and for helping them thrive!
This shared commitment to transformative care was powerfully affirmed in 2025 when Abbott
House9s Foster Care Program ranked #1 among all Foster Care Agencies in New York City.
We led the field in achieving exceptional permanency outcomes, strong family engagement,
and lasting reunions4a testament to the extraordinary dedication and expertise our team
brings to children and families every day.
In that same spirit, we deepened our trauma1informed approach to caregiving with Dialectical
Behavior Therapy (DBT) training, equipping staff to better support resilience and healing
among all those in care. And because we know that healing comes in many forms, we
announced plans to welcome our first facility dog to enhance the emotional and physical
well1being of everyone in our Abbott House community.
We also made meaningful capital improvements to our physical environment, including a new
elevator, enhanced security systems, and the repaving of our Irvington campus parking lot,
reflecting the emphasis we put on accessibility, inclusion, and safety.
Our Staff Wellness Initiative, now in its second year, expanded to include ongoing health
screenings, strengthening a culture of self-care that allows our team to feel supported and
appreciated. Building on that, we established two annual staff awards: The Mary Smith
Scholarship and The Stanley Compassionate Care Award, each designed to promote and
encourage professional goals and personal growth.
We amplified the voices of individuals with different abilities by creating an Advocacy and
Engagement Committee of our Board of Directors, made up of residents of Abbott House
homes as well as members of the Board. We also began a Flower1to1Hive Beekeeping
Initiative on the historic grounds of Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, offering healing and joy to children
through nature1based learning. This program inspired The Bee Project art exhibit and our
2026 theme: A Thriving Hive4Nurturing Community Through Care.
None of this would be possible without the generous support and advocacy of our donors,
volunteers, community partners, sponsors, foster parents, and friends.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said we are bound together in an
