Children and Parents Will Take City Hall Steps on May 2 to Demand More Funding for After-School Programs

April 28, 2006

Rally will highlight continuing need for After-School funding in New York City

When:
Tuesday, May 2, 2006
4 pm (to 4:45 pm)

Where:
City Hall Steps

What:
100 children, parents and providers are expected at rally for after-school funding.

Who:
Gail Brewer, City Council Member from Manhattan will speak.
David Weprin, City Council Member, Chair of the Finance Committee.
A parent, Regina Little, from Children’s Aid Society Community School 61 in the Bronx, will be available to discuss the value of after-school with the media.

Why:
Rally to ensure that good quality after-school programs are available to all New York City youth. After-school programs have been demonstrated to raise test scores, prevent drug abuse, teen pregnancy and juvenile crime (juvenile crime skyrockets between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m.). After-school programs provide safe, supervised activities for the children of working parents, provide youth with opportunities that may not be otherwise available to them, prepare young people for the workforce, and build stronger communities. After-school, or out-of-school time (OST), programs also provide vital additional academic supports many children need.

Background:
At least 300,000 children ages 10-19 in New York City need after-school programs but do not receive them. The CASF’s financial request of New York City is at least 100 million new dollars over the next three years, beginning in Fiscal Year 2007.

CASF media contact at rally: Michelle Mitchell, 917-558-7337 (cell)

Children’s Aid contact at rally: Emily Crossan, 201-344-5742 (cell)