Sen. Ortt & Assemblyman Bologna raise concerns over future of Niagara County Family Opportunity Center

Call on state to fund EPIC 

Submitted by the Office of New York State Sen. Rob Ortt

New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Paul Bologna are calling for increased investment into local community family centers such as the Niagara County Family Opportunity Center, operated by Every Person Influences Children (EPIC).

In a recent newspaper article, EPIC said it will be forced to shut down operations of the opportunity center due to lack of funding.

Since 2023, EPIC has provided a welcoming community where families can access parenting education, early childhood activities, case management, and connections to community resources that strengthen caregivers and promote healthy child development. Programs built on this prevention model have been shown to lower rates of child abuse and neglect and strengthen family stability in the communities they serve.

In letters sent to the Office of Children and Family Services – the organization which is tasked with distributing funding to programs such as EPIC around the state – Ortt and Bologna asked state leaders and relevant agencies to work with local partners to identify pathways for support or other funding solutions that would allow EPIC to continue offering their services uninterrupted.

The state’s response: “We don’t have any money.”

The demand for these services is clear and growing. In 2025 alone, the center recorded more than 2,000 visits and delivered over 2,500 direct services to children, along with additional support and resources for parents and caregivers. Today, more than 430 families actively rely on the center.

The families served through this center represent some of the most vulnerable in our community:

√ 87% are low-income

√ 13% fall into the ALICE category (asset limited, income constrained, employed)

√ 30% include a child with a disability

Despite the important services offered to community members, state funding is scheduled to end April 30.

“I find it hard to believe that, in a $263 billion budget, we cannot make room for vulnerable New York families and children in need,” Ortt said. “Albany Democrats and the governor have gone out of their way to raise taxes, and fund illegal immigrants and many social programs that downstate constituents rely on. EPIC, and programs that empower parents and strengthen families, should remain a priority, and I urge state leadership to work toward funding solutions that would allow these services to continue without disruption for the families who depend on them.”

Bologna said, “Last week, I visited the Niagara County Family Opportunity Center operated by Every Person Influences Children to hear firsthand from staff and families about the challenges they are facing. What I saw was a lifeline for hundreds of families in our community. Despite exceptional results, metrics and being an organization in extraordinary standing serving Niagara County, because the state has failed to act, EPIC is being forced to close at the end of the month – leaving families scrambling and vulnerable children without critical support. That is unacceptable.

“In a $263 billion budget, there is no excuse for turning our backs on programs that strengthen families and prevent crises. I will continue working with my colleagues, including Sen. Ortt, to fight for the funding needed to keep these essential services available.”

If state funding is not made available immediately, the services families have come to rely on will be forced to cease operations.