Queens mom Sandra McNulty understands the obstacles and challenges that children in the foster care system face. A foster mother of 12 years for The New York Foundling, McNulty devotes much of her time to helping other moms become better foster parents, too. As a support group facilitator for the agency’s new KEEP Safe program, McNulty works to equip these moms with the skills needed to handle the challenges of raising teenagers in foster care.

The only independent center dedicated to the protection of children in the NYC area, the New York Foundling provides support for families faced with issues like poverty, drugs and abuse through a multifaceted network of specialized programs. In the past, the Foundling has focused on education and resources for younger foster children. Yet it’s the adolescents and teenagers who need more focused attention, according to executive director Bill Baccaglini. Many have been in the system their entire lives and carry emotional and behavioral baggage. As a result, they have difficulty with their peer relationships and in education and sometimes turn to violence and substance abuse.

The New York Foundling is currently addressing these problems with the launch of KEEP Safe, originally implemented in San Diego, and they have high hopes of making a dent. “She [McNulty] was hired because of her strong desire to help children in need and her effectiveness as a parent, as evidenced by the success she has had with her own children as well as her many foster children,” explains Baccaglini.

After being approached by a fellow colleague about being a facilitator for the program, McNulty attended a week of intensive training. She now spends her time making home visits and giving families details about the program, then enlisting them in a 20-week training session to provide effective ways of dealing with the difficulties of raising adolescents. So far, she says, her visits have been well-received by parents; they share her eagerness to help The Foundling launch the program. “It helps us learn from each other,” she says. “We figure out which ideas work and which ones don’t.” Her goal is to minimize disruptions in the foster care arrangements and improve parent/child relationships.

McNulty has always loved being surrounded by children. She and her husband of 20 years have three biological daughters, now ages 23, 18 and 17. But she gave no thought to becoming a foster parent until a family friend told her of her own experiences. After learning about the opportunity to help children in need, McNulty quickly became interested and attended an orientation at The Foundling, which was founded in 1869 as a home for abandoned children. It’s now been 12 years since she became a first-time foster parent, and she has assisted many children along the way. Recently, the adoption of her first foster child, who’s now 12, was finalized, and McNulty is currently fostering two other young children.

Her family has been extremely supportive since the beginning, she says. “When my family learned about my interest in becoming a foster mother, everyone encouraged the idea. My daughters were eager to have a brother.”

With the leadership skills of foster parents like Sandra McNulty, along with support from the entire Foundling staff, Baccaglini is certain that KEEP Safe is headed in an optimistic direction. “All of us in this system have to come together to create better responses to the adolescent population. Until every child is protected, we can’t rest. With the KEEP Safe Program, we’re one step closer to reaching that goal,” he says. And he acknowledges that the foster care system has certainly improved over the years. “No one can deny that today, this is a much better child welfare system than it was 10 years ago,” he says, thanks to The Foundling’s dedication to expanding its programming.

But even with the constant training, workshops and informational sessions that The New York Foundling offers, Baccaglini feels that there is always room for improvement. “We uphold a commitment to staying ahead of the curve, to anticipating tomorrow rather than just reacting to it. It’s all about aiming to be socially relevant to the times,” he says.

As for McNulty, foster care will always be a part of her life. “As long as I am able to still give, I want to continue doing it because there are so many children out there who need it,” she says. “Hopefully if the KEEP Safe program goes well, it will be another part of me.

When she’s not busy with The Foundling, McNulty spends time with her family at the park or the movies, or can frequently be found taking her kids to dance competitions or karate. She says living in the city has helped her kids learn to be responsible and independent. And as for motherhood? “There’s no book that teaches you about being a mother,” she says. “But I would definitely say that it’s a blessing.”

Photo: Sandra McNulty with her daughters Caitlin, 18; Samantha, 17 and her son, Richard, 12, who was adopted from foster care. (She also has another biological daughter, Liliana, 23, a granddaughter, Briana, 5, and two young foster children.) Photo by Andrew Schwartz.