| “Mayor’s Cuts Will Hurt Children, Youth and Seniors”: Advocates Carry Message to City Hall |
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| Thursday, 21 May 2009 16:30 |
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Clients, providers, and advocates gathered on the steps of City Hall yesterday to express concerns over Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed budget cuts to core human service programs serving New York City’s most vulnerable – children, youth, and seniors. Advocates estimate that funding for human service programs would fall by an estimated $200 million or more if the Mayor’s Executive Budget were to be passed by the City Council as presented.
“When New Yorkers are struggling and demand for services is rising, it is absolutely the wrong time to cut human service programs,” said Nancy Wackstein, Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses. “The Mayor and City Council must find ways to fund child care, children’s safety, health, and mental health services, after school programs, senior centers, and other services that create a support system for low and moderate income families and keep communities healthy and safe. These prudent investments in our social infrastructure will benefit all residents of our City.”
Advocates focused on cut in the areas of child welfare, child care, youth programs and senior services.
"Our City already knows the terrible tragedies that can happen when ACS and its provider agencies do not have the resources needed to keep children safe and families together,” said Stephanie Gendell, Associate Executive Director of Citizens’ Committee for Children. “The Mayor and City Council must adopt a budget that restores funding to ACS, preventive service providers, and foster care agencies because even in difficult budget times, child safety must never be compromised.”
The City’s child care system is slated to lose over 1,000 child care slots and 3,000 child care vouchers, in addition to millions in cuts to existing early childhood education programs such as Universal Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start, say advocates.
“Parents are scrambling to find safe, affordable care and education for their young children while the City is reducing the number of available child care slots and cutting funds for early childhood programs. We owe it to the youngest New Yorkers to stop these cuts,” said Nina Piros, Director of Early Childhood Programs at University Settlement Society.
Providers noted that youth development and after school programs are facing over $42 million in proposed cuts in the FY2010 budget, on top of millions in cuts already sustained this fiscal year. One particularly harmful cut is the complete elimination of a successful after school funding stream, Out of School Time Option II, which funds flexible programs for underserved youth and supports 10,750 after school program slots across the City.
“After school programs provide youth and teens with key educational, social, and extracurricular opportunities as well as a safe place to go after school hours,” explained Amarilis Perez, Director of the Edgies Teen Center at Educational Alliance. “Now, more than ever, these programs are essential for the safety and success of our young people.”
“Flexible programs for youth, such as dropout prevention initiatives, must be funded to ensure the success of young people in New York City,” added Jim Marley, Assistant Executive Director of Good Shepherd Services. “Chipping away at these programs compromises their quality and ability to serve those in need of services.”
Aging services advocates and providers are equally concerned about cuts to senior centers and supportive services. The FY2010 budget cut over $7 million for aging services traditionally allocated by Borough Presidents and included a 5% cut to all senior center budgets as well as the elimination of the weekend meal.
“Senior centers and supportive programs are critical in keeping older New Yorkers healthy, active, and engaged. This is not the time to cut back on critical support systems and sources of food for seniors, especially since these programs save the City money by preventing premature institutionalization,” said Yehudit Moch of Hudson Guild’s Adult Services program.
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