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UNH’s petition calling on Mayor Adams to increase funding for afterschool garnered over 2300 signatures from teachers, parents, supporters, and community members. UNH staff hand delivered these petitions to the Mayor's office at City Hall on March 20 before delivering testimony to the NYC Council’s Committee for Children and Youth Services. UNH is leading a campaign to increase funding after more than a decade-long disinvestment in afterschool programming has pushed the system to a breaking point. With contracts expiring, the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) is asking providers of COMPASS and SONYC programs to sign a contract extension without additional funding. If providers do not sign, they risk losing their afterschool programs, but if they do sign, it sets them up for two more years of insufficient funding. UNH will continue to fight for better afterschool rates in the months ahead. |
The Rundown |
Settlement House Priorities in the New York State One House BudgetsThe New York State Senate and Assembly officially announced their budget priorities for their upcoming three-way negotiations with the Governor in documents they call “One House Budgets.” Now, both houses and the Governor must negotiate a budget by the April 1 deadline. UNH, along with several advocacy partners, has lobbied, testified, and rallied in support of funding for several settlement house priorities that were included in the Senate and Assembly’s priorities. We continue to lobby for funding for the Settlement House Program, afterschool programming, Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), child care and human service workers, food insecurity programs, and the Working Families Tax Credit. While funding for these programs is not guaranteed in the final budget, it’s a promising sign. Please join us in our advocacy work to ensure that this funding makes it into the adopted budget. |
Preliminary Budget TestimoniesAs part of our city advocacy work, UNH wrote and delivered several budget testimonies that highlight the importance of funding restorations for key programs and services that were cut or left out of the Mayor’s FY26 preliminary budget. These testimonies include: In the coming weeks, the City Council will release their preliminary budget response, and next month, Mayor Adams will release his Executive Budget. UNH will review the Executive Budget and finalize our budget advocacy campaign priorities. This process culminates at the end of June, when the Mayor and City Council agree on a final budget prior to July 1. |
Advocating for 2-Care2-Care, the campaign to expand universal care to two-year-olds led by UNH and New Yorkers United for Child Care (NYUC), made significant strides this past month. An op-ed co-authored by Nora Moran, UNH’s Director of Policy & Advocacy, and Rebecca Baillin, Executive Director of New Yorkers United for Childcare, was published in amNY, highlighting the urgent need for expanded care. Additionally, UNH and NYUC hosted a rally at City Hall, calling for 2-Care to be funded in the City budget and the restoration of cuts to existing early childhood programs for 3- and 4-year olds. Advocates, concerned parents, and their young children joined together to speak out for universal child care for all ages. See NBC4 New York. |
Upcoming Advocacy OpportunitiesHere are some upcoming advocacy opportunities that you may be interested in: Ranked Choice Refresher Workshops (UNH) - March 27, April 16, May 20 #Justpay Emergency Email Action (#Justpay) - March 31 to April 4 SNAP Minimum Benefit Calls (Feeding NYS) - March 24 to March 28 |
What We Are Reading |
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UNH Executive Director Susan Stamler was quoted in a New York Times piece covering the need to fund a critical childcare voucher program for low-income families in New York. The City & Chalkbeat covered the impact that cuts to the Department of Education would have on New York City schools. Fingerlakes1 quoted Tara Klein, Deputy Director of Policy & Advocacy at UNH, discussing the need for the Working Families Tax Credit. Council Member Shahana Hanif published an op-ed in NY Daily News supporting 2-Care. Council Member Crystal Hudson and LiveOn NY executive director Allison Nickerson discussed in Brooklyn Paper the need to fund services for older New Yorkers as its population continues to grow. Educational Alliance President and CEO Rich Baum had his op-ed published in the NY Daily News, discussing the importance of settlement houses, especially during turbulent times. |
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Upcoming Primary Dates: June 14: Deadline to register to vote & to apply for a mail-in ballot June 14 – 22: Early voting period June 24: Primary Election Day & last day to postmark a mail-in ballot |
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