9 NYC, LI Homes For Adults With Disabilities To Close: WARN Notice

NEW YORK, NY — A New York nonprofit serving individuals with developmental disabilities will be closing all of its adult residential programs in Queens and Long Island, according to documents obtained by Patch.

Citing economic reasons, Little Flower Children and Family Services is slated to close all nine of its residential programs for adults with developmental disabilities in Wading River, Valley Stream, Forest Hills, Bayside, Laurelton and Jamaica, per a WARN notice from the New York State Department of Labor.

"Little Flower Family & Children’s Services, which has served the community for 95 years, recognizes the need to re-focus on our core mission to maintain the array of child and family services we provide in a changing world," Corinne Hammons, Little Flower's president and chief executive officer, wrote in a statement to Patch. "Our recently released, three-year strategic plan includes growing and innovating services for children and families on Long Island and New York City, emphasizing expanding mental health services in supportive environments."

Little Flower’s staff of over 500 provides foster boarding, residential treatment and adoption services, as well as medical and mental health programs for individuals with developmental disabilities, according to the nonprofit’s website.

All 28 employees from its Wading River adult residential program will be laid off within the next three months; seven employees in Valley Stream, nine employees in Forest Hills, 11 employees in Bayside, 14 employees in Laurelton, and 29 employees across four Jamaica locations will be affected by the closures as well, per the WARN notice.

All adult residential program sites, save for the site in Wading River, will be transferred to another nonprofit that is "well-experienced in serving that population" through the state’s Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, Hammons noted. The transfer will ensure that most residents can stay in their current homes.

Four Wading River residents will be moved to other residential program providers, Hammons added.