Our benefit will support the Leake & Watts Specialized Foster Care

In 1985, when AIDS was poorly understood, and was creating an epidemic of fear throughout the country, Leake and Watts became nationally known for our response to the situation.  At that time, New York City faced a crisis.  Hundreds of parents with AIDS were abandoning their HIV-positive newborns at City hospitals.  Leake and Watts pioneered a Specialized Foster Care Program, the first of its kind in the country, and showed that families would open their homes and hearts to these “boarder babies.”  With proper support and training, families provided these fragile infants with special care in a loving environment.  This program became a model for similar programs throughout the nation.  Specialized foster care provides temporary homes for children with HIV-positive and/or has AIDS, as well as those who are medically fragile (e.g. spinal bifida, down syndrome, heart and liver disorders).  These children are provided additional medical case management and support services (such as visiting nurse services), and the foster parents receive training on specific illness/disorders.