NY Daily News: Hundreds march to Bronx County Courthouse to save after-school and child-care programs
By Corinne Lestch
Hundreds of children, child advocates, parents and community members rallied Tuesday to save their beloved after-school and care programs after Mayor Bloomberg cut them from his budget for next year.
They marched down the Grand Concourse from Public School 64 on 171st St. to the Bronx County Courthouse, chanting “Hey Mister Mayor, the cuts are whack, give our kids their future back!” and holding colorful posters.
“I know a lot of other parents who are having a hard time making ends meet,” said parent Chikina Crutch. “If these programs don’t get funding, a lot of families would suffer in our communities.”
As roughly 42,000 childcare slots are threatened to be slashed across the city, the Bronx alone stands to lose 31 after-school programs. Some of these are the reputable Beacon programs, which serve about 1,300 Bronx residents.
