Category Archives: After School

Students Rally Against After-School Funding Cuts

March 29, 2013 3:10 pm Leave a Comment

The nonprofit human service sector’s budget battles moved from Albany to New York City yesterday when more than 700 children from after-school programs rallied outside City Hall to urge the Mayor not to cut 47,000 children from child care and after-school programs.

The Mayor’s Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2014, announced earlier this year, includes more than $130 million in budget cuts to the City’s after-school and early education systems. These cuts would eliminate programs for more than 47,000 children from mostly low-income families – the same number of children who were set to lose programs last year.

At the rally, hundreds of children from city after-school programs, including many from the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) network, joined parents, providers, and advocates from the Campaign for Children to demonstrate why after-school programs are essential to their success in school and in life.

“Our after-school program provides my son with opportunities I couldn’t afford to give him otherwise,“ said Lissette Placencia, a parent from SCO’s Center for Family Life, Brooklyn. “I can’t imagine what I’d do if our after-school program is forced to close. I won’t have a safe and supportive place for my son to go while I’m at work.“

“After-school and early childhood education serve as the foundation for success for our City’s children and youth. These programs provide them with the instruction, guidance, and tools to help them reach their full potential,“ said Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO/Executive Director of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA). “Our event is about spring and celebrating how children and youth grow and flourish from early childhood education and after-school programs. We call on our City leaders to invest in these supports because we want our children to continue to blossom.“

The Mayor’s Preliminary Budget for FY2014 includes:

  • None of City Council’s one-year funds: $120 million of last year’s restoration is one-year, discretionary money that will run out in June. The Preliminary Budget includes none of this funding, which will cause hundreds of programs – programs that just fought for funding in last year’s budget cycle – to have to shut their doors to the children they serve.
  • An Additional $10 million cut to after-school programs: This new cut to Out-of-School Time (OST) after-school programs, an after-school initiative created by Mayor Bloomberg himself in 2005, will eliminate slots for more than 3,600 children.

Research has shown that children who attend child care and youth who participate in after-school programs do better in school, are more likely to graduate, and have lower incidences of violence, drug-use, and teen pregnancy. These programs also allow working parents to keep their jobs – jobs that support their families and our local economy.

“If the City closes our after-school program, my daughter will be home alone until I get home from work at night. I’m afraid she’ll fall behind in school, and stay behind,“ said Moraima Cruz, a parent from the YWCA at PS 329, Brooklyn.

“My after-school program gave me the skills and confidence to be a leader in my community,“ stated Robert Ortiz, staff member and alumni of the after-school program at SCO Family ofServices’s Center for Family Life.

“A mainstay for youth and workforce development in the Lower East Side, Henry Street Settlement recognizes the transformative potential that after-school programs hold for not only the participants served, but the community as a whole,“ stated Matthew Phifer, Director of Education Services for Henry Street Settlement. “When learning continues during after-school hours through interactive and thought provoking activities, aligned with school day subject matter, there’s a salientcorrelation to improved academic performance and positive behaviors. To lose the opportunity to provide such services would not only be detrimental to our agencies, but would be a true disservice to the future of this city.“

“In my 27 years at PS 1, a school based site of Center for Family Life (a program of SCO Family of Services), I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact that an adequately funded after-school program can have on young people,“ said Helene Onserud, Center for Family Life Director, Community School Project Beacon at PS 1. “The Center for Family Life has a long and distinguished history of providing after-school supports to generations of families. In addition, because we are close-knit, we have historically employed staff from families throughout our community for many years. The staff are remarkably knowledgeable, caring and absolutely committed to the children they work with in after-school programs.“

Under the Mayor’s cuts, Out-of-School Time (OST) after-school programs will be hit hard. The Mayor’s proposal would mean slots for children slashed by 75% in just five years – from 87,256 children in 2008 to just 21,482 slots due to be available this coming September.

