Our Vision:
All New York City students receive the education they need to maximize their potential as adults
Our Mission
Advocates for Children of New York (AFC)’s mission is to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds.
Our Values
Family-Centered
We listen to what families want for their children and empower them with information and support.
Expertise
We ground our advocacy in more than 50 years of experience with the NYC public schools and deep knowledge of the legal and education systems affecting the students and families we serve.
Passion
We are united by our unrelenting drive to dismantle obstacles to education and our unwavering dedication to NYC’s students and families.
Community
We foster collaboration and inclusive practices within our team and with outside partners so we can learn from different perspectives and unite in advancing our common goals.
Justice
We view the law as a powerful tool to bridge gaps in access to education and help families from under-represented communities fight for their rights.
Impact
We recognize that our value lies in the difference we make in the lives of students and their families and push ourselves to achieve concrete results.
Our Model
AFC simultaneously works side by side with students and their families, providing the one-on-one guidance and advocacy they need, while pressing for systemic reforms that benefit all students.
Our unique and flexible approach to problem-solving gets students the support they need to succeed, educates and empowers families, and drives meaningful education reform.
Free advice and legal representation
We help families of students who are struggling or experiencing discrimination in school to protect their education-related rights and obtain the educational support their children need.
Free trainings and workshops
Our know-your-rights trainings for parents, communities, educators, and other professionals equip them to better advocate on behalf of students.
Policy advocacy
Based on our 50 years of on the ground experience, we conduct policy advocacy that spurs change in the education system and improves education outcomes.
Impact litigation
When real change will not happen without a court order, our impact litigation provides the most marginalized students protection under the law, gives them the opportunity to receive a quality education, and compels education reform.
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Mia's Story
“Mia’s IEP meeting is coming up, and for the first time I don’t feel like I have to put on boxing gloves and bring an advocate with me. It shouldn’t be like that. Had it not been for AFC, I know she’d just have been on that first floor until she graduated."
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Caleb's Story
"Hopefully our differently abled students will benefit from this increased awareness, and appropriate and inclusive programs and services will become more widely available."
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Kendall's Story
Kendall graduated from Cooke’s high school in spring 2015, and with AFC's continued assistance, is beginning the transition to adulthood in Cooke's SKILLs (Skills and Knowledge for Independent Learning and Living) program, which helps young adults with disabilities build independent living and vocational skills.
Learn more about the student populations we serve
Our staff of attorneys, advocates, and education specialists have successfully helped hundreds of thousands of families by providing free legal and advocacy services, including representation at school-related hearings and appeals, and teaching families what they need to know to stand up for their children’s educational rights.