Advocates for Children of New York
@afcnewyork.bsky.social
NYC non-profit dedicated to protecting every child's right to learn. For 50+ years, we've worked with students at greatest risk for school-based discrimination. www.advocatesforchildren.org
Join the Coalition for Equitable Education Funding on Tuesday, December 9 at 6:30pm for a virtual teach-in on the city & state education budgets! Register to receive the zoom link: bit.ly/edbudgetteachin
November 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Join the Coalition for Equitable Education Funding on Tuesday, December 9 at 6:30pm for a virtual teach-in on the city & state education budgets! Register to receive the zoom link: bit.ly/edbudgetteachin
We're urging the City to act—before, during, and after detention or placement. Essential school-based interventions and behavioral & mental health supports can help prevent young people from being funneled into the legal system in the first place. @council.nyc.gov @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 3:53 PM
We're urging the City to act—before, during, and after detention or placement. Essential school-based interventions and behavioral & mental health supports can help prevent young people from being funneled into the legal system in the first place. @council.nyc.gov @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
Youth in detention or placement—who are overwhelmingly male, Black, and from low-income families—have complex educational needs that long predate their time in custody. Many are over-age for their grade, have unmet mental health needs, or have experienced significant trauma.
November 17, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Youth in detention or placement—who are overwhelmingly male, Black, and from low-income families—have complex educational needs that long predate their time in custody. Many are over-age for their grade, have unmet mental health needs, or have experienced significant trauma.
Education is key to breaking the cycle of homelessness, but our City is currently failing students in shelter. Ensuring NYC students who are homeless receive the support they need to be successful in school must be a top priority for the next Mayor.
October 21, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Education is key to breaking the cycle of homelessness, but our City is currently failing students in shelter. Ensuring NYC students who are homeless receive the support they need to be successful in school must be a top priority for the next Mayor.
For example: in 2023–24, two out of three students in shelter were chronically absent. This school year, AFC has worked with families whose children have already missed an *entire month of school* because of the lack of coordination between the shelter and school systems.
October 20, 2025 at 1:05 PM
For example: in 2023–24, two out of three students in shelter were chronically absent. This school year, AFC has worked with families whose children have already missed an *entire month of school* because of the lack of coordination between the shelter and school systems.
🆕 For the tenth year in a row, more than 100K @nycschools.bsky.social students experienced homelessness during the last school year—with the number topping 150K students for the first time. advocatesforchildren.org/policy-resou...
October 20, 2025 at 1:02 PM
🆕 For the tenth year in a row, more than 100K @nycschools.bsky.social students experienced homelessness during the last school year—with the number topping 150K students for the first time. advocatesforchildren.org/policy-resou...
Had a great time joining so many other New Yorkers at today’s Disability Pride Parade to celebrate equity, inclusion, and disability pride! ♿️
October 19, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Had a great time joining so many other New Yorkers at today’s Disability Pride Parade to celebrate equity, inclusion, and disability pride! ♿️
Proud to join elected leaders, parents, students, and advocates in standing up for transgender students. Equity for ALL students!
September 30, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Proud to join elected leaders, parents, students, and advocates in standing up for transgender students. Equity for ALL students!
“The bus service Zayan has had so far this year has gotten in the way of his education, not supported it. His current bus route has him travelling nearly *three hours* each way to his school that is less than 3 miles away from our home.” — Taslima, parent of a kindergartener with an IEP
September 22, 2025 at 4:57 PM
“The bus service Zayan has had so far this year has gotten in the way of his education, not supported it. His current bus route has him travelling nearly *three hours* each way to his school that is less than 3 miles away from our home.” — Taslima, parent of a kindergartener with an IEP
🚍 With parents, advocates, electeds, and @newyorkappleseed.bsky.social at City Hall calling for better busing now! We need service that gets students to school on time, every time. Thank you @advocate.nyc.gov @nyccomptroller.bsky.social @cmrestler.bsky.social for standing with us!
