A new walk-in resource center for Bronx families officially opened in Williamsbridge on Monday, giving neighborhood parents and children a free, no-appointment hub for support groups, activities, and connections to local services. The Uptown Family Enrichment Center held its ribbon-cutting at 3535 Holland Avenue, where attendees explored the center's resources and upcoming programs, met staff, and connected with fellow residents.
The center is operated by BronxWorks, a social services nonprofit that traces its roots to 1972, when it was founded as the Citizens Advice Bureau. According to Wikipedia, the organization now serves more than 60,000 Bronx residents annually across over 50 locations borough-wide under Chief Executive Officer Eileen Torres. As News 12 Bronx first reported, the new site is funded by the New York City Administration for Children's Services and will help and support children and families with free, family-friendly activities.
Programming planned for the location includes parent mixes, family game nights, women empowerment groups, and seasonal festivities, per the station's report. The building sits less than 500 feet from the Gun Hill Road subway station, which serves the 2 and 5 lines, according to listings reviewed by StreetEasy — a detail that matters for a walk-in model built around easy, low-barrier access for families across the neighborhood.
A City Strategy Years in the Making
The Williamsbridge opening is the product of a selection process that began back in February 2024, when ACS officially recommended BronxWorks to run the Williamsbridge/Baychester Family Enrichment Center as part of the fourth phase of a citywide expansion, according to a press release from the New York City Administration for Children's Services. That expansion traces back to 2017, when ACS introduced the Family Enrichment Center model as a primary prevention strategy intended to reduce child welfare system involvement by offering community hubs without mandatory registration or formal case intake, per background compiled by Casey Family Programs.
The city's ambitions for the network are substantial. ACS has set a goal of scaling from three initial pilot sites in 2017 to a planned 30 neighborhood centers citywide, with resources concentrated in areas targeted by the city's Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity, the agency has said. Scheduled offerings at the Holland Avenue site, including structured peer groups like UPTOWN Mommy Corner and UPTOWN Brotherhood Circle, are listed on the center's Tockify calendar.
Part of a Growing Bronx Network
The Williamsbridge hub joins an established roster of Bronx Family Enrichment Centers, including Bronx H.Y.P.E. in Mott Haven, O.U.R. Place in Hunts Point, and Circle of Dreams in Highbridge, according to the FreeBronxKids Instagram account. Each facility is designed around the specific cultural and social needs of its neighborhood. Bronx H.Y.P.E. offers a comparison point for what success can look like: the Mott Haven center won the city's Emerging Nonprofit award in August 2025 after drawing nearly 2,000 community visitors during its second year, as reported by the Bronx Times, which noted the center provides free produce, clothing, and community dinners.
BronxWorks' footprint in the Bronx has also been bolstered by state funding. In December 2025, New York State awarded $100 million in community center grants through the NY BRICKS program, including $5 million earmarked for a separate BronxWorks facility at 1130 Grand Concourse, Hoodline previously reported. That grant required a 20 percent organizational funding match.
Lingering Questions About ACS Ties
Not everyone has embraced the Family Enrichment Center model without reservation. During earlier expansion phases in 2021, parent advocates rallied at City Hall to voice concern that the centers' ties to ACS could deter vulnerable families from seeking help out of fear of child welfare system oversight, according to City & State New York. Critics have argued that family support resources should be separated from agencies associated with child policing.
That tension sits alongside the city's stated aim for the centers to function as stigma-free spaces where families can get help without the administrative monitoring that often accompanies traditional child protection models. For Williamsbridge residents, the new center at 3535 Holland Avenue now joins that citywide experiment, offering another walk-in option in a neighborhood that has also recently seen new residential development near its transit corridor.
