Advocates for Children of New York works on behalf of children who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English Language Learner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile justice systems.
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Spotlight
AFC Testifies on Foster Care Task Force Progress
11.24.2020 | Today, AFC is testifing before the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare on the City’s progress toward advancing the recommendations of the Interagency Foster Care Task Force, including the three recommendations focused specifically on education, and the need for DOE staff focused on the unique needs of this population.... Continue reading
AFC Files Class Action Against NYC DOE on Behalf of Students with Disabilities to Address Losses During Remote Learning
11.23.2020 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (“AFC”) and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP filed a class action complaint in federal court against the New York City Department of Education (“DOE”) and New York State Education Department (“NYSED”) on behalf of students with disabilities who have not received an appropriate education... Continue reading
AFC Testifies on Examining Social-Emotional Learning and Support Staff in Schools
11.20.2020 | Today, AFC is testifying before the New York City Council Committee on Education’s hearing about the critical need for social-emotional and mental health support for students, and the City's commitment to remove police from schools and craft a new vision of school safety that ensures all students are truly safe and supported. Read our... Continue reading
AFC Issues Statement in Response to Possible Citywide School Shutdown
11.17.2020 | Today, Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to the possibility of a systemwide shutdown of New York City’s schools:Educating children is one of the most essential services the City provides, and the Mayor should do everything possible to keep schools open... Continue reading
AFC in the News
Parents Of Special Education Students Sue City For Not Addressing Learning Loss During Pandemic
11.24.2020 | Gothamist | Advocates for Children filed the lawsuit on behalf of seven parents and one legal guardian of special education students in federal court on Monday, noting that learning loss began back in March, when the onset of the pandemic triggered a systemwide shutdown of public schools across New York City. This shifted all... Continue reading
Lawsuit claims special-needs students are not receiving adequate education through remote learning
11.24.2020 | Bronx News 12 | The lawsuit was filed last week against both the city’s Department of Education and the state Education Department by a nonprofit called Advocates for Children. It claims that students with special needs have not received an appropriate education."I want to get him as much help as I can get - tutoring, extra services... Continue reading
NYC DOE failing to provide education to disabled kids amid COVID-19, lawsuit alleges
11.24.2020 | NY Post | Erendira Landa says she and her autistic, Spanish-speaking son David, 15, have faced endless hurdles in adjusting to home learning. Landa struggled and eventually found a translator for his classes, but she still hasn’t found a speech or behavioral therapist who speaks Spanish and is available after school. “It’s been... Continue reading
Special Ed Students Denied Crucial Services During COVID Remote Learning, Suit Alleges
11.23.2020 | The CITY | The federal class action filing by the nonprofit Advocates for Children identifies eight students as complainants who have missed out on legally mandated services during remote learning for a host of reasons — including iPad shortages and the challenge of delivering services such as physical therapy remotely.The suit also... Continue reading