Good afternoon.

Welcome to today's New York City Council hearing for the Committee on Children and Youth.

At this time, please silence all phones and electronic devices.

If you wish to speak in today's hearing, please fill out an appearance card with one of the sergeants.

Moving forward, no one is to approach the day as chair.

You may begin.

Good afternoon and welcome to today's hearing on children and youth on the children and youth committee.

I'm Councilmember Althea Stevens, chair of the committee.

Thank you for joining us here today.

Where this committee will be evaluating DYCD's beacons and cornerstone program.

In addition to the oversight topic, we'll be also hearing the following resolutions.

Rezo 32, sponsored by Councilmember Banks, setting aside a portion of state revenue from state betting to support youth sports programs, upgrade community sports infrastructure, and expand access to recreational activities for young people.

Rezo 142, sponsored by Councilman Riley, calling for the establishment of the Center for Fatherhood Initiative under the Office of Children and Family Services.

Rezo 161, Deputy Speaker Williams calling for the establishment of baby bomb pilot program for foster youth.

Rezo 217, sponsored by Councilmember Hudson, calling for the regulation of false or misleading advertisement related to food products to be protected to protect children.

Reso 276, sponsored by Deputy Williams Speaker, which will create a targeted meaningful test guarantee income program for low-income individuals, young adults, and foster youth.

Reso 277 by Deputy Speaker Williams calling for the creation of a federally funded savings account for every child and RESO 278, also sponsored by Deputy Speaker Williams, calling for the management of funds and eligible child care bank accounts by the state controller.

Those are all the results we're hearing.

So now we'll actually get to what we're really here for.

For decades, Beacon and Cornerstone centers have served as trusted neighborhood institutions.

They provide young people and adults with safe spaces to learn, build relationships, develop skills, access support services, and engage with their communities.

Could I have some tissue?

Thank you.

Today there are 92 beacon programs and a hundred cornerstones programs operating throughout the city that serves tens of thousands of New Yorkers each year.

This number reflects a significant demand for accessible community-based programming and critical roles that those centers play.

Critical role that those centers play.

Those programs are particularly important at a time when many young people continue to reflect significant challenges as young people are experiencing extraordinary high rates of loneliness, anxiety, and social isolation.

Research consistently demonstrates that participation in structural community-based programs improve educational outcomes, strengthening social connections, support mental health, and promotes positive youth development.

At the same time, today's hearing provides an opportunity to assess whether our investments have kept the pace with the expectations we place on these programs.

The last comprehensive beacon procurement was issued in 2017 and the last cornerstone procurement was issued in 2015.

Since then, providers have continued to deliver services through contract renewals and extension, but providers have consistently raised concerns regarding funding levels, staffing challenges, security costs, and conditions of the facilities.

Many providers report that they are absorbing substantial costs beyond their contract awards to continue operating these vital programs.

As we look at the future, it is important that we evaluate whether providers have the resources necessary to meet the needs of the communities they serve.

We look forward to discussing DYCD's plan for future procurement, potential programming, expansion, and opportunities to strengthen community-based programs citywide.

Their testimony and testimony from community members will help inform how city can continue to support these critical community institutions.

Before we begin, I would like to thank committee staff, including senior and senior policy analyst, Elizabeth Arts, our senior committee counsel, um Rio.

Agasso Wall, for their hard work in preparing for this hearing, as well as my wonderful staff back at District 16.

I will now turn it over to committee council to swear in the administration.

Oh, I have another statement, have to read.

It's very long.

This is from Dr.

Natasha Williams.

Council Member.

Sorry, Tash Williams.

Committee on Children and Youth Hearing.

Statement on Reso 161 276, 277-278.

Wealthy inequalities have often been described as one of the defining process issues of our time.

However, while the wealth gap in our country and our city has reached alarming levels, we know those disproportionate are the result of deep rooted historical and systematic discrimination against some of the most marginalized community, particularly black and brown New Yorkers.

Still today, the medium household net worth for black families and 14 times lower than that of white families in New York.

This reality again is underscore by state, city, state, and federal government have long known.

And at a time failed failed equative at a time has failed to adequately address those who've been historically disadvantaged, have also been systematically denied meaningful opportunities to build financial security for themselves and future generations.

Despite long-standing barriers that continue to particularly um circle the cycle of poverty, lawmakers are every at every level of government introduced legislation aimed to narrowing the wealth gap.

One proposal that has gained significant attention is this creation of a so-called baby bond program.

Those programs establish government funded and manage savings accounts for newborns, helping create long-term financial assets that can be assessed in adulthood, accessed in adulthood.

Sponsored by assembly member Khalil Anderson, which would establish a baby bond pilot program for foster youth who disproportionately face financial instability in adulthood.

Also known as the American Opportunity Account Act, sponsored by Senator Cory Booker and Congresswoman Presley.

Reso 278 will call on New York State to pass Senate Bill S4564 and Assembly Bill A 6059 introduced by Senator Jamal Bailey and Assemblymember Michael Benedetto.

These bill will require the state to deposit a thousand dollars allocation into account managed by the controller.

Additionally, Resolution 278 will call on Congress to pass legislation creating a meaningful tease, tested guaranteed income program for low-income individuals, young adults, and foster care youth.

Research also shows that even small amounts of savings could have made your long-term impacts, including reducing the future state loan debt, lowering chronic financial stress, and increasing household wealth, with particularly um significant gains for black and Latino families.

Those findings make it clear that even modest investments in financial security can create meaningful generational changes.

We must continue to um advance serious conversation and bold policies that help close the wealth gap and expand opportunities for our young people.

Thank you.

Oh, thank you for being here, Councilmember Brewer.

Only the OGs are here.

I know, I know we're so blessed.

And let me tell you guys, ZYCD get ready because Councilmember Brewer is serious about these community centers.

So we will now hear testimony from the administration.

Before we begin, I will administer the affirmation.

Panelists please raise your right hand.

I will read the affirmation once, then call on each of you individually to respond.

Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before this committee, and to respond honestly to council member questions?

Thank you.

You may begin.

Okay.

That's close.

Let me know if you.

Oh, Mike, I can hear myself.

Good afternoon, Chair Stevens and members.

I think it's just this one.

Good afternoon, Chair Stevens and members of the Children and Youth Committee.

Bring it closer.

No, no worries.

Let me know if it's too loud.

Good afternoon, Chair Stevens and members of the Children and Youth Committee.

I am Wanda Asherill, Associate Commissioner of the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development.