September 22, 2025 at 4:55 PM
🚍 With parents, advocates, electeds, and @newyorkappleseed.bsky.social at City Hall calling for better busing now! We need service that gets students to school on time, every time. Thank you @advocate.nyc.gov @nyccomptroller.bsky.social @cmrestler.bsky.social for standing with us!
Join The Road to Better Busing Coalition, parents, students, educators, and advocates, as we call on NYC leaders to fix our broken yellow bus system.
Date: Monday, September 22nd
Time: 12-1PM
Location: City Hall steps
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Date: Monday, September 22nd
Time: 12-1PM
Location: City Hall steps
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
September 15, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Join The Road to Better Busing Coalition, parents, students, educators, and advocates, as we call on NYC leaders to fix our broken yellow bus system.
Date: Monday, September 22nd
Time: 12-1PM
Location: City Hall steps
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Date: Monday, September 22nd
Time: 12-1PM
Location: City Hall steps
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
We're glad the city baselined $55M for preschool special education classes, but even with this funding, 600 children are waiting for a class and 7,000 are waiting for services like speech therapy. One of them is T., a child with cerebral palsy who's been out of school all year. @mayor.nyc.gov
June 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
We're glad the city baselined $55M for preschool special education classes, but even with this funding, 600 children are waiting for a class and 7,000 are waiting for services like speech therapy. One of them is T., a child with cerebral palsy who's been out of school all year. @mayor.nyc.gov
As of last month, 7,000+ preschoolers w/ disabilities were still waiting for needed services to start. One of them is A., a 4-yr-old in Queens who's gone the *entire school year* without ever receiving her mandated occupational therapy. That's time she can't get back. @mayor.nyc.gov @council.nyc.gov
June 25, 2025 at 2:46 PM
As of last month, 7,000+ preschoolers w/ disabilities were still waiting for needed services to start. One of them is A., a 4-yr-old in Queens who's gone the *entire school year* without ever receiving her mandated occupational therapy. That's time she can't get back. @mayor.nyc.gov @council.nyc.gov
Preschool special education isn't optional. Children with disabilities have a legal right to these services, and the City must do more to make that right a reality—starting by investing an additional $70M in this year's budget. @mayor.nyc.gov @council.nyc.gov @justinbrannan.bsky.social
June 24, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Preschool special education isn't optional. Children with disabilities have a legal right to these services, and the City must do more to make that right a reality—starting by investing an additional $70M in this year's budget. @mayor.nyc.gov @council.nyc.gov @justinbrannan.bsky.social
It shouldn’t take months for preschoolers like Rayne Hawkins’ son to get the special education classes & services they need—and have a legal right to receive. We need @mayor.nyc.gov @council.nyc.gov to add at least $70M for preschool special education services to this year’s budget.
June 23, 2025 at 7:15 PM
It shouldn’t take months for preschoolers like Rayne Hawkins’ son to get the special education classes & services they need—and have a legal right to receive. We need @mayor.nyc.gov @council.nyc.gov to add at least $70M for preschool special education services to this year’s budget.
As of May, 7,000 NYC preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for needed services. One of them is M., a 3-K student who's been waiting for speech therapy *all year.* More than 80 orgs are calling on @mayor.nyc.gov @council.nyc.gov to add $70M to the FY26 budget to help close this gap.
June 23, 2025 at 1:19 AM
As of May, 7,000 NYC preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for needed services. One of them is M., a 3-K student who's been waiting for speech therapy *all year.* More than 80 orgs are calling on @mayor.nyc.gov @council.nyc.gov to add $70M to the FY26 budget to help close this gap.
C., a pre-K student in Brooklyn, should've been getting speech therapy as soon as school started last September. But because @nycschools.bsky.social couldn't find any available providers, he had to wait until January for this critical service. 7,000 preschoolers are still waiting.
June 21, 2025 at 3:23 PM
C., a pre-K student in Brooklyn, should've been getting speech therapy as soon as school started last September. But because @nycschools.bsky.social couldn't find any available providers, he had to wait until January for this critical service. 7,000 preschoolers are still waiting.
