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Q&A
Council member inquires about Making Waves program funding and management transfer
4:13:41
·
160 sec
Council Member Althea Stevens questions DYCD representatives about the additional $27,000 baseline funding for the Making Waves program starting in FY 2026 and the transfer of the program's contract management to DYCD. DYCD officials explain the program's history, its impact on teaching swimming to young people, and the shift in management responsibilities.
- The Making Waves program has served over 13,000 young people in its 10-year existence, primarily children under 9.
- DYCD will now manage the contract directly starting July 1, taking over from DOHMH.
- The program includes both summer swimming lessons and winter lifeguard certification efforts.
Althea Stevens
4:13:41
I'm going to move on to making waive contract transfer.
4:13:44
The executive budget included an additional 7,200, I mean $27,000 baseline funding starting in fiscal twenty twenty six.
4:13:55
How is this additional funding for this program being used?
Alan Cheng
4:14:06
This is you
Althea Stevens
4:14:07
too?
4:14:08
This oh.
Keith Howard
4:14:09
This is me
Darryl Rattray
4:14:10
too.
4:14:11
Believe Chad Stephens, Making Waves is an one an amazing program that's been around.
4:14:16
This is actually the tenth year of the existence of the program.
4:14:21
We work closely with DOHMH and with New York City Public Schools.
4:14:25
The program teaches young people throughout the summer months how to swim.
4:14:30
So we have young people going from zero experience swimming to level one, level two, level three.
4:14:37
Over the course of the ten years, we've served over 13,000 young people which the majority of those 13,000 have been under the age of nine.
4:14:49
The budget goes towards the provider who actually implements the swim lessons throughout the summer.
4:14:58
They're called MVP swimmers which stands for making very proficient swimmers.
4:15:05
There's another component just lastly, there's another component to this which is throughout from January to June, they're actually trying to certify young adults to become lifeguards.
Althea Stevens
4:15:15
Is this contract transferred to DYCD to manage our making waste program?
Darryl Rattray
4:15:22
So yes.
4:15:23
In the past, we've been one of the three partners implementing and the transfer over to us this fiscal year starting July 1 is for us to help manage.
4:15:32
Managing yeah.
4:15:33
Help manage the contract and the coordination.
Althea Stevens
4:15:35
And you guys have always managed the contracts and coordination?
Darryl Rattray
4:15:38
DOHMH took a larger role in the coordination of it, but we our role of course is bringing our young people, ensuring that the scheduling is right, connecting with New York City public schools on which pools are open, and then doing that scheduling coordination.
4:15:52
So we while they were the the lead in managing, we did a huge part in that as well.
Althea Stevens
4:15:59
And so is it different this year?
4:16:00
Are you guys gonna be taking more of a lead role?
Darryl Rattray
4:16:03
Yes.
4:16:04
And the contract now sits with us starting July 1.
4:16:07
So before the contract sat with the it now sits with us directly.
Althea Stevens
4:16:11
Yeah.
4:16:11
That's what we were confused by.
4:16:12
Because I was like, what's happening?
4:16:13
Okay.
4:16:16
Y'all got a lot going on.
Darryl Rattray
4:16:18
All for the benefit of young people, young adults, and families.