I am joined by my by Theresa Harris, assistant assistant commissioner for community centers.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss DYCD's Beacon Cornerstone Community Centers.

DYCD's community centers include 92 beacon programs located in public schools across New York City and 100 Cornerstone programs operating in New York City Housing Authority developments.

They operate year-round in non-school hours during non-school hours on weekdays, weekends, and in the summer.

Each center transforms its host location into a resource for the whole community by offering an integrated range of programming tailored to local needs.

For all participants, especially youth, community centers offer a safe place to engage in recreational activities, discover new interests, acquire skills, and find opportunities to contribute to the community, guided and supported by program staff.

Centers provide activities and services for school age youth, families, and adults ages 22 years and older, including seniors.

In keeping with the original concept, programs make special efforts to engage hard to recruit youth and young adults for whom participation in activities that foster positive youth development, social emotional learning, SEL, and leadership skills are especially beneficial.

DYCD community centers have a broad reach.

In fiscal year 25, beacon programs served more than 62,000 youth and 17,000 adults.

Cornerstone programs range in size from smaller centers to large multi-purpose community spaces.

In fiscal year 25, Cornerstone Community Centers served over 21,000 young people and 6,700 adults.

DYCD monitors program performance and provides technical assistance to help programs reach their contract and community goals.

DYCity program managers make periodic on-site visits to programs to ensure that sites are welcoming, properly staffed, engaging the community, and operating at full capacity.

DYCity program managers also monitor whether enrollment and attendance are consistent with contracted levels and program goals.

DYCD's evaluation and monitoring system in DYCD Connect documents detailed program evaluations in four key sections: program practice, program compliance, administration, and outcomes and outputs.

If a program does not meet the established standards, DYCD may issue a strategic action plan or a corrective action plan and provides on-site coaching and capacity building resources if there are issues or indicators that need serious and formal correction.

This includes but is not limited to contract compliance, program quality, and outcomes and safety violations.

Beacon and Cornerstone Community Centers host specialized activities and participate in various citywide initiatives to support and enhance offerings to the community.

These include Saturday Night Lights, which is a sports program that has enhanced community center programming by offering young people year-round, free sports and enrichment activities on Saturday evenings.

The SNL program provides basketball, soccer, dance, and other sports and arts services in the community centers and schools, most of which are co-located in Beacon and Cornerstone programs.

There are 141 SNL programs throughout the city, of which 46 are located in Beacon and 50 are located in Cornerstone Community Centers.

In fiscal year 25, SNL programs served 4,424 participants.

We also offer mental health support services.

DY City participated in a pilot initiative in partnership with the mayor's Office of Community Mental Health to introduce new skills for program staff on mental health coping strategies they can use to work with young people.

In partnership with the New School Center for Global Mental Health, DY City facilitated the first adaptation and implementation of early adolescent skills for emotions, referred to ease, in the United States.

The intervention was specifically developed to provide a scalable, culturally adaptable and prevented and preventive model of care for youth experiencing symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, and other forms of psychological distress.

The Ease Initiative focused on Beacon and Cornerstone Community Centers by training center staff to support children in identifying and understanding their emotions, building on their strengths, and practicing a host of social and emotional learning skills.

Ease also supported caregivers in practicing active listening, positive discipline, spending quality time with their children and practicing self-care.

My New York Story is an intergenerational storytelling initiative developed in partnership with the New York City Department of Aging that brings together older adults and young people to build meaningful relationships through shared experiences, dialogue, and creative expression.

Over the course of a six-week program, participants engaged in guided storytelling workshops that encouraged them to explore themes of identity, resilience, community, and belonging while learning from one another's lived experiences.

The program culminated in a citywide celebration where young people and older adults showcased their stories and reflected on the connections they formed across generations.

In 2026, the program paired four DY City Cornerstone sites with neighboring older adult centers, including Eastchester Community Center, Cypress Hills, Pink Community Center, and Grand Street Settlement Roosevelt Community Center.

Through weekly workshops, participants strengthened intergenerational understanding, developed communication and leadership, and created a shared space where personal histories could be preserved and celebrated.

The culminating event highlighted the power of these connections and demonstrated how intergenerational programming can foster empathy, civic engagement, and foster communities across New York City.

Step it up.

Step It Up NYC's DY City's premier youth programming arts and social impact initiative, empowering young people to use dance, storytelling, and creative expression as tools for advocacy and community change.

More than a competition, step it up NYC challenges youth teams to develop original performances and accompanying social impact campaigns that address issues affecting their communities.

On June 4th, 2026, 10 finalist teams representing DYC funded Beacon, Cornerstone and Compass programs across New York City took stage at the historic United Palace before a crowd of 1,100 attendees to raise awareness about critical topics, including teen violence, domestic violence, incarceration, peer pressure, discrimination, and cyberbullying.

Through months of preparation, participants strengthened leadership, teamwork, public speaking, and civic engagement skills while amplifying youth voices on issues that matter most to them.

The 2020 2026 Step It Up Championship was awarded to two Beacon and two cornerstone community centers.

DYCD and community center providers are preparing busily for summer programming, which will include summer camp summarizing and expanded summer programming hours in Cornerstone Community Centers.

Thank you again for the opportunity to discuss uh DYCD's community centers and my favorite topic.

We look forward to answering your questions.

Well, it's not only my favorite topic, it's they have a special place in my heart because if you come to the many hearings that I've had, I've always talked about I spent a lot of time running community centers, and I just feel like we did all the work, but yeah, I thought that was the best place.

But um, let's jump into some of these questions.

Um ICD hasn't had a new um beacon RFP since 2017.

What is the agency's timeline for leasing a new concept paper and RFP for beacon um community centers and what factors contributed to the delay?

And I also want to put out there, we're still in the middle of the after school RFP.

So I get it.

If you like girl, I don't want to hear RFP, but I gotta ask the questions because this is important because that is a long timeline, and I think that like part of the the issue and confusion around this RFP is because they've had them so long, people are like wait, I don't want to change.

And so us have not having RFPs doesn't work either.

So I really would love to hear like what's is there a plan?

Are there talks?

Is that in the work and trying to figure out where we're at with that?

Because beacons is one of the things I actually love because when you think about we can't build we don't have that many community centers, so this allows us to activate the schools in our community to now be community centers.

So I think that um in spaces that don't have community centers, we should be looking at using more schools.

I remember the the last mayor we had talked about that, but I never gained provision, but whatever.

I appreciate the question and beacons are dear to my heart.

I've been working with beacons for over 20 years.

Um, so definitely dear to my heart.

