The Administration of Children's Services is opening a new GABI program in Brooklyn, as a way of helping parents through play groups and group support.
The Group Attached-Based Intervention, or GABI, is a chance for both children and parents to grow,
"So, at ACS we are very excited about this program, it has really proven itself across the city,” says Commissioner David Hansell, of NYC Administration of Children's Services.
He says this is why the new GABI program is at a new site in Bed-Stuy, making it now available in all five boroughs for parents of infants to 3-year-olds who may be going through a challenging time.
"It looks like a very typical parent/child playroom, but we are constantly helping parents think about how their own past, may really help them meet their goal of being a different kind of parent in this generation,” says Dr. Anne Murphy, who is one of the developers of the GABI model.
She says they do that through clinician-facilitated playtime and peer support.
"Life happens, we are all human, struggles get bigger than we can manage um and we really want to be there for our parents, on clinicians are on call,” says Dr. Murphy.
They also help parents with items they may need like diapers, wipes and detergent.
"All those kinds of things that you know if you don't have those items, you feel stressed,” says Dr. Murphy.