Filed Under: After School, Children, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News, Youths Tagged With: , , , ,

Bloomberg Cuts Child Care & After-School Money Again

January 30, 2013 2:55 pm Leave a Comment

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg outlined his FY2014 Preliminary Budget yesterday and for the second year in a row outlined massive proposed cuts to early childhood and afterschool programs.  Providers and advocates who had mounted a major grassroots campaign last year to win $150 million in restorations of these cuts expressed extreme disappointment and vowed to prepare for battle again.

“I am, once again, disappointed to see all of the additional program dollars added by the City Council at budget adoption removed from the City’s budget plan,” said Allison Sesso, Deputy Executive Director of the Human Services Council (HSC).  “Advocates should dust off their dancing shoes to get ready for the inevitable process of fighting for the same restorations we push for year after year.”

The Campaign for Children, a coalition of over 150 child care and after-school advocacy and provider organizations, argued that the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget cuts more than $135 million needed to keep after-school and early education programs open.  The budget, they said, includes:

  • None of the City Council’s $120 million restorations from last year which will run out in June, causing hundreds of programs to shut their doors to the children they serve;
  • A further $10 million cut to Out-of-School Time (OST) after-school programs;
  • An additional $5.3 million cut to child car which will result in another 250-300 children losing child care vouchers each month as their parents transition off of public assistance.

“Groundhog’s Day came early this year for New York City’s children and working families,“ said Michelle Yanche, Assistant Executive Director for Government and External Relations at Good Shepherd Services, on behalf of the Campaign for Children. “Just like last year, 47,000 children are set to lose access to after-school and early education programs – programs proven to help children succeed while parents work to support their families. The same parents and providers will be forced to fight for the same funding that they were just given a few months ago. How can this be happening, after all we’ve heard from our City leaders about making children a priority?“

“The City simply can’t go back on its promise to children and families – not when we’ve been told time and again that after-school and early education programs are a priority forthis administration,“ said Jennifer Jones Austin, Executive Director of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, on behalf of the Campaign for Children. “We need our City’s leaders to make long-term investments in these essential programs that help our children succeed in school and in life. The Mayor must include the needed funds in his Executive Budget.“

“Once again, the mayor’s proposed cuts to after-school and early childhood programs will continue a disappointing trend of shrinking programs for the children in our city who need them most,“ said Richard R. Buery, Jr.  President and CEO of The Children’s Aid Society . “A budget that does not prioritize needy children and working families fails the test of fairness and opportunity for all New Yorkers. We at Children’s Aid are committed to working with our government, nonprofit and corporate partners to restore this critical funding.“

“There is a great unmet need for afterschool programs citywide; therefore elimination of any slots would create an even greater shortage of critical programs for our young people,“ added Kathy Fitzgibbons, Senior Policy Analyst for Elderly Welfare and Youth Services.

“In addition, FPWA is distressed by the proposal to revise the eligibility process for post transitional child care.  This new $5.3 million budget cut to child care vouchers will potentially impact the access of 250-300 children to quality early childhood education programs, as their parents transition off of public assistance,“ stated Liz Accles, Senior Policy Analyst for Early Childhood Education and Income Security.

Advocates, however, indicated that they were prepared  to take on the Mayor again. The Campaign for Children recently kicked off their new phase of 2013 organizing with a series of town hall meetings in each borough during the month of January. The meetings attracted hundreds of parents, providers, and community members who are concerned about the City’s lack of investment in child care and after-school programs, and who together will call on City leaders and candidates for office to have a long-term plan to stabilize the systems.

Hunger

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger also took issue with the Mayor’s budget. “Despite high levels of hunger in NYC pre-Sandy, a huge spike in food insecurity since the storm, and increasing food prices, the Mayor has again proposed flat funding funding the city’s struggling food pantries,“ said Joel Berg, Executive Director of NYCCAH.  “Given the increased need, this is, in effect, a cut. Unless the City Council is able to provide more money that the Mayor proposes, local hunger will surely increase. A City this wealthy shouldn’t balance its budget on the backs of the hungry. We are glad, however that the Mayor was withdrawn his ill-advised plan to increase the prices of school lunches.“

Adult Literacy

The New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy (NYCCAL) expressed disappointment at the lack of funding for adult literacy in Mayor Bloomberg’s FY preliminary budget, continuing the downward trend in the Administration’s inclusion of adult literacy programs in the City’s budget. Over the last four years, the City’s investment in DYCD’s Adult Literacy programs has fallen by over 80% from $5.2 million in FY 2010 to just $1 million in FY 2013, restored by the City Council for one year. This has resulted in the loss of over 6,000 classroom seats in a city with over 3 million immigrants and 1 million adults lacking a high school diploma.