Uh beacon community centers are incredibly important to the neighborhoods they serve.

They operate, you know, as you know, as a true community hub, um, serving young people, um, and families.

And if you know you've seen the increase in young people engagement in the PMMR and the MMR and adult engagement, that's that's a testament to the need of of these services in these in this community.

And so, you know, our commissioner and she's testified before, but we are committed to releasing in concept paper at some point, um, to really um you know, realign um the model, and so we want to be intentional about what the services are currently, you know, the model itself.

Um, and we're gonna take deeper dives on that.

We're really gonna really look at the um funding um and be intentional about what is the funding, what is it, what is the true cost of operating a robust, um, holistic community center that not just only serves young people, but we're serving adults and we're serving seniors and we're serving the larger community, and so we really want to look at what does it take to operate, what what what what are the staffing needs, um, what is that structure and we are looking across all of our um our entire footprint of DYCD Fatherhood um workforce.

We're looking at all of those different pieces and really looking at the funding and figuring out what is it, what does that look like in the community center?

Yeah, I think a lot of the work that's being done needs to be connected.

Um, in your testimony, you spoke about one of the programs that I don't like as much, which is Saturday and Lights programs, which is SNL.

I've I've never been shy to explain my banks with that.

And you explained that all that SNL has been in both the beacons and in the cornerstones.

And one of the reasons why I don't like it is because it's a standalone program and it doesn't make sense.

And so my question is to you, you guys, are you guys looking to roll that just into the model moving forward?

And why hasn't why wasn't that done originally to not just have that become part of the program model when you did one of these contract extensions or something like that?

It's on.

The green means it's on, so turn it back.

Yeah.

Okay.

Great.

Thank you.

Um I I I can't speak to the how the timing and how it all rolled out with the SNL.

But what I can say is this is that we we're not planning um to have an RFP for the SNL, but we are looking at ways to realign it and think about whether or not to your point it makes most sense to integrate it into an a future concept paper and an RFP.

So those are the that's the exercise that we are um are doing internally to to discuss like how does this um live within the fabric of our community centers.

Yeah, I mean, again, like it's the program in itself like it makes sense, but it does not make sense to me as a standalone.

I think that it should be a part of the program, right?

And I think some of the, you know, it started out as a separate program, and and what what happens is people hear things when it's good, then everybody wants it.

And so I think that it was one of those moments we should have stepped back and like, wait a minute, is it something we could just expand throughout all of the portfolio opposed to having the touch points in the way we do?

So I'm happy to hear that that's something that's being that's being considered and um as we're thinking about moving into COTAP paper.

In 2017, DYCD issued two beacon RFPs.

The first RP was for 76 beacon um standalone programs at DOE.

The second was for 15 with ACS programs, which provided community-based prevention programs families with um youth at risk of foster care placement.

Those RFP were set to expire in 2020 with the option for renewal for additional three years.

Given that this is now six-year past the initial end date, can you please give me an update on whether those 76 beacon standalone programs and 15 beacons with ACS programs are still available?

What's the level of funding available for them and whether um there have been adjustments that have or will be made um to those programs?

So when we issued the RFP for Beacon back in 2017, yes, we did have an ACS um preventive um component.

Um since then, uh Chair Stevens, we no longer have the ACS preventive piece attached to a cornerstone.

We've since um um uh moved those services that uh those services supervision under ACS.

Um, not yeah, ACS.

Um and so they are solely funding and um monitoring those programs directly.

And so are they still did you the was the ACS piece just pulled out and the beacons were left or okay?

Yes, yes, that is the case.

Well, I was looking so shocked because my brother and government landing assembly member Landon Day is just walked in the room.

So look at that, look at that the state visiting the city.

Love that.

Um since 2017 procurement, how have beacon contracts budget changed from accounting for afflation wages and raising um operation costs?

So we have um over the years we've we've worked with the IC I um indirect costs have been um way wages and indirect expenses have been allocated to the budgets.

Um for non-federally funded um ICR rates, DYCD has honored um the city's approved ICR rate um for any of of the contracts, and then for federally um uh funded programs, we complied with the regulations and negotiated indirect cost rates if they exist.

And so we've been able to do, you know, um address those pieces in that in that way.

Um, but I I again we are looking, it is a 10-year um old contract and budget, and so we are intentionally looking at the funding um allocations and the true cost of operating a program.

And so we hope to continue those conversations and have stakeholder in engagement, work with our oversight um organizations, own B, um City Hall Council, um, to help inform what what the what the allocation should be like.

Because beacon programs operate within the public school, strong coordination with school leadership is essential.

What challenges do I see has identified in maintaining partnerships between beacon providers and whole schools and what supports does those agencies provide when conflict arise regarding space scheduling and program operation?

I mean, I think especially with the beacons they've been around for so long, a lot of those partnerships are like 20 years in at this point.

Um so I think it looks a lot different, but I guess can you talk a little bit about what those challenges still might be that that you're having?

Because I remember when I was in a school and there was a beacon, there used to be a lot of issues around the opening of the building and who's gonna be there and all the things.

Yeah, I I will say that beacons are part of the fabric of the school and and the community and they serve as a critical hub.

And so um making resources available to the families is is in and making sure that it's quality services is important.

Um we work very closely with um the department of education, both at the central level but also at the ground level, and so my team, there's two tiers, right?

Um on the ground level, our CBO partners work very closely with the principals to um have access to space, the schools allocate space, the beacons have access to office um um location, and then we work closely with the department of education um where we cover the expenses for extended use, including evening um uh use of the space.

And we work with our CBOs on ensuring that they have a standing meeting with their principals to go over school safety.

I think that at the end of the day, we want to make sure that young people and the and the participants and this and the staff are safe, and so they are required to work closely with the school on safety um and and putting systems in place.

Providers have raised concerns that the school administration restricts community access to DOE buildings outside of school hours.

How does DYCD ensure that beacon sites remain accessible to community members outside of school hours?

Has the agency received complaints regarding restrictive access to the DOE facility?

It's a dance, it's a it's a it's a dance.

I think that um principals and school administrators and um New York City Public School in general know the value and the importance of community engagement.

And I think that one of the things that they've highlighted in before is that our beacon programs um are really good at engaging families and engaging the larger communities.

And so the principals are now figuring out how do I leverage that that resource and that opportunity to expand um at my reach, their reach of families and community members.

And so we are seeing an uptick in more collaborative collaboration and engagement and dialogue to ensure that the families outside of the school are being served.

And so we we support the schools, we support the CBOs in in making sure that those things are in place.

