DC 1707/Local 205 Action Team

Save Public Day Care Centers

Monday, March 23, 2009

Press Conference at City Hall 11:00 AM

Cuts to Day Care Centers Protested

ACS reducing city funds for UPK and eliminating kindergarten classes in day care programs

City Council Budget Hearing 12 Noon

ACS presenting 2009 budget cutting proposals

City Cutting Back UPK Funding:

The Administration for Children’s Services has notified day care centers that have Universal

Pre-Kindergarten contracts with the Department of Education that it is cutting its share of the center budgets as of February 1st.  Cutting funding retroactively of day care centers having UPK programs is grossly unfair and contrary to UPK expansion initiatives by the New York City Council and New York State Legislature.  This drastic reduction of early childhood education funds will not only reduce services to 4-year olds but force many centers to close.  We urge the City Council to call on ACS to continue providing city funds to these UPK programs so UPK standards can be maintained.

City Eliminating Kindergarten in Day Care Centers:

ACS is planning to stop serving 5-year-olds in its day care centers this fall and close all their kindergarten classrooms. If ACS goes through with this plan, it will force over 3,300 young children to attend over-crowded public school kindergarten classes, and leave their parents struggling to find child care for their 5-year-olds’ out-of-school hours.  It will have a devastating impact on the day care centers, leaving them with empty classrooms and putting them at risk of closing altogether.  ACS needs to keep its kindergarten classrooms open to ensure that all of the ACS center children turning five this year can get a good kindergarten education and the year-round child care that their parents need.

For more information contact: Neal Tepel: 646-591-6484