“After years of budget cuts, providers are forced to decrease their classes while still trying to serve a growing population,“ said Christina Curran, Director of Adult Education for the Fifth Avenue Committee. “Prospective students are on the waitlist six to eight months, which already has 200 names on it. The demand is overwhelming.“

NYCCAL calls on the Mayor and the City Council to work together to restore city funding for essential community-based adult literacy programs and consider the long-term benefits of these programs.

Child Protective Services

“FPWA remains concerned about the impact of a $1.8 million budget cut proposed for the Administration for Children’s Services Division of Child Protection (DCP,“ stated Noah Franklin, Senior Policy Analyst for Child Welfare and Workforce Development.   “In the past, ACS has made efforts to increase utilization in General Preventive services by working with Child Protective Services staff to refer more cases to general preventive service providers.  While ACS has claimed that caseloads will not be affected as a result of proposed staff cuts, we are concerned that budget cuts would lead to higher Protective Services caseloads for the remaining managers and a reduction of DCP’s capacity to make timely referrals to general preventive service providers.“

HIV/AIDS

“FPWA is concerned about the proposal of the Department of Social Services to align rental assistance levels with medical necessity.  It is unclear in what way this action would help improve the efficiency of the HIV/AIDS program when only low-income people with an AIDS diagnosis are eligible for the benefits.  It is also unclear what methodology and information will be used to complete the assessment,” stated Esther Lok, Assistant Director of Policy, Advocacy and Research and Senior Policy Analyst for HIV/AIDS.

Some Good News

“The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) is appreciative that the Mayor has continued to baseline funding for child welfare preventive services,“ stated Jennifer Jones Austin, Executive Director & CEO.  “We are also happy to see that no funding cut was made to aging services.  This is particularly important given the projected growth of the older adult population in New York City.“

Filed Under: After School, Child Care, Children, Food, HIV/AIDS, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , , , , ,

NYS Child Care Least Affordable in Nation

August 20, 2012 1:07 am Leave a Comment

New York State has the unfortunate distinction of having the “least affordable” child care in the nation, according to a new report issued by Child Care Aware® of America (formerly NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies).    The report – Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2012, determines affordability by looking at the cost of child care as a percentage of state median income for a two-parent family. The 10 least affordable states (in ranked order) for full-time center-based infant care in 2011 were: New York, Minnesota, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Indiana and Wisconsin.

In New York the average annual cost for center-based care for an infant is $14,009, more than twice the average one-year tuition and fees for a SUNY college.  In New York, the average cost of center-based child care for two children (an infant and a 4-year-old) is $25,594, again, more than twice the average rent for one year in New York State.  New Yorkers are not alone in struggling with the high cost of child care, however.  In every state and the District of Columbia, center-based child care costs for two children (an infant and a 4-year-old) exceeded annual average rent payments.

“Families need child care in order to work,” said Marsha Basloe, Executive Director of the Early Care & Learning Council “But, we are facing a crisis.  As child care costs continue to rise, parents are faced with difficult decisions. Do I pay my rent, buy groceries or pay for child care? Parents are often forced to take their children out of regulated care and place them in unlicensed care where the quality is unknown. While parents may not always be able to afford to place their children in quality child care, we as a state can’t afford not to.”

Click here to download a full copy of the report.