Yeah, I mean, I think it's always a dance, but again, I know just because beacons have been around for so long, they have like a very different relationship as well.

Um the RFR requires that each beacon program um to maintain at least three community partnerships and operate ava uh advisory council.

How does the Y C D evaluate the quality and effectiveness of those partnerships and our providers receiving significant resources to support that community work and engagement?

So our all of our provider in the contract, um, yes, they have partners, but they also have co-locators.

Um, and so the idea is uh is to be able to leverage those resources so that it's not an additional cost to them.

So if there's a co-locator providing able to provide dance and they're unable to do so, that co-locator can expand their services and their reach to the participants of the beacon as well as clients that they're bringing in to the school.

And so the idea is to ensure that our CBOs um, you know, reach out to their to their local um organizations and communities to bring in those those research and how we support them is that you know sometimes we send them resources, sometimes we'll have somebody reach out to us directly.

And oftentimes we'll say, hey, we have a potential partner that provides services in your community.

Can you meet with them?

And it's usually a win-win um conversation and the provide and the incoming smaller organization is then able to use this space at no cost to them and so we we we do it in that way where they can kind of partner on the ground.

The RFP in 2017 um required begins to conduct targeted outreach to um reach a chronically asking youth and encourage providers to employ dedicated outreach coordinators what feedback has dycd collected on the effectiveness of those outreach requirements we we've received positive feedback as far as um having dedicated uh personnel to do um outreach um it allows the program to um have that individual meet with local NDAs work work meet with local potential partners the co-locators um so that it'll alleviate the the the work of a director and or assistant director and so this dedicated person is able to bring in and make connections um to up to hard to reach young people and so how do you guys use that work I guess to me also thinking about to educate not only just speaking programs but across the spectrum right because you know there's so many programs that are working with young people yeah we we've over the years well that's one thing that we definitely want to take a deeper dive because that was part of the 2017 so we're as we're looking and unpacking all the different components of the current model that is going to be one area that we're gonna take a deeper dive on and see um what's been working what has not been working and the effectiveness to your point however we have been able to strategically um target those outreach coordinators to provide them with um technical assistance for themselves um how do you do outreach how do you engage a young person how do you engage families and so we've hosted meetings specifically for the outreach coordinators and we've also made intentional connections on the ground with um our our local uh cornerstone programs and also our um cure violence groups in in the neighborhood the 2017 beacon rfp significantly expanded um expectation for providers by requiring them to function as youth development programs family support centers community hubs referral networks outreach organizations nearly a decade later what aspects of those models has the y cd um concluded are working well and what aspects would the agencies redesign if they were issuing a new rfp today again that's one one of the things that we're planning to to look at more closely um to determine kind of like the effectiveness and figuring out like what makes most sense for the program moving forward so there's no place none of these are it's like we should be moving on from or you're still told to say you're still evaluating it.

So I'm just making sure it's I don't know can't be the answer to every question right what were the total enrollment numbers for beacon sites in 2025 can you break this down by youth and adults were there any sites that struggle to meet enrollment um targets if so what factors contributed to those challenges okay in this year 20 okay so and if I'll I'll I'll pass it to you to break it down with an elementary mill so we in beacons and in fiscal year 25 um we served 6200 youth um and 17,000 adults.

How that breaks down.

Okay.

And so in fiscal year, do you want it broken up at each grade um grade level?

Elementary, middle, and high or just yeah, you can do that.

And then you can when we follow up, you can send down a greater breakdown.

Perfect.

Okay.

So for fiscal year 25 element for beacons, we served 17 over 17,000.

I'm rounding up, but I'm gonna round up.

Um close 18,000, 18,000 um young people.

Middle school, 17,000, 17, 17,000.

Yeah, 17,000.

High school, 11,000.

And um our adult population over 17,000.

They had community events is always um uh a large number and it's over 126,000 um community members have attended um activities or services offered.

For that was it.

No, okay.

Did you want something for the you it wasn't for the ones for the beacons, right?

Specific to the beacons.

Those were just specifically beacons.

Um I'm getting into can I'm gonna get into cornerstones now.

Um I just wanna say before um I w while we're transitioning into cornerstones, one of the things we were going to invite NYCHA to have a conversation about it, but then I felt like if we invited NYCHA, then this whole hearing would be about the repairs, because that is such a real thing.

Um, and that is probably the biggest issue.

And the thing that when I was in the community, just drove me the craziest, right?

Like I had one center that had a roof that leaked at another center every time it rained and rained in this community center, and all those issues are prevalent in a lot of community centers.

Um and and then we've been hearing even issues around like you know, developments that turn rad hack, how what's going on there, and there's a lot.

So we did not bring them in because we didn't want the whole hearing to be about that, but we are looking to plan on having a deeper conversation with the NYCHA chair and ourselves to see if we could have a more comprehensive hearing because I do think we're at the point of like there is not a lot of clarity about moving forward.

So I say all that to say there are obviously gonna be some questions about it, and I know what you're gonna say is when you're gonna have to be like, well, that's a question you have to ask NYCHA.

So I'm just preempting your response to the questions that we're gonna ask.

So um, I guess the first question I'm gonna ask, cornerstone provide um providers have repeatedly raised concerns regarding facility maintenance, security issues, access to community center space within NYCHA developments.

Can DYCD describe the coordination with NYCHA to address those issues when providers report maintenance or safety concerns, what is the process for resolving them and how does DYCD ensure that the communication between providers and NYCHA is timely and effective.

I will say this since I have left, which was four years ago.

Wait, I've been here five years.

I don't know.

But since I've not been in NYCHA um in NYCHA facilities, I've heard that it's a little bit better.

I did hear that.

It was a little bit I heard a little bit better.

Not a lot, but a little bit.

And you guys are also tracking the tickets now.

Yeah, we have uh that's what I heard that you guys are tracking the tickets.

Y'all were not doing that before.

No, right.

I know.

Yes.

So um we are tracking that, and we also have um we've been able to um procure um like I think we have like three vendors um that are dedicated for triaging anything that comes through for us.

Um, and so they dispatch them out and then the work can get addressed.

There are whenever there's a structural related to your point, like I have leaks, um, had a room with leaks and I had the building upstairs, and it could have been somebody washing, I don't know, doing they're putting on their dishwasher, right?

Um, and so in those instances, we work really closely with NYCHA.

Um, and so those weekly meetings are really critical in addressing those facility related um issues that our vendors um nor DYCD can address.

And so we work in tandem with with NYCHA on those things.