3-year-old Z. aged out of Early Intervention in December but wasn't able to start preschool until May because @nycschools.bsky.social didn't have any seats in the type of special education class she needed. 3-K & Pre-K aren't “for all” if children with disabilities are left out.
June 20, 2025 at 4:48 PM
3-year-old Z. aged out of Early Intervention in December but wasn't able to start preschool until May because @nycschools.bsky.social didn't have any seats in the type of special education class she needed. 3-K & Pre-K aren't “for all” if children with disabilities are left out.
As of last month, 7,000 NYC preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for needed services. One of them is A., who was supposed to start receiving occupational therapy in March—but has yet to have a *single session* of this service.
June 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
As of last month, 7,000 NYC preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for needed services. One of them is A., who was supposed to start receiving occupational therapy in March—but has yet to have a *single session* of this service.
As of last month, more than 600 preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for a seat in a preschool special education class. One of them is S., a 4-year-old with autism who spent eight months sitting at home without a class or *any* of her legally mandated services.
June 17, 2025 at 5:54 PM
As of last month, more than 600 preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for a seat in a preschool special education class. One of them is S., a 4-year-old with autism who spent eight months sitting at home without a class or *any* of her legally mandated services.
As of last month, 7,000 NYC preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for needed services. One of them is S.P., a 4-year-old with a neurological disability who's been waiting for speech and occupational therapies *all year.*
!["When [my son] transitioned from Early Intervention into preschool special education, he was approved for speech and occupational therapy through his IEP. Unfortunately, we have been waiting over a year for these legally mandated services to begin. In the meantime, I’ve been doing everything I can to support [him] at home, [but] as a parent, I cannot replace the professional, specialized services he is entitled to by law."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:zvr64n6ntrtsnkkmd2svc76h/bafkreibgfmx7tkbf76okj2ivjdddnvxnndnoevf2e4w6yxhia6ql564pse@jpeg)
June 16, 2025 at 9:40 PM
As of last month, 7,000 NYC preschoolers with disabilities were waiting for needed services. One of them is S.P., a 4-year-old with a neurological disability who's been waiting for speech and occupational therapies *all year.*
Last week, we rallied with parents, students, advocates, @advocate.nyc.gov, @galeabrewer.bsky.social, and CM Rita Joseph to say that all must mean ALL. Programs are not universal if students with disabilities are left out!
June 11, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Last week, we rallied with parents, students, advocates, @advocate.nyc.gov, @galeabrewer.bsky.social, and CM Rita Joseph to say that all must mean ALL. Programs are not universal if students with disabilities are left out!
TODAY at 10:30am: Join elected officials, parents, students, educators, & advocates to make clear that programs are not universal if students with disabilities are left out. NYC must address the shortage of preschool special education services, accessible schools, & afterschool busing/support.
June 5, 2025 at 12:28 PM
TODAY at 10:30am: Join elected officials, parents, students, educators, & advocates to make clear that programs are not universal if students with disabilities are left out. NYC must address the shortage of preschool special education services, accessible schools, & afterschool busing/support.
3-K & Pre-K are NOT for All while 600 children are waiting for seats in preschool special education classes & 7,000 preschoolers are waiting for legally mandated services. After-school can't be for All without bus service for students with disabilities. Rally with us tomorrow: bit.ly/AllMeansALL
June 4, 2025 at 11:52 PM
3-K & Pre-K are NOT for All while 600 children are waiting for seats in preschool special education classes & 7,000 preschoolers are waiting for legally mandated services. After-school can't be for All without bus service for students with disabilities. Rally with us tomorrow: bit.ly/AllMeansALL
Join elected officials, parents, students, & advocates on 6/5 to make clear that programs are not universal if students with disabilities are left out. NYC must address the shortage of preschool special ed services, accessible schools, & afterschool busing/support. Register: bit.ly/AllMeansALL
June 4, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Join elected officials, parents, students, & advocates on 6/5 to make clear that programs are not universal if students with disabilities are left out. NYC must address the shortage of preschool special ed services, accessible schools, & afterschool busing/support. Register: bit.ly/AllMeansALL