Filed Under: After School, Child Care, Finance, Nonprofit Headline News, Top News Tagged With: , , ,

OST & Child Care Cuts Hit Neediest Communities

June 21, 2012 1:21 pm Leave a Comment

New Out-of-School Time (OST) and EarlyLearn NYC contract award recommendations — which embody staggering cuts to both after school and early childhood programs — will not focus services on those New Yorkers who need them most as the Bloomberg administration has claimed, according to a new report issued by the Campaign for Children.  The report offers evidence showing that the Mayor’s cuts to child care and after-school programs will hit hardest in New York City’s most struggling communities, particularly those suffering from high rates of childhood obesity, rampant unemployment, low school achievement, and high rates of poverty.

The Campaign for Children report disputes the City’s claim that they have concentrated the cuts in “non-priority” or lower-need ZIP codes. In a case study on cuts to the Out-of-School Time (OST) after-school system, the report finds that the areas losing the most OST after-school programs are also

  • Neighborhoods with the highest rates of childhood obesity: Washington Heights (MNHTN), Bushwick (BK), and Williamsburg/Greenpoint (BK).
  • Neighborhoods with the lowest school achievement: Mott Haven (BX), Sunset Park (BK), Morissania (BX), Bushwick (BK), Highbridge (BX), Hunts Point (BX), East Tremont (BX), and Brownsville (BK).
  • Neighborhoods with the highest rates of poverty and unemployment: Mott Haven (BX), Morissania (BX), Brownsville (BK), University Heights (BX), and South Crown Heights (BK).

Click here to download a copy of the full report.

Advocates emphasized that while the Mayor has taken aim at curbing obesity rates through banning large sugary drinks, he is simultaneously cutting programs that offer children from low-income communities healthy meals and recreational activities.

“As we look at how the cuts to child care and after-school will affect New York City’s most vulnerable children, how can our City’s leaders disagree that these cuts are unconscionable?” said Stephanie Gendell of Citizens’ Committee for Children, an advocate from the Campaign for Children. “Where there are hard-working parents struggling to make ends meet, and children without any other safe place to go, we simply cannot take away these essential programs.”

Included in the report is a map showing the neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown of cuts to the Out-of-School Time (OST) after-school system. The OST system was created by Mayor Bloomberg in 2005 as the nation’s largest and most cohesive after-school system, serving 85,000 children at its height in 2009. With this year’s proposed budget cuts, the OST system will be reduced by half. 191 programs will be forced to close, and only 25,000 children will have access to programs next year.

“Our after-school programs provide a structured, educational environment for children in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, and our curriculum includes dance and other recreational activities. Now the City wants to cut nearly two-thirds of our programs. If they lose their after-school programs, where will the children go? There is gun violence on our streets,” said Leslie Mantrone, Deputy Director of School and Community Based Programs at East Side House Settlement in Mott Haven. “In our community, these programs are a lifeline. We need to keep our children safe, active and learning, and we need to keep our parents in the workforce.”

“If I lose after-school for my son, I will have to go on public assistance just to make sure he has a safe place to be outside of school hours,” said parent Ada De la Rosa. “This decision would devastate me, but I have no other choice. Why would the City do this to hard-working parents who are already struggling just to get by?”

“I cannot help but dread the fate that awaits thousands of children and families who rely on the early childhood and after-school programs that are on the chopping block,” said Children’s Aid Society President and CEO Richard Buery. “The cuts will be particularly devastating to low-income children and their families, especially in neighborhoods such as Washington Heights and the Morrisania section of the South Bronx—two of the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods—which will face alarming reductions in after-school programs of 67% and 91% respectively.”

Filed Under: After School, Child Care, Finance, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , ,

Advocates Urge OST & Child Care Supporters to Vote in Daily News Poll

May 25, 2012 6:19 pm Leave a Comment

Advocates are urging supporters of after-school and child care services to express their opinions regarding Mayor Michael Bloombergs proposed cuts to these programs in a poll being conducted by the Daily News.

As of this morning, 96% of respondents agree that “Yes, the damage these cuts make have serious repercussions for a family and community” while just 4% stat that “No, in tough economic times, all programs are fair game for cuts”.

Click here to read a Daily News article on the cuts and take the survey.

