‘Four out of five families who enroll in prevention programs complete them. And, once they complete services, these families are five times less likely to experience another report of abuse and/or neglect in the near term. Prevention services have also helped to safely reduce our utilization of foster care. Currently, there are less than 8,000 children in foster care, down from over twice that much a decade ago.’
‘It’s silly season on the mayoral campaign trail as candidates contort to convert voting blocs to their cause. But the mayor’s duty to assure quality education for all New Yorkers is too serious for this capricious campaign foolery.’
Do his comments on casinos, yeshivas and the teachers union suggest that his campaign has not done its homework?
‘During the height of the pandemic, there was an 82 percent decline in Early Intervention referrals compared to prior years, meaning that an estimated 3,000-6,000 young children in New York City with potential disabilities were never even assessed.’
The state urged local school districts last year to allow students to continue their studies even after they turn 21, to make up for academic losses during the pandemic. The same policy should be made for this year’s students ‘aging’ out, advocates say.
It’s been a year since COVID-19 sent New Yorkers into lockdown. City Limits wants to hear from residents about how their lives have changed since then, how they’re feeling about the future and what they think the government can do to help people recover.
‘Essential government-funded youth programs could be repurposed to transform the current potpourri of citywide services into a comprehensive public-private partnership focused on creating a rigorous academic tutoring system, with education and youth workers at the core.’
Child welfare advocates say the Fair Futures program, which funds coaches and tutors for kids in foster care, is more vital than ever in the face of the pandemic’s impact on young people.
The next mayor will have to deal with the educational damage wrought by COVID-19 and the profound problems of quality and equity that challenged the city’s schools even before the pandemic.
‘We need more parents to run so that each CEC’s economic diversity reflects that of the district. Without such diversity, whole swaths of a school district may be voiceless.’
‘Fifty-five percent of city public schools didn’t have a music educator, even before the COVID-19 pandemic…one aspect of that rebuilding must be integrating music as a core subject in the curriculum and ensuring all city schools have certified music educators.’