Residential Services

Astor Learning Center

The Astor Learning Center (ALC) is the award-winning school of the Astor Home For Children. The Learning Center has been in operation since 1980. The Center operates as a special education program for children ages 5 to 13 in the Residential Treatment Facility and Residential Treatment Center, and is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents.

The Astor Learning Center program is based on a multi-disciplinary team approach including psychology, social work, specialized education and child care. Children attend one of twelve self-contained classrooms with either six or eight children per class. Each classroom is staffed by a certified special education teacher and a full-time teaching assistant. In addition, a full-time Learning Disabilities Teacher provides one-to-one instruction for students with specific learning deficits.

During the 1986-1987 school year, The New York State Education Department recognized the ALC as an exemplary elementary school program. The ALC was the only special education school to receive this recognition.

The U.S. Department of Education has recognized the ALC as a "National Blue Ribbon School for Excellence" in 1987-88, 1993–94 and 2000–01.

Learn how Astor Takes a Leadership Role in the Reduction of Use of Physical Restraint

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Reducing the Use of Physical Restraint

For the last several years, public policy and “best practice” has urged all settings (e.g., hospitals, residential centers) to minimize the use of physical restraint to manage extremely dangerous behaviors. Increased staff training and ongoing program development have yielded remarkable results here at Astor.

To sustain this initiative Astor has emphasized staff training in crisis intervention, the Sanctuary Model of Dr. Sandra Bloom, and Ross Greene’s "Collaborative Problem Solving".

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Services at the Astor Residential Programs

Children in residence at Astor receive intense individualized attention, as each class of 6-8 students has one certified teacher and one or two teacher assistants. Speech-language and occupational therapies complement the academic program.

We offer many opportunities for further enrichment and skill development — sports, creative activities, music, dance and crafts. We provide religious education according to family wishes, and services if the family desires, through our spiritual development coordinator and community clergy.

Our residential units each accommodate 10-11 children. On units for children needing the most intensive support and supervision, there are typically 3 child care staff members on duty. The staffing ratio for other units is 2 staff for 10-11 children. Each residential unit has a treatment team led by a Clinical Psychologist, Child Care Supervisor and Social Worker. Our Nurses attend to children’s routine and special health care, and staff Psychiatrists provide evaluation, clinical consultation, and when needed, medication prescription and monitoring.

Therapy at Astor: What comes into play?

Every child and family is unique. That’s why we offer a wide spectrum of therapeutic services and techniques — individual, group and family therapy — to insure that each child is fully engaged in his/her program. In addition to our daily milieu programming, our therapy programs feature:

• Doctoral-level psychologists trained to tailor therapy sessions to each child’s unique needs.
• State of the art play therapy rooms — carefully designed to spark children’s imaginative and symbolic play — offering unlimited opportunities for less verbal children to express their emotional concerns. Modalities include:
  • Sand tray work
  • Expressive arts
  • Puppet play
• Weekly social skills group for each and every child to foster crisis management skills, problem solving strategies and interpersonal interaction skills.
• Cognitive behavioral techniques that are designed specifically for young children to help them regulate their behavior and emotions.
• Specialized group therapy for problematic sexual behavior and fire-setting.

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How do families feel about having a child at Astor?

Of the families who responded to our 2006 Parent Satisfaction Survey:

• 87% agreed with the statement, "The people helping my child stuck with us no matter what."
• 94% helped choose their child's treatment goals
• 94% would recommend the program to a friend in need of the same kind of help.
• 92% felt that staff are sensitive to their cultural/ethnic background.

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Therapeutic Foster Care

Astor provides treatment-oriented family foster care, supported by intensive clinical services, to children and youth in two programs. These serve the mid-Hudson Valley region, primarily Orange and Dutchess counties.

The Therapeutic Foster Boarding Home Program has offices in Middletown (Orange) and Poughkeepsie (Dutchess) and serves an average of 30 children in the care of specially trained foster parents. This program is overseen by the NYS Office for Children and Family Services.

Astor also provides specialized care in family settings through its Family-Based Treatment Program, certified by the NYS Office of Mental Health. This program serves a capacity of 10 children and is based in Poughkeepsie.

Both programs feature strong staff support to foster parents, and the provision of mental health and medical services directly by staff as well as through linkages with local providers.

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Non-Secure Detention Services

Astor’s non-secure detention group care facilities provide a safe, supportive environment to young persons admitted for short-term care while the Family Courts and the local Departments of Social Services consider case disposition, including placement in longer-term residential care when indicated.

The youth served at the NSD program are boys and girls ages 7-16 who are alleged to be or are adjudicated as Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS), Juvenile Delinquents (JD) or Runaways. Youth are primarily referred from Family Courts in surrounding counties including Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, Ulster, and Greene Counties.

The NSD program also serves youth remanded from other counties throughout the state.

Astor operates three NSD facilities, one located in Dutchess County and two in Orange County. All three facilities are co-ed and self-contained (education and casework services are provided within). There is supervised interaction with the local community through scheduled off-grounds trips (usually educational/recreational or medical in nature).

The in-house educational program is administered by a NYS certified teacher and teacher’s assistant. The education services are geared toward helping the youth maintain their educational level while awaiting disposition and/or placement.

All youths are screened with regard to the need for medical and mental health services, and access to services is arranged when needed. Astor’s own community-based clinical services are an important resource to many youths admitted to the Non-Secure Detention program.

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