| Advocates Rally and Tweet against Youth Service Cuts |
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| Friday, 20 May 2011 10:34 |
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It has been a busy week New Yorkers expressing opposition to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed cuts to youth services in the FY2012 budget which begins July 1st. Yesterday, advocates, providers and participants gathered at City Hall to urge restoration of a variety of cuts to after school programs and youth development programs. A day earlier, the Save After School Campaign mounted its its first ever Twitter Advocacy Day to mobilize supporters on Twitter and to bring the issue to the attention of Mayor Bloomberg (See story below). New York City working families are facing the end of after-school programs for over 16,000 youth, in addition to devastating cuts to Beacons, services for runaway and homeless youth, Summer Youth Employment Program jobs for teens, GED and adult literacy services for disconnected youth, and other programs that help youth succeed. The budget is particularly bad for working families considering the cuts to child care and after-school, both of which allow parents to maintain their jobs and remain financially stable. “Over the last four years, there have been a series of significant cuts to after-school programs by the City and State. These programs cannot sustain further cuts and survive. After-school programs are critical for New York City’s working families, and we must do all that we can to protect them,” said Jim O’Neill, President, Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation. “Also, as we approach the summer, with schools closed, it is especially important that funding for summer programs isn’t cut. In these tough economic times, parents depend on summer youth programs more than ever.” “In a city where there is an estimated 32,000 runaway and homeless youth on the street in any given year, it is heartless to eliminate funding for drop-in centers and street outreach services,” commented Kathleen Fitzgibbons, Senior Policy Analyst for Elderly Welfare and Youth Services from the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA). “Elimination of street outreach contracts will make it even more difficult for disconnected youth to receive referral and counseling services, and most importantly, be housed in a safe environment," said Fitzgibbons. "The long-term impacts of these cuts are not being considered by the administration. Beacons have continuously been on the chopping block and providers will not be able to continue operating a comprehensive community center. The result will be a dismantling of the Beacons network citywide. The reduction in the number of SYEP job slots will be immediately apparent in July - there are limited opportunities for summer employment for young adults in New York City. This budget is leaving youth with no alternatives." said Gigi Li, Co-Director of Neighborhood Family Services Coalition. “We should be a city that lives up to the values we espouse about promoting stable communities and the well-being of its children and youth. The cuts to after-school and other crucial services such as early childhood education are misguided. Once programs are cut or eliminated due to a reduction in funding, it is very hard to get them back. After-school programs must be restored in order to support working families, and provide young people with academic support, social leadership and cultural opportunities that contribute to their growth and development,” said Anthony Ng, Director of Policy and Advocacy of United Neighborhood Houses. It is critical the city invest in NYC’s youth and their future. “The Mayor’s budget cuts over $50 million in funding to critical youth programs that keep kids safe from crime, engaged in their communities, and improving educational outcomes. Every dollar invested in afterschool and youth enrichment programs save $3 dollars, creating a considerable return-on-investment,” said Michael Stoller, Executive Director, Human Services Council and coordinator of the Who Cares? I Do. Campaign. Parents, advocates and concerned community members called on the Mayor and City Council to restore funding to important programs at risk, in the proposed FY 2012 City Budget, including:
The event was organized by the Members of New York City Youth Alliance: The After-School Corporation ▪ Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York ▪ Coalition for Asian American Children & Families ▪The Dryfoos Group ▪ Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies ▪ Human Services Council of New York City ▪ Neighborhood Family Services Coalition ▪ The New York Immigration Coalition ▪ Partnership for After School Education ▪ UJA-Federation of New York ▪ United Neighborhood Houses of New York ▪ YMCA of Greater New York.
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