68 Additional Seats Awarded to Children’s Aid Afterschool Program at Goodhue Center after Senator Scarcella-Spanton’s Advocacy
Editor’s note; Outgoing Mayor Adams discussed how he had helped facilitate universal after-school for New York City’s kids. The program had started in May of his last term. Regarding payments to nonprofits for programming, such as the one mentioned here, the City has become notorious for paying them very late. For many nonprofits, four months is an astonishingly short term, whereas other businesses would not be able to wait that long to be paid. To be clear, nonprofits often have to take out loans and lines of credit in order to continue to pay their employees and keep the lights on and everything running while they wait to get paid – and these LOCs usually carry a high interest rate as well. See below this story for CM Hanks’ graphic about this restoration, to which she also contributed her efforts.
Staten Island, NY – The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development has awarded Children’s Aid and the Goodhue Center additional seats for its after school program after widespread community dissent to the initial allocation. This additional award of 68 seats for a total of 128 comes after Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton’s staunch advocacy, in partnership with community members and organizations.
In early June, Children’s Aid was notified that their afterschool program would only be eligible for 60 seats for students, compared to the 150 students they had served in years prior. This drastic cut would have been detrimental to the community that the program serves, as these students deserve continuity of high-quality care.
Upon hearing of these cuts from concerned community members, Senator Scarcella-Spanton sent a letter to the Commissioner of DYCD urging them to reconsider the allocation of seats. On June 25, Children’s Aid received notice that their application was reevaluated, and that they are now eligible for 68 more seats, bringing the total amount at the Goodhue Center to 128.
“Our students and families deserve access to high-quality, consistent afterschool care and programming, and I am proud that after my advocacy, DYCD has reconsidered their initial allocation,” said Senator Scarcella-Spanton. She continued, “Children’s Aid has provided such critical services to our community at the Goodhue Center for years, and cutting the amount of seats in their program by 50% would have been a major disservice to the countless students their program has benefited. I am grateful to all of the community members who advocated for this program and want to thank DYCD for awarding the additional seats.”
“We are grateful for the addition of afterschool slots at the Goodhue Center, which reflects the clear and sustained need for these programs in the surrounding community. For more than a century, the Goodhue Center has been a trusted resource for New York City children and families, providing high-quality programs in academic enrichment, the arts, nature, and sports that help young people learn, grow, and thrive,” said Sarah Jonas, Vice President of Youth Programs at Children’s Aid. She continued, “We deeply appreciate the leadership and support of our public officials, as well as the advocacy of parents and community members over the past several weeks. Their collective efforts underscore the vital role these programs play in strengthening our community. We look forward to continuing to serve Goodhue families with exceptional afterschool programming for generations to come.”
Patrick and Lindsay Hyland said, “We cannot thank Senator Scarcella-Spanton and her staff enough for their advocacy and efforts on behalf of the families at PS 45, PS 65, and PS 59. As two working parents of children at PS 45, we have relied on the Children’s Aid Society after school program at Goodhue for the past several years. The staff is outstanding and the level of enrichment they provide the children is second to none. Getting this news is the best possible way to start our summer recess!”
The addition of these seats ensures that students will continue to receive crucial afterschool programming in the upcoming school year and beyond. Senator Scarcella-Spanton will continue to advocate for programs like Children’s Aid at Goodhue that truly enrich the community she serves.
Senator Scarcella-Spanton was appointed as Chair of the New York State Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, and is a member of the Committees on Civil Service and Pensions, Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, Disabilities, Labor, and Women’s Issues.
Banner Image: CM Hanks post. Image Credit – CM Hanks
