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Governor Cuomo Announces $10.9 Million in Grants for After School Programs Statewide

Written by Long Island News & PR  |  18. July 2014

Albany, NY - July 18, 2014 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $10.9 million in new grants for 68 Advantage After School Programs (AASPs) across New York State, providing thousands of school-age children with quality youth development opportunities for three hours at the end of each school day. The statewide programs reduce the burden on parents and guardians who work in the evenings and are proven to boost academic achievement, enrich relationships with their peers and increase school attendance.
 
“By funding these afterschool programs, we are ensuring that children in communities across the State have access to learning opportunities and cultural exposure that will further their development for years to come,” Governor Cuomo said. “Our administration is focused on providing exceptional learning environments to students, from Pre-K through college, and supporting exercises that are proven to enhance their learning experience is the right thing to do. After school programs play a major role in enriching the lives of children, and this funding to Advantage After School Programs is a wise investment for New York’s future."
 
AASPs offer a broad range of educational, recreational, cultural, and age-appropriate activities that integrate what happens in the school day. Programs operate five days per week during the regular school year, and may also operate during school breaks or extend hours into the early evening. AASPs are supported by school, community, and public-private partnerships, and involve youth and their families in planning and implementation. Additionally, the programs integrate lessons learned throughout the school day with less formal learning experiences, and encourage the active participation of children, youth and families in the design and delivery of program activities.
 
The contracts, administered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), are scheduled to begin September.
 
OCFS Acting Commissioner Sheila J. Poole said, “Investing in children through community school-based programs like Advantage After School is critical for their continuing social, emotional and academic development. This continued funding demonstrates the Governor’s commitment to New York’s working parents and the importance of providing meaningful opportunities for students statewide.”
 
Congresswoman Nita Lowey said, “After school programs offer children a stimulating environment to learn and grow, but also give working families the peace of mind that their children are in a safe, stable environment while parents are finishing their work day. As the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, sponsor of the first federal after school program, and co-chair of the Congressional Afterschool Caucus, I have made it a priority to ensure strong federal funding for after school programs, TANF, and other important programs like Head Start and Early Head Start. This is a smart investment, and I will continue to fight for these critical investments in New York and the Lower Hudson Valley.”
 
The AASP was created to help provide New York’s children with educational, interesting and fun activities to fill the vital three-hour gap directly after school. A growing body of research shows that children who participate in quality after school programs have higher school attendance and academic achievement, and are less likely to be involved in risky behaviors after school hours. Additionally, studies have found that children who attend quality after school programs have better relationships with their peers, fewer behavioral and emotional problems, better grades and fewer absences from school than their peers who are unsupervised after school.
 
AASPs are funded primarily through state funds and a contribution of federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds. The funds were awarded following a competitive Request for Proposal process with regional allocations based on the number of children aged five through 17 residing in each OCFS-designated region and in the five boroughs of New York City, according to the 2010 Census.
 
Of the total number of programs awarded grants, OCFS is funding 16 programs designated as NYS Community Schools and/or applicants located in Community, Opportunity, Reinvestment (CORe) neighborhoods. Governor Cuomo launched the NYS Community Schools initiative in 2013, a statewide program that is transforming schools in distressed communities into hubs for a wide range of support services for children and their families, including health care, counseling, nutrition, and job preparation services. He proposed the CORe initiative to better align State support with local needs while supporting successful community-based efforts, allowing the State to better allocate resources to make measurable and sustained progress in improving high-need communities.
 
The 2014 awardees are as follows:

Organization Name

County

Amount Awarded

Booker T. Washington Community Center

Cayuga

$171,875

Booker T. Washington Community Center

Cayuga

$171,875

Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh

Orange

$144,375

Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo

Erie

$200,305

Bronx House, Inc.

Bronx

$110,000

CAMBA, Inc.

Kings

$115,104

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany

Rensselaer

$110,000

Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc.

Chautauqua

$158,125

Child Center of NY, Inc.

Queens

$56,733

Children's Aid Society

Bronx

$199,530

Children's Aid Society

Richmond

$137,500

Circulo De la Hispanidad

Nassau

$178,350

Community Improvement Council, Inc.

Rockland

$195,000

Community Place of Greater Rochester

Monroe

$55,000

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County

Jefferson

$103,125

Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc.

Suffolk

$219,832

Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc.

Suffolk

$216,435

Family Residences and Essential Enterprises

Suffolk

$143,708

Family Service Society, Inc.

Steuben

$103,125

Family Service, Inc.

Dutchess

$158,125

Family Services of Westchester, Inc.

Westchester

$144,375

Family YMCA of Tarrytown

Westchester

$68,714

Footings,Inc.

Sullivan

$136,843

Gateway Youth Outreach

Nassau

$219,770

Good Shepherd Services

Kings

$220,000

Good Shepherd Services

Kings

$220,000

Harlem-Dowling West Side Ctr. Chn

New York

$182,489

Hispanic Brotherhood of Rockville Center, Inc.

Nassau

$55,000

Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement

Queens

$165,000

Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, Inc.

Queens

$66,997

Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York

Suffolk

$86,895

Maspeth Town Hall, Inc.

Queens

$110,000

Maspeth Town Hall, Inc.

Queens

$137,500

Mental Health Association of Columbia and Greene Counties

Columbia

$206,081

Mental Health Association of Columbia and Greene Counties

Greene

$101,685

Mental Health Association of Fulton & Montgomery Counties, Inc.

Fulton

$220,000

Mental Health Association of Fulton & Montgomery Counties, Inc.

Montgomery

$133,419

NIA Community Services Network

Kings

$220,000

NIA Community Services Network

Queens

$220,000

Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.

Oswego

$220,000

Parsons Child & Family Center

Albany

$61,875

Partnership for Results, Inc.

Cayuga

$220,000

People and Possibilities

Niagara

$220,000

Police Athletic League, Inc.

New York

$171,875

Police Athletic League, Inc.

Richmond

$123,750

Project Most

Suffolk

$137,500

Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, Inc.

Kings

$206,250

Riverdale Community Center

Bronx

$171,875

Rochester Area Community Foundation Initiatives, Inc.

Monroe

$220,000

SCAN-NY Volunteer Parent Aides Assoc.

Bronx

$220,000

SCO Family of Services

Kings

$220,000

Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation

New York

$220,000

Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation

Queens

$171,875

St. Nicks Alliance Corporation

Kings

$137,500

The Childrens Village

Westchester

$165,000

The Friends of Addison Youth Center

Steuben

$92,125

The Salvation Army

Kings

$192,500

Utica Safe Schools Healthy Students Partnership, Inc.

Oneida

$145,784

Wayne County Action Program

Wayne

$126,041

Wayne County Action Program

Wayne

$151,250

Wellcore, Inc.

Rockland

$175,753

West Islip Youth Enrichment Services, Inc.

Suffolk

$220,000

West Islip Youth Enrichment Services, Inc.

Suffolk

$220,000

Westchester Jewish Community Services

Westchester

$171,875

YMCA Greater NY-Ridgewood Branch

Queens

$198,000

YMCA of Jamestown, New York

Chautauqua

$107,102

YMCA of Olean

Cattaraugus

$192,500

Young Athletes, Inc.

Bronx

$165,000

TOTAL

 

$10,908,320

 
About OCFS
OCFS serves New York by promoting the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, families, and communities, and regulates more than 21,000 child care providers with a capacity for more than 708,000 children. For more information, visit ocfs.ny.gov, “like” the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Facebook page, or follow @NYSOCFS on Twitter. OCFS also maintains a Spanish-language Twitter account, @NYSOCFS_espanol.

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