Yeah, I mean, one of my my challenges had always been even when I was in the community center, like there's residents who are also waiting to get their apartment fixed who live there, and then it's like I'm mailing about the community center, and so it's it's also a challenge of like how do how do they prioritize and what does that look like?

Um so my next question is DYCD has issued um new has not issued new cornerstone RFP since 2015.

What is the agency's timeline for releasing a new um concept paper RFP um for cornerstone centers?

And would that be something you would you guys would do in conjunction with weekends or would that be separate or what's the thinking?

Love that question.

Um our goal is to release, as I mentioned earlier, concept paper.

Um, and our commissioner really wants to be intentional about what is that right timeline to release um that that those RFPs.

Um we are, as I mentioned earlier, examining the cost, the funding needs, um, stakeholder feedback, and then just the overall structure needed to support strong programming moving forward.

Um, we want to allow that time um to also be um intentional about engaging the council and engaging all of our other partners as we we develop that.

But answer um your question, right now we are exploring the idea of a uh of a community center um RFP.

So that it would be inclusive of beacon and and cornerstones.

But we also wanna, as we're digging into that, we wanna be, we want to see what but whether or not that makes sense to do such um to release a uh uh like two solicitations within one RFP.

And so those are the things that we're still kind of digging in a little bit more on as far as like what that RFP could potentially be.

According to 2022 testimony before the committee, cornerstone providers um reported losing money on their contracts.

They reported that funding often only covers little more than their staffing and it's insufficient supports for OTPS expenses for activities, trips, and partnerships.

What considerations has DYCD given to redesign the cornerstone funding formula?

So we we're in that process right now of looking at the the how do we stabilize um the the needs of of these be of these programs, both becomes interchanging beacons and cornerstones, because they've just um um they were issued a long time ago.

Um, but we're we are looking at what what is the funding need and what is the realistic cost to determine um where there is an opportunity to stabilize to do any stabilizations, and so we are in conversations with OMB and City Hall to determine what that is while we wait for uh potential concept paper and ultimately a an R.

I mean ultimately with Cornerstone specifically, I I think I'm most frustrated, got the staffing model and how um there's typically one full-time director and everyone else is kind of part-time and and anybody who knows that running a program, you need you need multiple people there for for different times, and then like when you're thinking about like the expectation around um how often they're open because I think sometimes we forget corner cells are open all the time, like all the time, because they're co they're tip if you're a good cornerstone, you're being responsive to the community and only having one one full-time person becomes very difficult, and then because the budget is already tight, if anyone comes in, they then have to use hours and it just never works out and it just does not make sense.

So as we are thinking about the concept paper and thinking about how do we move forward, that is one of the things I definitely will be checking out and looking for, um, because I just never understand staff models stupid.

Cornerstone programs are um intended to serve as community hubs within NYCHA development, given that NYCHA reports reported more than 600,000 open work orders and average repair complain um completion is of dang, it's uh 444 days.

What assessments has DYCD conducted um for the physical conditions of cornerstone facilities?

Do you guys like do evaluations of like all the cornerstones and and have like stock of all the repairs?

So we because we just have the centralized, we just you know, um it's been a a year or so old.

Um we just developed that centralized system.

We are planning to do that, and so to look at that to see what are the trends, um, the timeliness for addressing those those um facility-related issues.

Um, you know, and so we we are looking at that currently, um, just to see what what what are what are the trends and what are the the things that we are seeing um is coming up for programs on site.

I just have a couple more questions and I'll pass it off to my colleagues.

Councilmose, if you have questions, let me know so we can control this.

You leave it.

Councilmember Joseph has joined us.

She's not going nowhere, so um NYCHA DYCD and OMB have previously discussed establishing a formal division of responsibilities that would allow cornerstone providers to address basic maintenance and repair needs rather than replying on NYCHA's um un um untangible um wait times providers have acts that DYCD ratify this division of responsibility and modify their budgets to ensure that they are not forced to secure resources from other pro from programming to cover basic maintenance.

What is the current status of this discussion?

Um I hate to say to repeat that question.

Um if you need me to repeat it.

Yes, can you do something?

NYCHA, DYCD, and OMB have previously discussed and establishing a formal division of responsibility that would allow cornerstone providers to address basic maintenance and repair needs rather than relying on NYCHA's um long wait times.

And so I guess it's what you were talking about, the database that you're that you guys are using and and trying to assess it, where are you guys at with that of like trying to have folks being able to get their stuff fixed without going through NYCHA?

Yeah, we we have so we our team we have program managers, we have deputy directors, and so our pro our providers are like have us on speed dial, and so they do reach out to us regularly if there's something that um needs to be addressed or it's impacting program, and we try to be intentional and strategic about um if necessary, like and and if I if I miss anything, please please chime in.

But um, we try to be intentional and strategic if there is um uh a facility uh repair or uh or issue that is affecting programming, we quickly activate and work with our other partners, our New York City public schools to secure um a neighboring uh the school across in the area that the families can relocate to and to minimize disruption of services depending on the severity, but our CBOs um regularly communicate with us.

We have our we have um monthly director meetings and so we use those spaces for them to have a space um to share um any feedback, and we've also um we've also um implemented like uh not I want to say customer service satisfaction, sorry, but surveys um to kind of like assess kind of like what what we're hearing from programs.

Um Miss Harris, is there anything to do?

Okay, alright, yeah, okay.

It's on the oh no, okay.

We should turn back off then okay, because then you'll have a hot mic.

Okay, all right.

I'm gonna um pause pause and pass it over to my colleagues.

So counsel member has questions.

Councilmember Felder, you have questions?

You pass?

Okay, well, you guys.

Well, there you go, councilmember Brewer.

Thank you very much.

Um for all your good questions.

My question is on beacons.

I was Richard Murphy's best friend.

And so I am very supportive, was there when they started.

So in my situation on the upper west side with Goddard, there's a waiting list, and it's it's been a whole year.

So I I can't I must have 20 friends who have kids who go to work with them after school, literally.

Because they can't get into the beacon.

So uh I complain to the chair, that doesn't do any good.

So uh I don't understand why.

What's the purpose of Murphy would fix this?

You gotta fix it.

You can't have these kids, you know, going with their parents after school.

I literally have 20 friends who would like to go to that beacon.

So we have to wait for like years for an RFP.

How does this work?

I mean it's it's it's just beyond frustration.

They don't have the money for the why.

They don't, you know, they want to go to the beacon.

We people love the beacon, but they can't get in.

I will say that Goddard is definitely has a long way, you know, it's very, very high, there's a high demand.

