Children's Aid helps tens of thousands of disadvantaged New York City children succeed annually, by providing comprehensive services of adoption and foster care, after-school and weekend programs, arts, camps, early childhood education, events, family support, medical, mental health, and dental, juvenile justice, legal advocacy, special initiatives, sports and recreation, and youth development programs.

Brace was appalled by the thousands of abandoned, abused, and orphaned children living in the slums and on the streets of New York at the time.

The only options available to such children at the time were begging, prostitution,[9] petty thievery, and gang membership,[1] or commitment to jails, almshouses, and orphanages.

The children were encouraged to break completely with the past and would arrive in a town where community leaders assembled interested townspeople for inspection and selection.

[17] In 2014, the Children's Aid board of trustees appointed Phoebe C. Boyer[3] as its eleventh President and CEO and first female leader.