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
150 Organizations Call on Elected Leaders to Save Key Education Programs
09.21.2023 | Today, more than 150 organizations are calling on elected leaders to sustain critical education programs currently supported by temporary federal COVID-19 stimulus funding set to run dry in June 2024.Over the last few years, New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) has benefitted from billions of dollars in federal stimulus funding. NYCPS... Continue reading
Back to School 2023 Updates
09.07.2023 | Stay up-to-date with the latest news about transportation, enrollment, and other back to school issues, and access key resources, including our Back To School Troubleshooting webinar. Visit AFC's Back To School Hub Continue reading
Start of School Year Questions & Answers for Families of Students with Disabilities
08.29.2023 | We've updated our annual factsheet for families of students with disabilities, which covers issues NYC families often encounter at the start of the school year, including enrollment, busing, placement, and more. The factsheet is available in English and Spanish. We will be updating the factsheet throughout the fall as more information... Continue reading
New Report Shows Two-Thirds of Schools Are Still Not Fully Accessible to New Yorkers with Disabilities
08.23.2023 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) is releasing a new report, Access (Still) Denied: An Update on the Physical Inaccessibility of NYC Public Schools, finding that only 31.1% of schools are fully accessible to students, parents, educators, and community members with physical disabilities as of the start of the 2023-24... Continue reading
AFC in the News
Two-thirds of schools are not fully accessible to those with physical disabilities, report finds
08.23.2023 | NY1 | “It saddens me that a child has to be excluded from programs that they might enjoy, that they might like, just because of physical disability,” Espino said. “It makes me feel horrible for a parent who can’t really choose schools based on performance, based on what they have to offer. The last thing they should have to think... Continue reading
Only 1 in 3 NYC schools are fully accessible to students with physical disabilities, report says
08.23.2023 | Chalkbeat NY | Fewer than one in three New York City public schools are fully accessible to students with physical disabilities, according to a report released Wednesday by Advocates for Children that calls on the city to ramp up funding for building upgrades. The city is on track to boost the share of fully accessible programs... Continue reading
Two-thirds of NYC public schools not fully accessible for students with physical disabilities: report
08.23.2023 | NY Daily News | More than two-thirds of New York City public schools are not fully accessible for students with physical disabilities, making many programs out of reach for children in wheelchairs or with limited mobility, according to a new report out Wednesday. At four in 10 schools there are no accessible classrooms at all,... Continue reading
Report: Just a third of NYC schools are ADA compliant
08.23.2023 | City & State | Only 31% of 1,587 New York City public schools are expected to be fully accessible for students with physical disabilities entering the new academic year, and about 39% remain “functionally or fully inaccessible,” to students, visitors or educators who use a wheelchair, according to a report released Wednesday.... Continue reading