AFC testified before New York City Council Committee on General Welfare regarding the need to extend funding for Promise NYC, a crucial initiative that increases access to early childhood programs for children who are undocumented. Without action by the City, funding for this initiative will expire in June, leaving hundreds of children at risk of being turned away from their program.

AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education on access to early childhood education programs, including for children with disabilities, children in temporary housing, and children who are undocumented. The City is currently relying on $88 million in federal COVID-19 stimulus funding this year to fund preschool special education initiatives—funding that will be expiring in the fall of 2024 and needs to be sustained.

Kim Sweet, directrice exécutive d'Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), a publié la déclaration suivante en réponse à la publication du budget préliminaire de la ville pour l'exercice 2024.

L'AFC a témoigné devant le conseil municipal de New York sur la nécessité de mieux soutenir les étudiants et les familles immigrés face à l'afflux récent de familles de migrants, notamment en augmentant l'accès à un personnel et à des programmes bilingues, en garantissant que les étudiants bénéficient des services d'éducation spécialisée dont ils ont besoin, en renforçant les programmes de transfert des lycées pour les étudiants. les jeunes immigrants plus âgés et l’amélioration de l’accès aux langues et de la communication avec les familles.

AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Youth Services about the need to ensure that the City’s summer programming provides needed support for all students, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students who are homeless.

Cette analyse de données de juin 2022 estime que plus de 329 000 élèves des écoles publiques n'ont pas de parent qui parle couramment l'anglais et appelle à investir dans un système central et permanent de communication avec les familles immigrées au sein du ministère de l'Éducation (DOE). L'analyse utilise les données de l'American Community Survey (ACS) du US Census Bureau pour illustrer la nécessité d'approches de communication à multiples facettes qui vont au-delà de la mise à disposition en ligne de documents traduits.

AFC and the ARISE Coalition (coordinated by AFC) testified before the City Council Committee on Finance regarding the FY 23 Executive Budget, urging the City to invest in targeted initiatives to support English Language Learners, students with disabilities, students who are homeless or in foster care, and students with mental health needs.

AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Education on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on English Language Learners and immigrant students and families, and three proposals that advocates believe will have a positive impact on ELLs and immigrant families.

Mayor-elect Eric Adams will take office at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the longstanding inequities in our City’s schools. Based on our 50 years of on-the-ground experience helping students and families navigate the largest school system in the country and get the support they need to learn, we outline some of the most pressing challenges in public education — including those that pre-date COVID — where the incoming Mayor must be prepared to focus attention, energy, and resources.

AFC and the ARISE Coalition (coordinated by AFC) testified before the City Council Committee on Education on the continued work needed to strengthen the DOE’s academic recovery plans this year. While we appreciate that the City is using this funding for some important initiatives, we worry there is still inadequate detail about how the funding will be used, inadequate funding for key priorities, and too much discretion and responsibility left to individual schools that already have their hands full reopening schools and keeping school communities safe.