City Eliminating Kindergarten in Day Care Centers

and

Cutting Back UPK Services

Press Conference at City Hall

Wednesday April 22, 2009 at 12:00 Noon

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 kindergarten classrooms forcing over 3,300 young children to attend over-crowded public school kindergarten classes while day care centers have empty classrooms. Since most public schools do not have space for additional kindergarten classes, many children will be bussed out of their neighborhood. ACS needs to keep its kindergarten classrooms open to ensure that all of the ACS center children turning five this year can benefit from a full-day kindergarten education and year-round child care. Adding students into already overcrowded public schools will result in a substantial cost increase to the city.

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.  Cutting funding of day care centers is not only devastating to children but also contrary to UPK expansion initiatives by the New York City Council and the New York State Legislature.  We urge the City Council and State Legislature to call on the Mayor not to reduce city funds for UPK programs in day care and Head Start centers so UPK standards can be maintained.

To confirm attendance call 212-219-0022

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