Filed Under: After School, Child Care, Finance, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , ,

Parents Say Cuts Will Force Them to Give Up Jobs

May 25, 2012 6:12 pm Leave a Comment

Thousands of New York City parents say they will be forced to give up their jobs and stay home with their children if Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed cuts to child care and Out-of-School Time (OST) programs go through as planned.   That was the findings of a survey conducted by the Campaign for Children, a coalition of advocacy and service organizations.  The Mayor’s budget for FY2012-2013, which begins on July 1st, calls for the elimination of after-school and child care services for 47,000 children.

Fully half of the parents (50%) currently using City subsidized child care services indicated that they would quit their jobs and stay home if the program was no longer available.  More than one-third (36%) of parents using after-school programs said the same.

In 16% of responses, parents who currently use after-school programs for their elementary and middle-school aged children said that they would leave the children home alone in the afternoons and during school holidays.   Approximately one-in-five parents (21%) using after-school and almost one quarter (23%) of parents using child care said they would leave their children with a relative.

The survey was conducted during the week of May 14-18 and the Campaign for Children received over 4,000 responses.

“If these cuts to child care and after-school are not restored, thousands of children will be left home alone, unsafe and unsupervised, without access to the educational, enriching environments that increase their likelihood of succeeding in school and decrease their likelihood of turning to drugs and violence,” said Jennifer March-Joly, Executive Director of Citizens’ Committee for Children and member of the Campaign for Children. “Thousands of parents will leave the workforce and be forced to turn to unemployment or public assistance just to provide for their families. In worst case scenarios, families will become homeless or children will be separated from their parents. This can’t be what New York City’s leaders want for our communities.”

“The results of this survey show the deeply troubling reality of what will happen to New York City if the cuts to child care and after-school are not restored in the final city budget,” said David Nocenti, Executive Director of Union Settlement. “This is a ripple effect that will harm our City’s children, working families, and economic stability in both the short and long terms. We urge Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn, and the City Council to listen to the voices of parents and fully fund child care and after-school in the final city budget.”

Click here to download the full report.

Filed Under: After School, Child Care, Finance, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: ,

Council Members Blast Youth Services Cuts at Hearing

May 25, 2012 6:09 pm Leave a Comment

New York City Council Members asked hard questions – and expressed some strongly worded negative opinions – about Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed cuts to after-school programs during a budget hearing yesterday.  More than 32,000 young people will lose services due to the Mayor’s proposed elimination of approximately 220 Out-of-School Time (OST) and Beacon Programs.

Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Jeanne Mullgrav stated that budget pressures were forcing the cuts,  “Since 2009, OST has experienced a significant loss of City, State and Federal funding,” she told the Council.  “Funding decreased from $121 million for over 75,000 slots to $73 million for 27,000 slots in 2013.”  As a result, a new round of OST contracts being recommended by DYCD will see the closing of many high quality programs.  “Unfortunately, given the over 1,200 responses to the Request for Proposals, many proposals were not funded,” said Mullgrav. “This is not necessarily a reflection on the quality of their programming, but rather more a factor of limited resources and the high level of competition.”

“There cuts are penny wise and pound foolish,” said Council Member and Youth Services Committee Chair Lew Fidler.  “They are a lost education opportunity and a lost economic opportunity.  They will be devastating to families and children.”

“80% of problems our youth face are outside schools,” said Council Member Melissa Mark Viverito.  “We need these programs to help solve the City’s problems.  The disparity in this city continues to grow. The priorities are all upside down.”

“It’s disgraceful that poverty has grown in the City of New York under Mayor Bloomberg’s administration,” said Council Member Tish James.

“What is the cost of not funding Afterschool?” asked Council Member Brad Lander.  “Will we spend more on juvenile justice?”  He went on to talk about a boy in his district who had found himself in the Juvenile Justice system because his OST program had been cut.

“Have there been conversations about how these cuts will impact public safety?” asked Council Member Jumanaae Williams.

“I will vote no on the City Budget if cuts to youth services are not restored!”said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. “New York City will not accept cuts to vital youth services!”

“The cuts are totally unacceptable,” said Council Member Robert Jackson. “To have youth services decimated is unacceptable!”

Advocates offered “real time” reporting during the hearing via twitter comments using the #campaign4children hash tag.