Um, and I know all the people on the wait list.

Yes, and and and the team at Goddard reaches out to us, um, and we try to and we try to um um problem solve and kind of come be uh be as creative and kind of like how do we how do we reach um how do we expand our our reach for these families?

And so that is definitely um there are some pockets of of all of our centers where there's a huge and high demand, and as we are looking and look doing uh a geographical assessment um to determine whether or not where there where there's need to see where we can expand potentially, and so that's part of our um our deeper dive and doing an assessment of community.

I'm not very patient, so I have a question.

Is this more money?

Is it more space?

What is the holdup?

I understand if you have to do an RFP and you've been talking about I got that, but in the interim, is it more money?

How how because there must be others that have high demand too.

Right.

I d I don't want to necessarily say that here's the dollar amount that we would need because we have to do that.

I think we want to make sure that we look at what what is the funding need?

What do we need in order to properly fund these programs and potentially expand?

And so that's the deeper dive that we need to do now.

So that when we do determine whether or not additional dollars are needed or there's an actual need um in this community, it's intentional.

We have data.

You have some sense of how many have this kind of wait list?

Is it you know, like half or a third or something like that?

We would have to get back to you on that.

Okay, yeah, all right.

But I but I don't this could be m years, what you're saying.

I mean, I'm just saying years for this operation.

No, our commissioner um is I know she's on it, but meanwhile, literally 20 friends, I'm not kidding, when I say 20, are taking their kids after school to work with them because there's no other place for them to go.

I just have a question too, because even to Councilman Bruce's question, often I know that there's times where even when there's contracts out and there is an RFP, if they see that it's a long wait list, DYCD has come in to add slots to pro um to programs and places, and so my question, why, especially if if you're even saying like you know you're getting calls and you know the need, why haven't there been a consideration to add additional slots?

Is it a capacity thing?

Like I'm trying to get uh understanding because I don't feel like the question that Councilman Brew's accent is being answered.

No, and and I apologize if if it hasn't been answered.

We wanna make sure that it's equitable across the board.

And so we do need to do an assessment to determine where are these pockets and determine where where we do need to add more more dollars.

Um we we we want to make sure that it's stabilized, stable is um a stabilized uh funding um stream and it's equitable across the board, and so we want to be intentional, and so that is that is the primary reason why we wouldn't necessarily um say, okay, so this location's gonna get additional dollars because then we'll be in.

Yeah, no, I know that, but like so in in the last 20 years and when we're doing the evaluation, has there been evaluations to kind of see where there might be some programs that have less seats or who aren't meeting their enrollment and things like that because there has been shift in contracts, like I like because I know you're saying like, oh, we're doing this evaluation.

I have ran these programs.

There has been times where it was like, Okay, we're shifting seats, and so especially with these RFPs being so long, why hasn't that been done?

And and again, like I you know, Councilman Brewer actually has spoken to me about this for the last four years.

Endlessly.

So I'm just trying to get an understanding of like how how and how we're evaluating even when we are still in the middle of a contract.

Yeah, I think that these are really good questions, and I will definitely bring it back and we can have internal conversations and obviously, and get engage engage um the council.

I'm gonna bring Murphy down from heaven.

My my literally, my c my question though is where this is what I'm concerned about.

These 20 kids maybe they'll be okay at you know, but they'll be a lot better if they were at Beacon.

So then I wonder about all the other kids that are on wait list.

They would be better off if they were at a beacon.

And I'm just thinking, you know, youth development.

It's not great.

So while we're doing the RP and figuring out what's next, they're sitting not in a great situation.

I'm worried about them.

So I would love to see some interim if that's what it takes, of the sites that are overcrowded or have a wait list.

I don't know, it doesn't make sense to me.

Not we're all focused on youth development, right?

This is, I mean, I know the chair is I am and yeah, you and I, I am, you are.

I'm definitely focused.

And there are others, but I'm just saying, it doesn't make sense not to have some interim plan for this list.

So we'll can you really look at it because it has been going on for a couple years.

This is not a new thing.

It's not like it's a new wait list.

No, we'll definitely take that under advisement, um, especially as we are um doing this assessment um to determine where we are.

I'm not good on assessments, but I just want to make it happen.

So if it's more funding, I don't even think it's a space issue.

I think it is a funding issue.

Um I even go over there and say, excuse me, is that wait list moving?

I go over there and say, Hello, can you Ray, can you move the wait list?

Because these parents are like upset.

So I don't know, I don't want believe I just wanted how are you also?

My other question quickly is how are you dealing with like benchmarks for the future?

Are there different benchmarks about what is the right mixture of academics and fun and so on?

How are you measuring those sorts of things?

And is it changing for the future?

I don't know.

Yeah, well, the unique thing, as you know, about beacon community centers is that we've designed the the previous RFP in 2017 so that the CBOs could uh um be flexible in their in their services, because every community is different and every need is different, and so we are intentional about that, and so we we wanna we wanna look at all the different um like what are the common uh activities that are being offered.

Where do we see a high demand across the board so that we can when we're starting to think and engage our stakeholders and our partners?

Um we can we can have data that says we're seeing a high demand of um workforce, and so we can then think about strategically infusing language in the RFP that speaks specifically to workforce because there's data that shows across the the system um that workforce is is one area of of need.

And so we we are taking that time now to look at all of the services, but every activity is different, right?

And every um provider um provides different types of services, but we are looking at at those pieces currently.

Thank you, madam chair.

So I really will you get back to the chair about interim possibilities for those that are overcrowded.

I'm sure there are others.

I don't think we're the only one.

I was just gonna ask.

I'd love to see I I really am.

We can't wait another year.

I'm just saying, they cannot be in people's offices for another year.

I would really like to see some interim measure.

I was gonna say if we can work with you guys, maybe um we can get a list of all the sites across the city that have a wait list and try that so we can start to look at that because also that also some funding questions.

Just for Carrie Beacon and Cornerstone.

Yeah.

Yes, both.

Councilmember Joseph.

Thank you, Chair.

Good afternoon.

Um, beyond um participation countdown, how do DYCD measure whether um beacon and cornerstone program achieving their goals, improving academic outcomes, workforce readiness, civic engagement, and community well-being.

Uh thank you for the question.

Um we're asking me.

What metric do you have in place?

Let me just go on.

Just give me a moment.

I just want to make sure that I have the right information for you.

So currently what we do is so we have a team of folks um on the ground that conduct site visits, and so we have a comprehensive monitoring tool that allows us to determine program quality, outcomes and outputs.

