Forestdale's roots go back 168 years, when a group of women affiliated with a church in Brooklyn founded an industrial school for children, which in 1980 became Forestdale. Forestdale is the only child welfare agency headquartered in Queens, with an exclusive focus on the particular needs of Queens'​ and Brooklyn communities & families. While traditional child-welfare programs are typically designed to ensure the safety of children, Forestdale is committed to going beyond the basics by actively pursuing cutting-edge and evidence-based approaches to address the changing needs of low-income families across Queens and Brooklyn. We embody this commitment by providing a comprehensive continuum of services to help children and families heal from trauma and overcome inter-generational cycles of poverty.