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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Paula Magnus, Deputy Director of Northside Center for Child Development
5:27:50
ยท
137 sec
Paula Magnus from Northside Center for Child Development highlights the urgent need for increased funding and support for at-risk children in New York City, emphasizing the critical financial deficits faced by their ACS prevention and DYCD after-school programs. She urges the city to adopt a full cost funding model to ensure financial stability for organizations providing essential services to vulnerable youth.
- Northside Center's ACS program served 570 at-risk youth, with 96% staying safe at home, but faced a $1.1 million shortfall
- Their DYCD-funded after-school program for ages 5-12 is also losing money despite providing a safe, enriching environment
- Magnus requests that the council, particularly Chairman Stevens, ensure continued funding and cover increased costs for these vital programs
Paula Magnus
5:27:50
Good afternoon.
5:27:51
I'm Paula Magnus, deputy director at Northside Center for Child Development where we are a mental health and educational center serving at risk children in Harlem and throughout New York City.
5:28:02
We know the stark reality, thousands of New York City children struggling in poverty, unsafe conditions, and all that you've heard thus far.
5:28:10
A health study revealed alarming rates of clinical depression, anxiety, and loneliness among young people with significant impacts on their daily lives.
5:28:21
We witnessed this struggle firsthand in our ACS prevention and DYC after school and summer programs, yet we face critical financial deficits in both programs.
5:28:34
We urge the city to recognize that investing in the safety, the future, and the mental health support for the well-being of at risk children is not just a priority, it is a fundamental responsibility.
5:28:49
We respect and request that the city move towards a model of full cost funding of programs providing quality efficient services ensuring that organizations like those you've heard from today and Northside is financially stable so we can continue to effectively protect and support our children.
5:29:12
For the last two years in our ACS program, we've served five seventy at risk youth.
5:29:18
96 of them have stayed safe in their homes.
5:29:22
The cost of the program, 5,600,000.0.
5:29:26
How much we were reimbursed, 4,500,000.0 which meant a shortfall of 1,100,000.0.
5:29:33
Similarly, our DYCD funded after school program, ages five to 12, Urban children are at risk if they're unattracted with things to do that's beneficial for them, they're at risk.
5:29:47
This program provides a safe enriching environment for our children.
5:29:51
Again, we're losing money on that program so we request that the council and you Chairman Stevens as you go forward to encourage that funding stays there and that we get the advancements and the increased cost to be covered as needed.
5:30:07
Thank you very much.