Campaign for Children Applauds Mayor Bloomberg’s November Budget Modification that Baselines Nearly $140 Million
Campaign for Children Applauds Mayor Bloomberg’s November Budget Modification that Baselines Nearly $140 Million
For Child Care and After-School Programs
Advocates Say New Budget Goes Far in Stabilizing Systems, Stress Need to Expand Quality Programs to More Children
New York, NY – Mayor Bloomberg’s November budget modification, announced yesterday, baselines nearly $140 million for early childhood education and after-school services that are currently being funded by one-year money. The Campaign for Children, a coalition of more than 150 advocacy and provider organizations, released the following statement in response:
“Following years of advocacy calling on Mayor Bloomberg to baseline these funds, we are thrilled that his administration has taken an enormous step toward stabilizing New York City’s early childhood education and after-school systems – systems that, despite their proven effectiveness in improving outcomes for children and working families, have consistently faced deep budget cuts and have struggled with the instability and uncertainty caused by one-year funding.
We thank Mayor Bloomberg and the Commissioners of the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) on behalf of the thousands of children, parents, and staff who now know that their programs will be open past June 30. We also thank the City Council for being consistent champions of early childhood education and after-school programs.
Now that this crucial step toward maintaining capacity has been taken, we must look toward investing in and expanding high quality early childhood education and after-school programs for more children, as the need greatly outstrips the supply. The Campaign for Children looks forward to working with the de Blasio Administration to maintain these baslined funds and work toward the goal of providing all children in NYC access to safe, affordable, high-quality programs.”
ABOUT CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN:
Campaign for Children is a partnership between the Emergency Coalition to Save Children Care and the New York City Youth Alliance, which first came together in 2011 to stave off severe budget cuts proposed for child care and after-school programs. Together, the 150 members of the coalition include many of the advocates, civic leaders and early childhood education and after-school providers in New York City.
The Campaign’s successful advocacy saved child care and after-school programs for more than 47,000 children by securing more than $120 million of one-year City Council discretionary funds for the past two years. While the Campaign, the providers, and notably the children and the families remain incredibly grateful for these one-year restorations, the systems cannot remain dependent on successful advocacy annually restoring one-year funds.
Every child in New York City deserves access to safe, high-quality, and affordable early childhood education and after-school programs. New York City’s newly elected Mayor, as well as the Comptroller, Public Advocate and City Council members, must have a plan to create high-quality, sustainable, fully-funded early education and after-school systems for New York’s children and families. Enacting this plan must be a top priority for the new Administration. The Campaign for Children seeks to be a partner in this endeavor, but also to hold the Administration accountable for its implementation.
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