Filed Under: After School, Child Care, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News, Youths Tagged With: , , ,

“Cut Now; Pay Later ” :De Blasio Puts Future Tab of Mayor’s Cuts at $845 Million

May 15, 2012 12:11 am Leave a Comment

Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed cuts to child care and afterschool programs will cost the City significantly more in the long run than they save now, according to a report released on Friday by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.  Cut Now, Pay Later estimates the costs to educational outcomes, public health, crime and future budgets of eliminating child care and after school services for 47,000 children in this year’s budget. If enacted, says de Blasio, these cuts will have shrunk the capacity of programs by 61% since 2009.  He calculates this year’s proposed loss of 6,500 early care and education slots alone will lead to an additional $845 million in future costs for remediation, health care, lost wages and public safety.

“You cannot be an ‘Education Mayor’ if you tear early education and after school programs to pieces. These cuts—enacted year after year–will kick the stool out from under tens of thousands of working families, and set back an entire generation of kids,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. “This is one of the best investments any government can make. It is staggering that in a $70 billion budget this Mayor has decided early education and after-school programs are not a priority.”

The report is based on nationally-recognized studies regarding the value of early-childhood and afterschool programs:

  • Every dollar invested in early education saves taxpayers up to $13 in future costs needed to remediate learning gaps and for additional services, notes the report. The loss of 6,500 early care and eduation slots therefore could translate into $845 million in future government costs.
  • Every dollar invested in child care generates $1.86 in additional spending, creating revenues to help local businesses expand and create jobs. EarlyLearn cuts alone will result in a loss of $121 million in economic activity for the State.
  • After-school programs keep children off the streets between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., the window most closely associated with juvenile crime and victimization.
  • Studies show that 60% of parents with children in after-school programs miss less work hours, and 54% put in more hours on the job.
  • Early care and education improves health in nine out of the ten leading indicators for young children.

“In neighborhoods across the City, families rely on child care and afterschool services for survival,” said Council Member Annabel Palma, Chair of the Council’s Committee on General Welfare.

“Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed cuts to afterschool and child care are some of the most debilitating our City has ever seen,” said Council Member Margaret Chin. “In the Lower East Side and Chinatown, we stand to lose 70 percent of our afterschool programs and nearly 500 child care slots. All of these programs provide culturally and linguistically competent service and have a history of full enrollment.”

“Early childhood education is an investment in our future. Afterschool programming is an investment in our future,” said Council Member Stephen Levin.  “The fact that we have to have this debate every year is despicable… We are going to fight to protect our kids, our schools and the programs that our City needs to protect our future.”

“The proposed cuts to childcare services are truly shameful and will have a lasting and devastating effect to children citywide,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez.  “We will not stand by and allow this budget to be balanced at on the backs of the city’s most vulnerable, our children.”

“The proposed cuts to early childhood education and afterschool programs will be particularly devastating to low-income children and their families,” said Richard Buery, President and CEO of the Children’s Aid Society.

“Cutting child care and after-school programs for over 47,000 children is unacceptable, said Jennifer March-Joly, Executive Director of the Citizens’ Committee for Children. “The Mayor and the City Council must come together and negotiate a budget that protects every single one of these slots so that children can learn while their parents are at work.”

“Given the clear evidence the child care and afterschool programs keep parents working and improve children’s education, it is nothing short of disgraceful that the Mayor’s budget will deprive more than 47,000 children of these crucial services,” said Nancy Wackstein, Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses.  “Public Advocate de Blasio’s report provides compelling evidence that the City should be expanding instead of decreasing its investment in child care and afterschool.”

“Despite all of the evidence proving the educational benefits and the positive economic impact of child care and afterschool, it is astonishing that this Mayor continues to shrink these critical systems and leave tens of thousands of children without the programs that are critical to their safety and future success.  Instead of saying ‘we can’t do everything’, the Mayor should be prioritizing children and making sure they are prepared to succeed in school,” said Jennifer Marino Rojas, Deputy Executive Director of the Children’s Defense Fund – New York.