We also look at administrative practices, and I'm missing one more, I'm sure.

Um, but we we go out there, we have a rubrics, we have indicators, um, specific indicators attached to that that um comprehensive evaluation tool to determine outcomes and to determine um progress.

We also have our system where the providers enter their attendance, and we are able to generate reports on you know rate of participation, um, and um and and an overall engagement in programming.

Um let's talk about academic outcomes.

When a young person comes to you, how do you measure if they've reached their goals in academic?

Is there tutoring, is their support, is their homework help?

Are they doing better?

When they came to you, they were reading on a J level, have you moved their reading level?

That's those are the things that I would like to hear.

Thank you for that, Clarity.

Um, we don't necessarily look at academic improvement per se, but each provider on the ground may have their own um assessment to determine whether there's been some form of improvement, but we don't necessarily look at whether their math scores have improved or their academic reading.

The providers can tell whether or not um a young person is no longer from a youth development perspective, is not a person who's shy is now more outspoken, um, is able to do public speaking, and so that's kind of like where it is, but we don't necessarily measure academic improvement per se.

And and how come you don't?

Because I I think you provide an academic arm to this program, right?

Provide right, we provide homework help.

We provide um STEM activities, and so but we don't necessarily measure a young person's improvement, but we do offer those pieces.

We do offer academic enrichment in our services.

All right.

Um, what about workforce readiness?

How do you measure that workforce readiness?

Have you placed young people in work or people who come to the program?

How have you done that?

So our providers on the ground that offer, and every program is different, not all of them provide workforce, but with the ones that do offer, they do have a system on site, so every provider may have um data on um, you know, a young person was employed now, they're now able to, you know, they have the resume building, so they're able to do some of that and they measure it on their own.

And your civic engagement, what does that look like?

How many folks you register to vote?

How many folks you get to the poll?

How does that work?

So again, I hate to repeat myself, but yes, it each provider, we offer those opportunities of civic engagement, and we offer exposure for our providers to take advantage of these things, but the providers on their own are the ones that actually implement it, and they invite us in those places.

I don't know if I'm missing the board of elections is another thing.

You have to put on your mic so I can hear you.

Thank you.

So uh cornerstones, there's also access provided by partnering with Board of Elections and making sure that our polling sites are available to residents, seniors, and also young people outside of their regular schools.

So that's another way that we infuse it or through themes and just coaching our providers to make civic engagement part of like youth council advisory board, that kind of thing.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um, how do how does DYCD evaluate the effectiveness of the all your adult programming, including GD preparation, ESL classes, parenting workshops, and workforce development activities?

The programs that offer GED um services have communicated to us that um they're their um their adults have you know graduated or received their GED.

We've I've even had the pleasure of visiting some of our programs.

Hannah and in how many have you graduated already?

Oh, I I I would need to I would need to get back to us.

Yeah, we need to definitely do an assessment across all of our providers.

Yeah, because then we because then you you've just that's also part of the economic mobility, right?

You've just given somebody their GD, they can now apply for college, they can go to trade school, they can move on to next career.

Those are those are wins you can celebrate as well, right?

But if you don't have no data, that doesn't drive your policy, that's okay.

Um, it doesn't help drive your policy and even your funding because you may need more funding because you may need more GD seats, you may need more ESL seats and parenting workshops.

Can you talk to me a little bit about that?

Our providers, um, what family adult and family engagement is is a is a core piece of of the community centers, and so our programs provide um, you know, workshops for families, they do kind of like mommy and me um workshops sometimes.

They've done um uh I don't want to call it sip and paint, but like um, you know, I know you give out Apple Cider, right?

Yeah, apple cider, thank you so much.

Okay, um and painting.

Um so we've seen some of that.

We've also um offered uh to some of our programs opportunities for them to receive like um additional resources like a co-locator to come in and do like a family engagement um component, and and then and I know and I'm gonna pass it on over to my colleague Miss Harris, who um can share um some more insight.

Well, also we we partner with in the com in the cornerstones at least, NITRES um family engagement programs to bring the community baby showers to bring some of the morning services, although we open in the afternoon, you may see a few where needed, um parenting uh workshops in the mornings and um beacons on Saturdays also engage families in that way.

Is there any component of it where there's a literacy aspect to it where parents are engaged um encouraged to read with their children?

I'm not gonna say it's a requirement, but we've seen it.

The reading programs, libraries will come in.

Um there is that partnership with New York Public Library to get your library card or to do some of the bringing in characters and doing that kind of family engagement.

Oh, yeah.

With uh NYCHA, we have also done uh BRE book-rich environments, and there's thousands of books given across the NYCHA development.

Um, we also partner with Cornerstones and Compass programs to make sure young people have that.

There's an author um event where the author's literally signing books and young people are coming in with their parents or without and they leave with books.

So literacy has been infused in different ways through different partners.

Okay.

Um is there chair knock myself up?

Okay, okay.

Um, how do you what performance metric are you using now to um measure the providers?

How often are providers with you for contract compliance and program quality?

Um, so at a minimum, three times a year scored um evaluation.

Summer, we look at uh the fall, the spring, and then we do other assessments in between.

If a provider needs additional coaching or support, that's where we step in, but we're measuring their contractual requirements and in terms of stats and numbers, but also in terms of just the quality of moving from one place to the other, the number of families they're engaging, that kind of thing.

So they are assessed.

I couldn't give you a stat right now, but I want to add just to add to that, in addition to um those various touch points, there's also frequent kind of like on-site coaching.

Um we also uh we depending on this and depending on also what's happening on the ground, right?

There's some providers that you know could use some improvement, and so we we may implement a strategic action plan or a corrective action plan, and then we are really intentional about um looking at that plan and following it in a way to to see progress.

Right.

And so we're we're really detailed in that way, and then we also have our capacity, our capacity building division, who um has uh numerous vendors that can do either on-site one-on-one consultation, either at a s at the site level or at the agency level, and that's in addition to like whatever um workshops are being available uh made available for anyone to to attend, any group leader.

To support the non-for-profit as a provider.

I have one last question for you.

So, what specific milestones should provider and council expect over the next 12 months regarding the future procurement of beacon and cornerstone community centers?

What should we expect?

So, what you should expect is um definitely more intentionality about really looking at like what is a realistic timeline to release an RFP.

We're just in the still we're still wrapping up um our compass.

And so um really looking at art uh an intentional timeline to release an RFP.

We want to be really intentional about um stakeholder engagement.

