Chinese American Planning Council

History

The Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc., originally the Chinatown Planning Council (CPC), was founded in 1965 as a grass roots community-based organization in response to the tremendous influx of Chinese immigrants after the change in immigration laws, and in the midst of the Great Society movement. Initially, CPC volunteers counseled families by referring them to local schools, and provided case management services to help immigrants adjust to their newly homes. Filling a void in the community as the first social service agency to serve Chinese-Americans in New York, CPC began to expand its services based on the needs expressed by those in the community.

In 1966, CPC launched its Head Start Program and youth programs for pre-school and school-age children. In 1970 it opened its first child care center; in 1971, it began its seminal youth program, Project Reach; and in 1972, it opened the ever-popular Project Open Door Senior Citizen Center. It helped construct two uniquely conceived senior citizen residential buildings, Everlasting Pine and Hong Ning. In 1975, it launched its employment & training services with the English Language Center, which provided new immigrants with badly needed job-readiness skills training and workplace English instruction. The Chinese-American Arts Council, a CPC subsidiary, was founded in 1975.

By 1983, CPC was providing home care services to senior citizens through its Home Attendant Program, which continues to burgeon as the population ages. The need of low English proficient, home-bound seniors for language appropriate, culturally sensitive care prompted the launch of CPC's Mature Workers program to train home attendants, which also answered the need of middle aged workers to find low skill employment that didn't require English fluency.

Since the late 1970s, as gentrification of Chinatown, Manhattan pushed up rental costs, immigrants began to move to Brooklyn and Queens, and CPC followed suit, setting up Queens (Chinatown, Flushing) and Brooklyn (Chinatown, Brooklyn) offices and changing its name and vision from the Chinatown Planning Council to the Chinese-American Planning Council. The community continued to evolve in the 1990s, with the majority of undocumented immigrants flowing in from China's Fujian Province and facing challenges that are unique, yet similar to the trajectory of waves of earlier Chinese immigrants.

Since the tragedy of 9/11 in 2001 one-quarter of Chinatown's workforce was out of work. CPC responded immediately by launching 9/11 relief services to help dislocated workers get access to emergency assistance, serving more clients than any other such program in the community (3,180) due to CPC's reputation and ability to refer clients in-house to its other services. As the economic slump continued in the year after 9/11, CPC transitioned its 9/11 program to meeting long-term employment and training needs as well as ongoing case management needs, training over 800 clients and placing over 50%, a remarkable feat given the economic climate.

CPC has recently achieved accreditation of its childcare centers and received three licenses to open vocational and business schools. A new program enables clients who do not qualify for government assistance to pay for their own employment workshops and placement assistance. The Workforce Development Division is enhancing its focus on health care training programs in keeping with client and market needs in the changing economy, and has introduced a new Food Protection program. In January 2005, CPC opened a one-stop multi-social services center to connect clients to services with a focus on mental health, while the Brooklyn branch is conducting mental health outreach among community seniors.

Over the years, CPC has honored many people of Chinese descent who have become outstanding leaders in their fields, including architect I.M. Pei (1978), musician Yo-Yo Ma (1983), fashion designer Vera Wang (1993) , Major John Fugh (1994), film director Ang Lee (1996), Nobel Prize winner Dr. Daniel C. Tsui (1999), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Sheryl WuDunn (2011), and others.

CPC holds two major events, a biennial Brooklyn Bridge Walk-A-Thon with a Family Day Fair, and an annual Chinese New Year Dinner. The events and CPC are supported by many elected officials, including New York City Comptroller John Liu, New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, New York State Senator Tom Duane, New York City Council Member Margaret Chin, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and many others.

Main office and branches

CPC has three main offices located within New York City. The main office is located at Chinatown in Manhattan, while the other two branches are located in Flushing, Queens and Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Each office provides different services to the community.

Main office

150 Elizabeth Street is home to the Chinese-American Planning Council's Administration, Fiscal Office, Human Resources and Volunteer and Internship Program. Located in the edges of Chinatown, Little Italy, Manhattan and SoHo, CPC strives to build a better community for all not only in Manhattan, but Queens and Brooklyn also through satellite branch offices.

