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Julian’s Story
Julian is a 3-year-old preschooler with delays in his language skills, but the DOE failed to provide recommended services.
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Page: Policy & InitiativesPolicyAdvocates for Children of New York (AFC) works to change education policy so that the public school system serves ALL children of New York City effectively. AFC’s attorneys and education specialists help thousands of families each year to resolve obstacles to their success in school....
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01.17.2022 | PIX 11 | Advocates for Children of New York has spent five decades helping at-risk students in New York City get the education they deserve. The nonprofit has built a legacy of fighting for kids and families who otherwise might fall through the cracks. Watch video
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01.29.2022 | Times Union | Next year, students with disabilities will have a right to compensatory services to make up for programs and services that they missed during the pandemic, according to Randi Levine, policy director of Advocates for Children New York. "These services are not...
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01.26.2022 | Bronx News 12 | News 12 breaks down Department of Education preschool special education data with Advocates for Children of New York's Betty Baez Melo on the disparities in access to special education for preschool students. Watch video
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Page: Stay ConnectedEmail List Sign-UpClick the button below (or visit http://bit.ly/AFCsignup) and enter your email address to receive AFC's quarterly newsletter, The Advocate; our weekly Blackboard Bulletin; and other updates and action alerts from AFC. Take ActionClick the button below to see our current...
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01.20.2022 | NY1 | “Preschool students with disabilities are not getting the special education services that they need and have the legal right to receive, and are being underserved by the city's early childhood education programs,” Betty Baez Melo, projector director for the Early Childhood...
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01.20.2022 | PIX 11 | One out of every three preschoolers with disabilities attending a city-run 3K program did not receive their mandated services during the 2019-2020 school year, according to Advocates for Children of New York. Those services include speech therapy, occupational...
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01.20.2022 | NY Daily News | “Families who are able to navigate the preschool special education process speak proudly of the progress they see their children make after receiving services,” said Betty Baez Melo, Director of Advocates for Children’s Early Childhood Education Project. “Unfortunately...
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Blog: Pre-K for all? NYC’s universal preschool push leaves behind students with disabilities, report finds01.20.2022 | Chalkbeat NY | “Children are missing out on special education services at a time when you can really have the most impact on their development and education,” said Betty Baez Melo, an early childhood education expert at Advocates for Children. “We know more needs to be done, and...
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01.20.2022 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) released a new report, Not Yet for All: How the Next Administration Can Make Preschool Truly Universal, showing that preschool students with disabilities are being underserved by 3-K and Pre-K for All and are being denied access to...
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Turning 5 Webinar Series MaterialsStill have questions? Register for another one of our upcoming Turning 5 events.¿Aún tienes preguntas? Regístrese para otro de nuestros próximos eventos de Cumpliendo 5.Slides from 'Kindergarten Admissions Process' webinarWatch a video recording of...
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Blog: As special education complaints soar in NYC, the state wants hearing officers to take more cases11.15.2021 | Chalkbeat NY | Randi Levine, a policy director at Advocates For Children New York, said her organization is still reviewing the proposal. But she noted that parents wait “months or a year or longer” to reach a resolution with the city. “We’re continuing to see cases to go to...
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09.22.2021 | Hear Our Voices Podcast | Jennifer Pringle, director of Advocates for Children's Learners in Temporary Housing project, speaks with the 'Hear Our Voices' podcast about the legal protections for students in temporary housing, and the unique educational challenges they face. Listen to...
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03.05.2021 | The Haitian Times | “A lot of Haitian parents were not educated in English and may not have the knowledge of where to get the translation support to better help their children,” said Laur-Edine Pierre, a Licensed Master Social Worker at Advocates for Children of New York. “I’m working...
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01.14.2022 | The 74 | Randi Levine, policy director for Advocates for Children of New York, which works to improve education for low-income students, said Hochul’s priorities are in line with her own, especially as it relates to added funding. But she’d like to know more. “As is the case with...
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Blog: Special Education Tuition Hearings Shift to NYC Trials Agency in Push to Tackle Case Backlog,”12.17.2022 | The CITY | ”While rapid change without input from various stakeholders makes us a little uneasy, no action at all doesn’t make you feel good either,” said Matthew Lenaghan, deputy director of litigation at Advocates for Children. Read article
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12.24.2021 | Manhattan Times | That same month, the Advocates for Children of New York and the Legal Aid Society issued a report highlighting the challenges and learning disparities encountered by foster care kids.At the time of the report, the DOE did not have a single full-time staffer dedicated...
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01.02.2022 | NBC News | But several advocates for student civil rights locally and nationally say they’re receiving more calls this school year from parents concerned about discipline issues. Advocates for Children of New York, which helps students facing disciplinary action, reported 47 calls...
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01.04.2022 | Education Week | Often, children who can’t reliably decode words continue to advance through school at a substandard level without receiving any evidence-based instruction, said Sarah Part, a policy analyst at the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New York, which offers legal and...
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10.23.2019 | The 74 | The number of school-age foster youth in the city varies by source; Advocates for Children of New York reported 4,500 students in a “snapshot” count in May, whereas the district recorded about 7,800 during the 2017-18 year. In most cases, foster youth...