Sarah Gerstenzang is the Executive Director of New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children and a Columbia University trained social worker. She is also a foster and kinship parent and one of her three children was adopted from the New York City foster care system.

Columbia University, Boston University, New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children

Sarah Gerstenzang specializes in treating the following diagnoses and life stressors:

  • Reactive Attachment Disorder
  • Pre- and Post-Adoption Issues for Foster Care and Adoptive Families

Browse through Sarah’s clinical and educational background below to get a better sense of her professional training, interests, and areas of expertise.

Education

    • M.S.W. in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work   
    • B.S. in Business Administration from Boston University School of Management

Current Positions

    • Executive Director, New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children (NYSCCC), which is a statewide organization that provides information, support and advocacy for foster and adoptive families.
    • President, Adoption Action Network, a New York State advocacy group for adoption professionals.
    • Board Member, Bridges to Health, a Medicaid waiver program that provide services to children in foster care with developmental disabilities or who are medically fragile or severely emotionally disturbed.
    • Board Member, Listening to Parents, a project aimed at eliminating unnecessary barriers that prevent loving, qualified parents from adopting children in foster care.
    • Board Member, Fostering Families Today a magazine.  
    • Board Member, A Parent for Every Child, a federal grant in New York State that places children from institutional settings with adoptive families.
    • Advisory Board Member, HEROES, a childhood trauma project.

Advanced Clinical Training

    • Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio, weeklong intensive observation of Arleta James, M.S., P.C.C. clinical work.
    • Fundamentals of Family Therapy.  A year-long seminar at Ackerman Institute for the Family. New York, NY

Recent Experiences

    • Associate Project Director for The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids where Ms. Gerstenzang worked with the Director to coordinate a team of five organizations on a multi-million dollar federal grant to recruit foster and adoptive parents for children in foster care.
    • Senior Policy Associate for the non-profit group Children’s Rights, where she researched and wrote reports on multiple child welfare topics.
    • Adult Client Coordinator at the Community Help Service where she conducted intakes at a mental health clinic for English speakers in Brussels, Belgium.

Media

    • Panelist on The View. (2006). Adoption special
    • Interviewed for USA Today (February, 2008). Those hoping to adopt look closer to U.S. options.
    • Interviewed for USA Today (August, 2009) New campaign aims to promote black child adoption.

Books

    • Gerstenzang, S. (2007). Another Mother: Co-Parenting with the Foster Care System. Vanderbilt University Press.
    • Gerstenzang, S. & Freundlich, M. (2006). A Critical Assessment of Concurrent Planning: What Is Its Role in Permanency Planning? CWLA Press
    • Gerstenzang, S. and Freundlich, M. (2003). An Assessment of the Privatization of Child Welfare Services: Challenges and Successes. CWLA Press.
    • Pro Humanitate Literary Award recipient, 2004

Publications

    • Gerstenzang, S. (2010).  Mama S and Papa M:  Making APPLAs Work for Youth.  In Fostering Families Today, May/June Issue.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2009).  Foster Parent Training in America. In Fostering Families Today, July/August Issue.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2008). Our Blended Family. In Adoptive Families Magazine January/February Issue.
      Gerstenzang, S.  (2007). You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be a Perfect Parent. In Fostering Families Today, November/December Issue.
    • Freundlich, M., Gerstenzang, S., & Holtan, M. (2007). Websites featuring children waiting for adoption: A cross-country review. In adoption & fostering, Summer Issue.
    • Freundlich, M., Avery, R.J., Gerstenzang, S., & Munson, S. (2006).  Permanency Options and Goals:  Considering Multifaceted Definitions. In Child & Youth Care Forum, October/December Issue.
    • Gerstenzang, S. & Freundlich, M. (2006) Finding a Fit that Will Last a Lifetime:  A Guide to Connecting Adoptive Families with Waiting Children.
    • Gerstenzang, S. & Freundlich, M. (2005).  A Critical Assessment of Concurrent Planning in New York State. In Adoption Quarterly.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2005). Attachment:  Meeting the Eyes of Love. In Journal of Zero to Three.
    • Freundlich, M., Avery, R.J., Munson, S, & Gerstenzang, S. (2005). The meaning of permanency in child welfare:  Multiple stakeholder perspectives. In Children and Youth Services Review.
    • Freundlich, M & Gerstenzang, S. (2004).  Ethics and Adoptive Family Recruitment. In Adoptalk, Spring Issue.
    • White, A & Gerstenzang, S. (2004).  Save the Records. In Children’s Voice, May/June Issue.
    • Freundlich, M., Gerstenzang, S., & Blair, E. (2004). Lasting Impressions:  A Guide for Photolisting Children.
    • Freundlich, M. & Gerstenzang, S. (2003).  Should We Photolist Waiting Children? In Children’s Voice.
    • Robinson Lowry, M., Freundlich, M. & Gerstenzang, S. (2002). Class action litigation: judicial reform of child welfare systems in the United States. In adoption & fostering, Autumn.

Presentations

    • Gerstenzang, S. (2007). Improving Customer Service. Presented at the New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children Conference.
    • Gerstenzang, S. The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids’ National Recruitment Campaign. Presented at the National Foster Parent Association Conference.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2007). Panelist, Adoption Ethics & Accountability Conference, Washington, D.C.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2007). You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent. Presented at the CWLA Conference, New Orleans, LA.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2006). Child Photolistings on the Web: Anticipating the Future. Presented at the AEA Conference, Texas
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2005). What adoptive parents need before, during and after adoption. Presented at the Adoption Connections Training Institute Conference, Dublin, Ireland 2005
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2005). An Assessment of Concurrent Planning in New York State. Presented at the National Foster Parent Association Conference, Garden Grove, CA.
    • Gerstenzang, S. & Hernandez, C. (2005). An Assessment of Concurrent Planning in New York State. Presented at the New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children Conference.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2004). Photolistings on the Internet: A Hands-In Approach to Quality Practice. Presented in Saint John, Canada.
    • Gerstenzang, S. & Freundlich, M. (2003). Ethical Considerations in Photolisting Waiting Children. Presented at the CWLA conference.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2003). Privatization of Child Welfare Services, Keynote Speaker. Springfield, Illinois.
    • Gerstenzang, S. (2003). Concurrent Planning: The Foster Parent Role. New Orleans, LA.

Languages

    • Fluent in French

Licensure

    • Social Work, New York State
    • Limited Permit, Clinical Social Work, New York State

     

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