Advocates for Children of New York works on behalf of children who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English Language Learner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile justice systems.
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Spotlight
New Report Shows Racial Disparities in NYC Children’s Access to Early Intervention Programs
12.5.19 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York published a new report in partnership with Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) entitled Early Inequities: How Underfunding Early Intervention Leaves Low-Income Children of Color Behind [PDF], which shows that State disinvestment in New York’s Early Intervention program has... Continue reading
Advocates for Children of New York Commends the City’s Efforts to Reduce the Number and Length of Suspensions and Urges the City
11.4.19 | On November 1, 2019, the City released 2018-2019 school year data showing that, since the 2013-2014 school year, suspensions are at an all-time low, having declined by 38.5%. The City reported that major crime in schools declined by 31.9% during the same period. The school discipline data, which the Department of Education is... Continue reading
29,000 NYC Students with Disabilities Failed to Receive Required Special Education Instruction
11.01.19 | Today, Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to the release of the New York City Department of Education’s special education data report for the 2018-19 school year: New York City continues to fall short when it comes to educating its... Continue reading
School Transportation Demands Urgent Attention
11.01.19 | Today, Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to the release of the New York City Department of Education’s transportation data report for the 2018-19 school year:Last year, we joined many others in calling on the DOE to take bold action to build a school bus... Continue reading
AFC in the News
State program for toddlers with disabilities falls short in NYC’s poorest neighborhoods: report
12.5.19 | NY Daily News | Only 61% of Bronx families got their assigned early intervention services in the legal 30-day deadline, according to the report by nonprofits Advocates for Children and Citizens’ Committee for Children – the lowest rate of any borough.The shortfalls result from shrinking public funding for the private agencies that offer... Continue reading
Access to Child Services Link to Race, Neighborhood and Income, Analysis Finds
12.5.19 | THE CITY | A new analysis building on city health records previously obtained by Measure of America and THE CITY finds that kids referred to special education evaluations are least likely to get screenings in low-income neighborhoods where most residents are people of color.Those neighborhoods are also overrepresented among those where... Continue reading
Over 100,000 Homeless: How to Combat a Crisis Among New York City Students
11.27.19 | NY1| Errol Louis discussed the homelessness crisis in the city's public schools with two advocates, Raysa Rodriguez, of the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, and Randi Levine, of Advocates for Children. Watch video Continue reading
State lawmakers pressed to fully fund public schools through Foundation Aid
11.20.19 | amNewYork | Education advocates urged lawmakers to push to fully fund ‘foundation’ aid during a round-table discussion at Bayside High School in Queens on Tuesday. The meeting was the last of five round tables held to discuss school needs before a Dec. 3 state senate public hearing on the impact of the foundation aid formula. The... Continue reading