To download a copy of the full report, visit www.advocate.nyc.gov/stop-the-cuts.

 

Filed Under: After School, Aging, Child Care, Finance, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , , ,

Rallies Against Bloomberg Budget Cuts Continue

May 15, 2012 12:06 am Leave a Comment

Rallies expressing opposition against Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Executive Budget proposals, including plans to close 172 Out-of-School Time (OST) after-school programs and eliminate significant numbers of early childhood program slots are continuing to take place in communities across the city.

13% and Growing

The 13% and Growing Coalition gathered more than 200 community members, advocates and allies at City Hall for the 4th Annual Asian Pacific American (APA) City Advocacy Day to protest budget cuts and demand equitable funding for the Asian Pacific American community.  The 13% and Growing Coalition, co-led by the Coalition for Asian American Children & Families and the MinKwon Center for Community Action, unites over 45 Asian-led or serving organizations in the City to fight for a fair budget that protects the most vulnerable Asian Pacific American New Yorkers including children and youth, women, seniors, immigrants and low-income individuals.

“Mayor Bloomberg’s Executive Budget does not preserve the core city services needed to support the increased demand of the social safety net programs that he stated are crucial to this city,” said Wayne Ho, Executive Director of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families.  “In the Asian Pacific American community, where 1 out of 4 live in poverty, agency programs and City Council Initiatives such as Out of School Time, Immigrant Opportunities Initiative, and Domestic Violence and Empowerment Initiative, are essential to providing services to those most in need.  We urge the Mayor to work with the New York City Council to restore these necessary programs in the Adopted Budget.”

“The Asian Pacific American community currently receives an exceedingly low share of city social service funds that does not recognize the striking increase of our population and our growing needs,” said Steve Choi, Executive Director of the MinKwon Center for Community Action. “These drastic cuts will exacerbate this disparity and disproportionately impact the Asian Pacific American community.”

“With the growing population of Asian Pacific Americans throughout the city, the massive cuts to vital services for low-income children and families are outrageous,” said Chhaya Chhoum, Executive Director of Mekong, a new non-profit serving the emerging Southeast Asian community in the Bronx. ” With 21% of all Asian Pacific American children living in poverty, we urge the City Council to create jobs through the Summer Youth Employment Program to give our youth the competitive skills they need to join the job force.  We also urge you to restore Immigrant Opportunities Initiative funding to provide the critical services needed in our growing immigrant and refugee communities.”

“Cuts to after-school programs harm our communities by eliminating both valuable services to our youth and jobs in our communities that provide much needed income,” said Udai Tambar, Executive Director of South Asian Youth Action.

“Adult literacy is fundamental to any job training and job placement work,” said Hong Shing Lee, Executive Director of Chinatown Manpower Project.  “We have to recognize and provide for this most basic foundation to help immigrant job seekers to become contributing members of society.”

“The Asian American senior population has grown 64% since 2000, the largest increase among major racial and ethnic groups,” said Linda Lee, Associate Executive Director of the Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York. “Asian American seniors also have the highest rates of suicide, and their poverty rates have increased while those of seniors of other racial and ethnic groups have declined.  These numbers are alarming and indicative of the vast need to protect our seniors and improve their quality of life by providing comprehensive programming.  We urge the city to restore Senior Center Funding and Elder Abuse Prevention services to prevent these alarming statistics from rising over the next ten years.”

“Domestic violence is increasing city-wide but funding is being reduced. City Council (DoVe) funding of domestic violence agencies saves lives and should be restored and increased,” said Larry Lee, Executive Director of the New York Asian Women’s Center.  “New York City should give extra credit to community based organizations that provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services.  Then Asians would receive the first quality human service assistance they deserve.”

Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens

Last week, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens joined with children, parents, teachers and community leaders at an Emergency Town Hall Meeting at the P.S. 106 21st Century/ Out of School Time (OST) After-School Program in Bushwick, Brooklyn.  Among the speakers present were Councilman Erik M. Dilan, Nadine Whitted, District Manager for Community Board 4, and Margaret Kelley the Borough President’s Education Policy Analyst and Principal Robert Flores of P.S. 106.