Queens branch

The Queens branch of the Chinese-American Planning Council was established in 1979 in response to the rapidly growing Chinese American population in Queens, especially in Community Districts 7, 4, and 3. The branch currently serves over 500 individuals daily and is the biggest Chinese American social service agency in Queens. Services include senior citizen services, youth services, after school day care, employment and training, and services to Asian parents of mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

Brooklyn branch

In response to the growing needs of Chinese Americans in Brooklyn, CPC Brooklyn branch was established in 1979 on Church Avenue. Since then CPC Brooklyn branch has grown to serve over 600 individuals daily. CPC Brooklyn branch is currently located on 8th Avenue and still aims to serve the rapidly increasing Chinese Immigrant population in the borough of Brooklyn, especially in the Sunset Park and Bay Ridge area.

Some of the programs offered by the CPC Brooklyn branch office include Beacon and after-school child care programs. Programs that operate out of the branch office include senior services, housing services, and other multi-social service programs.

Programs and services

CPC provides over 50 programs at their 25+ locations citywide. These programs include community services, daydare services, workforce, senior citizen services and youth services.

Community services

CPC provides Mutli-Social Services (MSS) in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. CPC's MSS Programs provide comprehensive and accessible benefits for low-income residents and non-English speaking immigrants in the predominantly Chinese areas. Bilingual counselors and outreach workers take a proactive and culturally sensitive approach through individual, family, and group counseling. They also visit local work sites and street fairs, in addition to participating in radio talks and serve as advocates for the needy by seeking access to resources and government entitlement programs.

Daycare services

CPC boasts twelve daycare and after-school centers designed for multi-ethnic families, many with non-English-speaking immigrant parents who both work full-time but have no funds for private childcare. Whatever the age group, CPC child care centers believe that family and community are important facets of children's lives.

CPC's early child care centers and school-age child care centers serve children ages 6 months to 12 years. Garment Industry Day Care, and Little Star Of Broome Street are NAEYC (National Association for The Education of Young Children) accredited preschool programs. Confucius Plaza SACCC @ PS 124 is accredited by COA (the Council on Accreditation).

Early child care centers

The early child care centers seek to stimulate and facilitate children's cognitive, social-emotional and physical development in a safe and nurturing environment. Children have opportunities to develop their own interests and aptitudes through a variety of hands-on activities (art, music and movement, language, math, science, etc.) The curriculum includes multicultural activities that promotes appreciation of all cultures.

School-Age Child Care Centers (SACCC)

School-age day care centers provide homework assistance during the school year and recreational and/or enrichment activities year round. Children enjoy team sports, music and dance, have access to museums and libraries, and participate in community events.

Workforce

The Workforce Division of the CPC was created in 1975 in response to an acute need for skilled workers in New York City. The program’s primary mission is to provide advanced services, skill upgrades, and employment related resources to individuals who are motivated to advance their careers.

CPC’s training, placement, and post placement support service methods are characterized by its highly individualized and goal-oriented approach. This proven formula has brought the Workforce Division a long and distinguished track record that is highlighted by many awards and accolades it has received, including official commendations by the New York City Department of Employment recognizing the CPC as one of the best in training clients and placing them with top companies across the city. Currently, the CPC Workforce Division is by far the most successful of the service providers that worked with the September 11th Fund in the Employment Assistance Program, with the best placement, retention, and wage recovery/wage gain rates of any EAP service provider.

Senior center services

Tens of thousands of seniors are members of CPC's three poplar seniors centers and the rapidly growing Brooklyn Seniors Services. Regular members enjoy congregate meals, meals-on-wheels (through Open Door Seniors Citizen Center), a wide variety of social and recreational activities, field trips, exercise classes, educational workshops, information & referral, access to healthcare, entitlements/benefits application assistance and advocacy, senior housing services, pre-planning and bereavement services, ESL and citizenship classes, and more. An initiative at Brooklyn Senior Services is developing preventive mental health services to better serve the changing needs of the aging population. Seniors also have access to CPC's affiliate, the Home Attendant Program, which provides home care for the home-bound.

Brooklyn

Manhattan

Queens

Youth services

CPC Youth Services provides dynamic educational, vocational and recreational programs that promote leadership development, identity formation, and social and academic success, and help youth expand their choices in community involvement, as well as overcome cultural barriers in society and school-based settings. Whether they are acquiring job skills through summer employment, touring university campuses across the region, volunteering to clean up city parks, or performing dance routines at community events, CPC youth form strong relationships with peers and mentors in a safe and supportive environment.

Manhattan Youth

Manhattan programs that serve youth

Brooklyn Youth

Brooklyn programs that serve youth

Queens Youth