CCCSS has offered an Elder Caregiving Program that has helped frail elders maintain their independence by supporting their family or friends who care for them. This results in the delay or prevention of nursing home placement. From there, the Kinship Caregiving Program was developed to support relatives who have assumed parental responsibilities for children (often grandparents raising grandchildren). Both programs continue to fill a critical need in our community, and CCCSS is the only organization in the Capital District providing caregivers with kinship support services and critical components of elder caregiving (such as emergency respite and consumer directed respite vouchers). Mark McCarthy, the board president of the agency said in speaking of the agency, “I think one of the most compelling aspects of the agency is that it is respected throughout the community as an honest broker of services managing to work collaboratively in the community, subcontracting services with 50 agencies offering respite care and a new consumer directed reimbursement voucher to help caregivers defray the cost of respite.”

The agency initiated new service delivery models in the state that have impacted residents throughout New York. CCCSS’ Executive Director Renee Goldsmith Benson, who has worked for the agency since 2006, said one of its most significant accomplishments has been creating new and exciting way to help families continue their caregiving role. Some of the agency’s services are available only at this agency and nowhere else in New York State.

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