Concern about possible cuts to early childhood education programs

The city’s Department of Education reports that for fiscal year 2024, which ends in June, there are 75 thousand places for early childhood or pre-school education and 53 thousand places for 3K programs, which benefit from stimulus funds due to the pandemic. of the federal government.

Aid for these programs expires at the end of June and with the cuts announced by Mayor Adams these programs would be affected, according to Councilwoman Jennifer Gutiérrez.

-How could it affect, if there are cuts?

“Yes, the truth is, then there are cuts regarding the 3K program for the traditional day, which is from eight to three and then ‘Extended Day’, which are for certain families that qualify based on their income, which is 3 to 6 or 3 to 5 more or less. And if you imagine, most of us who work, do not stop working at 02:30, then that is programming, it is crucial, it is super important,” said the councilor.

Mayor Adams had announced that $170 million would be cut from early childhood education programs, which would take effect in the coming fiscal years.

At a preliminary hearing on the City Council’s fiscal year 2025 budget on March 18, Education Chancellor David Banks said cuts to early childhood are extremely harmful.

The chancellor emphasized that they share the concerns of parents regarding childhood education, a help that Kirsy Jiménez received when her son was 3 years old.

“He has helped me a lot when I was after school, because I worked very late and after five and he was looking for something to do in those programs,” said the mother. “He was always busy, he wasn’t on the street, no, he helped too much, really.”

Chancellor Banks said he is very confident that some budget cuts that endanger early childhood education programs could be reversed.

Zuleica Espinal’s son Jared is now 6 years old.

Spinal.

“Well, I think it is very important that they once again have the resources that they had, that were cut, because they are children and they will have more help in their knowledge and from the teachers, who will also have more effort in helping them.” “Espinal said.

We will have to wait and see if Banks’ confidence in reversing the cuts comes true, says Councilwoman Gutiérrez.

We are waiting for them to announce that there will be no cuts, because that will have an impact, that will have a tremendous impact on New Yorkers being able to go back to work, expand their families, and stay in the city. “So that’s why we advocate so strongly about this 3K thing,” the councilwoman said.

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