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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Chelsea Baytemur, Director of Policy and Advocacy at YMCA of Greater New York
10:12:00
ยท
3 min
Chelsea Baytemur from the YMCA of Greater New York advocates for baseline funding of critical education programs in NYC's budget. She emphasizes the importance of early childhood education and community schools, highlighting the YMCA's role in providing these services and the need for sustainable funding.
- Calls for baseline funding for programs like Learning to Work, Summer Rising, 3-K, community schools, preschool special education classes, and restorative justice
- Highlights the YMCA's early childhood programs serving nearly 1,000 children with waitlists at over half of their sites
- Emphasizes the crucial role of community schools in providing support beyond academics, especially during crises like the pandemic and Bronx fire tragedy
Chelsea Baytemur
10:12:00
Good evening, everyone.
10:12:01
My name is Chelsea Betamore, and I am director of policy and advocacy with the YMCA.
10:12:07
First and foremost, a huge thank you to you, chair Joseph, for your tireless advocacy and partnership in securing critical investment for our school communities.
10:12:15
A huge thank you to our finance and committee staff, the sergeants, and all of the students that came straight from school and patiently waited to share their stories with us.
10:12:23
I'm gonna sound like a broken record, but we're gonna break the record.
10:12:26
It's fine.
10:12:28
The YMCA of Greater New York is committed to empowering youth, improving health, and strengthening community.
10:12:34
With 24 YMCA branches and more than 100 community sites across New York City, the Y is amongst the city's largest providers of human services spanning from infancy to older adult and an important anchor, convener, and catalyst for transformational change in our communities.
10:12:50
We are a proud member of CIF, CCSE, C4C, and we stand with everything that our colleagues said.
10:12:56
So while the mayor's preliminary budget continued funding to support programs like Learning to Work and Summer Rising, this was only for one year, and we need the city to baseline these programs.
10:13:06
Others such as three k, community schools, preschool special education classes, restorative justice, and more will expire at the June if our city leaders do not act now.
10:13:16
Specifically, the YMCA's early childhood programs serve nearly a thousand children, and the need continues to increase across the city with the Y having a wait list at more than half of our program sites.
10:13:27
Early childhood education is a vital part of New York City's social and economic ecosystem as it allows parents and guardians to go to work, supports the development and enrichment of children, and enhances the quality of life for some of our most vulnerable communities.
10:13:41
To sustain these ecosystems, CBOs like ours need seamless support from our agency partners, meaning fully staffed divisions, clear and timely communication, designated points of contact, and secure long term funding.
10:13:54
Secondly, I wanna bring up community schools.
10:13:57
So the YMCA operates 10 community schools across the city, each dedicated to setting students on the path to success by fostering essential life skills, community engagement, and leadership development.
10:14:08
Beyond academics, like Sarah mentioned before, community school providers play a crucial role in delivering real time support and solutions to families in the time of crisis.
10:14:18
So during the onset of the pandemic, they were amongst the first responders providing essentials such as food, clothing, translation services, and electronic devices for remote learning.
10:14:27
They also mobilized aid for families affected by the Bronx fire tragedy and continue to support our most vulnerable student populations as we face attacks from Washington.
10:14:37
Community schools are more than educational institutions.
10:14:40
They are a pillar of stability that extend beyond the classroom walls.
10:14:44
Any gap in funding for these programs, no matter the scale, threaten the remarkable progress community schools have made in improving student attendance, supporting social and emotional well-being, and connecting families to critical resources such as food and health care.
10:14:58
Budgets reflect their priorities.
10:14:59
A budget without secure sustainable funding for education sends a clear message to students, families, and educators, and nonprofits that our futures are not a priority.
10:15:08
So we urge the administration to baseline these programs in the executive budget.
10:15:11
And to quote you, chair, the word of the day is baseline.