OST/ P.S. 106 is one of two Catholic Charities programs with 300 children who will be left on the streets if funding is not restored. The other Catholic Charities OST program is at P.S. 50 program in South Jamaica, Queens—serving 250 children.

“These cuts are a devastating blow to the 600 families we serve in Bushwick, Brooklyn and South Jamaica Queens,” said Mary Hurson, Administrator of Family Services, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. “There is no other alternative for many low-income families. An essential part of their support system has collapsed. Te CCBQ Out-of-School Time programs are essential to helping children succeed academically and to develop positive social skills. Afterschool programs are an alternative to the streets for many children and the only safe option for hard working parents.”

Tonight at Riis Settlement

Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House will be joining with Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer to host its own Emergency Town Hall Meeting this evening.  Two of Riis’ OST programs are on the chopping block.  Tonight’s event is scheduled from 6:30-8:00 at Riis’ headquarters in the Queensbridge Houses at 10-25 41st Avenue in Long Island City.

City funding supports Riis Settlement after-school programs in the Queensbridge Houses and at P.S. 166.  If funding is not restored 217 elementary school children will lose their afterschool programming, says the group which is also fighting to maintain slots for 150 adults enrolled in its English classes.

Filed Under: After School, Child Care, Finance, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: ,

Over 3,000 Protest Proposed Cuts in Northern Manhattan

May 9, 2012 4:36 pm Leave a Comment

Thousands of advocates, providers, parents and children from Northern Manhattan turned out yesterday afternoon – together with a host of elected officials — to rally against Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed cuts to childcare and after-school services.   The area, they say, will be left with 1,500 – 3,000 fewer afterschool slots for neighborhood children come September 1st as a result of the cut. The four Northern Manhattan Council Districts alone will lose a total twenty-six separate Out-of-School Time (OST) programs.

“These cuts will have devastating consequences for the future of our city, our community and our children”, said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, who was joined by fellow Council Members Robert Jackson and Melissa Mark-Viverito. “When college dropout rates and college retention rates remain at alarmingly detrimental levels, it falls on the leaders of our city to invest in child care and after school programs rather than cut them….The people of Northern Manhattan have spoken and we will not tolerate the city budget being balanced on the backs of our children.”

“Cutting 45,000 after-school and child care slots will harm our students, parents, and communities,” said NYS Senator Adriano Espaillat. “We stand united in demanding the restoration of these cuts.”

“The current economic reality for America’s families is already harsh,” said  Congressman Charles B. Rangel.  “More than ever, families in our community depend on the afterschool programs to keep their children safe while they are working.”

Nonprofit provider agency executives also turned out in force to speak out against the proposed cuts.  They addressed a crowd which organizers estimated at over 3,000 strong.

“This will be the fifth straight year the Mayor has cut child care and after-school programs,” said Richard R. Buery, Jr., President and CEO of The Children’s Aid Society.  “This year alone, the combined effects of the new cuts and changes to the early childhood and after-school systems will eliminate these essential programs for more than 45,000 NYC children.  Northern Manhattan is being hit particularly hard.”

“As a manager for after school programs for the last 30 years, including the last 14 years for the PAL, I find it disturbing that anyone would suggest children be asked to sacrifice,” said Al Kurland of the Police Athletic League.

“These cuts will have a devastating impact on the community of Northern Manhattan”said Soledad Hiciano, Executive Director Community Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP)

“We’re gathering today to show how misguided the the Bloomberg administration is,” said Angelo Ortiz, Youth Services Director at Inwood Community Services, Inc.

“To deny our children this vital service will not only help to stunt the growth and development of our children but reek havoc on every family that is affected,” said Yvonne Stennett, Executive Director, CLOTH.

“The most significant cut is that we lost all of our Elementary OST slots from 145th to Dyckman. Where will our 900 youth go without mentioning all of the children on our waiting list.” said Eddie Silverio, Director of Youth Services at Alianza Dominicana, Inc.

Filed Under: After School, Child Care, Finance, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , , ,
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