Come summer, 2,400 children in the borough will lose access to their mainstays outside of school.
Officials have told the Queens Community House at J.H.S. 190 and the Samuel Field Y at M.S. 158 that due to budget cuts, they must close their doors on July 1.
“The constant attacks on day care and after-school programs have to stop,” said Councilmember Donovan Richards. “Every time a new budget is proposed, the children are the first to suffer.”
Elected officials rallied together with parents, kids and the Campaign for Children on Wednesday, April 24 against $130 million in citywide cuts to after-school and child care programs proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The cuts are poised to affect more than 47,000 children total.
“Children are so important to us,” said Borough President Helen Marshall. “The world is theirs. We want these centers to stay opened.”
Those gathered on the steps of Borough Hall urged Bloomberg to fully fund the programs in his Executive Budget, which is expected to come out this month. If the cuts are not reversed, thousands of children will lose access to the programs, which advocates say “provide critical educational opportunities.”
“I hope they get the mayor to stop from cutting our program because after-school really works,” said Jordon Taylor, 12, a student at P.S./I.S. 116 Q. “Without it I’ll just go home, do homework and it’ll just be boring.”
Cutting the programs will also mean parents have to find a safe place for their children while the mothers and fathers work.
“All working parents need a trustworthy place for their children,” said Marisol Pagan, a single mom who works full-time and relies on an after-school program at P.S. 50 for her first grader son. “Without after-school, where will my child go while I am at work? For families in need, these services help us stay out of poverty and reach our goals.”
“If we love our children, we should find programs for them,” said Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer. “We should never propose to cut the programs that help educate children. We need to do more after-school, not less.”
