Brooklyn parents upset over loss of free after-school program funding

NEW YORK — On the first day of school Thursday, parents in southern Brooklyn were scrambling to find free after-school options for their kids following a change in the state’s grant program.
Alex Chojnowski is heavily involved in his daughter’s education at P.S. 216, so when he learned that the free program they relied on will not be funded this year, he was left with two options: pay out of pocket or find another child care solution.
“This program’s going about $3,500 to $4,000 per per child,” he said. “Right away, if you do the math, you’re talking about, if somebody has three children in the school for after school, you’re talking about over $10,000.”
Chojnowski is one of many parents who reached out to elected officials after learning that program providers that they relied on were not awarded funding from the state’s Office of Children and Family Services.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes says his office, along with fellow state lawmakers, have spent weeks looking for answers.
“Bewilderingly enough, you know, the state can’t even tell us which other providers are getting that funding instead,” Gounardes said. “In the past, there were two separate after-school grant programs that have been consolidated into one new grant program, with new criteria and new eligibility.”
Gounardes is joined by Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who said her office is trying to connect parents with local nonprofits or other provider organizations to find patchwork solutions.
“Principals are frantically trying to figure out what they’re going to do for their students. Parents are calling us really, really concerned,” she said.
Lawmakers say they know of at least 1,300 students impacted across 10 schools in Brooklyn and one in Queens. The state disputes those numbers, believing there are fewer impacted kids.
A spokesperson from OCFS responded in a statement that reads: “The New York State Office and Children and Family Services is committed to helping New Yorkers address their after-school and child care needs. For any families who currently require assistance, we’re working with local elected officials to help these families access free or low-cost after-school care in their area by utilizing the state’s Child Care Assistance Program.”
Parents like Chojnowski are frustrated that the agency still has not released the list of program providers who have been approved.
“It’s not transparent. They don’t know until the monies have been allocated. Well, the process is taking too long,” he said.
Lawmakers say they believe the state is waiting until all the contracts have been signed, due to laws around contracting and procurement.
Despite that, stakeholders can’t help wondering why the process wasn’t completed before students went back to the classroom.
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