Um we, you know, one of the lessons that we've we've learned in in the current process is like the importance of family um engagement and um um in schools and our aids and stuff like that and so um it's a huge footprint and but we want to make sure that um that that we allow that time and that grace to kind of like look at look at what what are the trends what are people saying and how do we infuse and we're not gonna be we may not make everybody happy right but at least we could be intentional about having data making sure that we engage all of our partners and then being able to be transparent with um kind of like what we're we're planning to put out there and then that'll be the concept paper and h and ultimately uh an RFP.

Okay.

Miss Harris, you wanted to say something or you did.

Thank you so much, Chair.

Thank you.

Um well I'm happy to hear that's some of the lessons that you learned because I was about to ask what were some of the lessons that you guys are learning from uh this current RFP that we're still in the middle of.

This is not over, yeah.

Um that we're still in the middle of, and and I'm happy to hear that that parent engagement piece how was kind of lacking and thinking about like moving forward.

How do we make sure that we have more of a holistic view around what does that process look like?

Um so that's my next question that um I have um how will DYCD and engage um NYCHA residents and this is mostly for the cornerstones a school um NYTH residents school stakeholders and other large communities and the in the evaluation process and the procurement process moving forward.

Yeah, we need to it's yeah it's it's something that I'm even um like trying to figure out because what does that what would that look like so that you know there's so many people that may want to kind of have a say I know that what I can say is this that last time we issued an RFP for our cornerstone um we did have intentional RA engagement and so what did that look like that looked like they were readers um we asked them to be part of the the selection process and so um you know that we have I think we had a hundred at the time maybe less than that I don't think we had a hundred yet seventy-five um and so out of the 75 potential RAs that we could have had um we only had a handful of RAs that you know were willing to kind of commit to being an evaluator for an RFP so we still need to figure out what what that touch point is right now we've also um we also um issued uh uh a survey to the to the RAs to get feedback from them because to your point we've been there for a while and so we did issue a survey to kind of get their input of like what are they seeing what do they want to see more of or less of and so that that information is I'm hoping that it'll help inform you know the direction yeah I think one we have to be at a place where we're doing better at getting feedback from community members and and key stakeholders like parents and principals and things like that so that can be used part of things moving forward so we could have it but also even when we're doing a new procurement like we have to make sure that we're getting people's feedback and I think that that's important and I think that that was one of the missteps and hiccups that we had with this RP um for the actor school but I think that was totally different because y'all didn't even have that much time so don't get me started there.

But I do want to us to be thinking about moving forward how do we make sure that um different voices are heard in these conversations.

Um providers reported that they received a last minute request to host watch parties for game three which I'm sure they was excited about um for the MBA final series.

But again this is this becomes an issue does the DYCD have a formal um protocol or best practices around how much um prior notice they give providers before making requests for these special events and are there's a are there additional um compensation for these groups and things like that to have to get staffed because this goes back to my staffing pattern.

When you only have one full-time person, then that person typically is the only one opening up these places.

So just trying to get a better understanding of those type of things.

So, you know, the Knicks, they won and and we were we were we worked really closely with our partners at department at the New York City um public schools, um, you know, to kind of collaborate on on on leveraging the fact that our corners, our beacons are already open, um extended hours in during the school year.

And so we we kind of they were they're already in the building, they're already providing services.

And so we kind of um we kind of leaned in on that um ability to do that.

So they already had their staff and the and the thing that was unique and and beneficial for us was that it was just one location and so the DOE helped us with security making sure security was there.

They helped us secure um custodial staff to make sure that the space and the school building was um readily available for the um for instruction the next day and so it was it was it was a collaborative um approach to make sure that our communities had um access um as a as a community like true beacons and and cornerstones do um they created that space um and so I the win for me is that the school administration and and New York City public schools saw this as like oh wow look at our beacons they're they're their core part of our community and here's what they did for our community so that was I think the timeline we you know we we we worked aggressively in identifying schools and we gave the providers a choice we basically said hey we this is an opportunity are you interested and so the ones I hate when we say that when a funder comes and acts a provider to do something and I and they some do say no but that's not often because and the person saying no typically isn't the person saying yes typically isn't the person opening the program either.

So you know I think it's kind of hard I just I remember those situations.

The ED is gonna say yeah the ED ain't open in the building.

So it just becomes hard.

And again this goes back to my issue around the staffing right so my next question on providers and both cornerstones of re beacons report that they need three at least three leadership positions to staff to balance out the need to have management positions on site at all times to prevent burnout.

However most sites are not able to support three leadership positions due to budget constraints and meaning that program directors are often stretched thin working excessive hours have DYCD evaluate the staffing structures in regards to the responsibilities and hours of these programs will DYCD consider increasing program budgets to address this issue and receive um adequate staff program staff that is gonna be part of the the the assessment that we're hoping to gather um and that'll help determine the the actual funding um need and staffing needs um to sustain to you what to what I said earlier about community centers don't just do after school oh I know and so I know that I'm saying so all the things exactly just do that.

I always say that um our beacons and our cornerstone directors are many EDs.

I often say that and they're many running work.

Not only are they EDs they're also the janitor the cook right all the things the repairman all the things the plumber.

And so we are we're we're we want when we start doing our assessment and our focus group conversations and our surveys those are the kind of things that we are going to be looking for and asking for this is another one that happened when I was in the community centers that was it was nice but this is what burnt me out.

And um the last few years the evening hours for both cornerstones and beacons have been extended to late to 11 p.m to provide safe space for community members specifically in the summer.

Many programs report that those late hours underutilized um under underutilization by the community system and expectation of sites that have gym facilities have DY DY CD evaluated the impact or utilization of the program sites and late night hours and again this was something that I remember when I was running program we got we loved and it was important but again because of the struction model like and because most directors even if you have other people in the building, you want to be there because it's your building.

Right.

We get unhealthy attachments.

And so, you know you you end up being there from eight in the morning when you have summer camp to 11 o'clock at night and then starting all over again.

And then when we got the extended weekends, we were there on the weekends.

And so I remember basically living in a community center in three community centers for three summers.

So um just trying to like how do you guys evaluate how you evaluate that and and making sure that these programs are being utilized and that the staff isn't being totally burnt out.

Yeah, we um we we try to work with our providers in offering um strategies so that to um avoid burnout.

Um and so we do that and we offer um, you know, information sessions on those pieces.

What I will say is that um, you know, though those we are we've we've started looking at attendance data, um, and we started like looking at it from like different time slots um to determine the kind of like what is a realistic and I think to um uh we were like thinking about where are those um needs and where we're seeing like a lot of traffic after a certain time frame and where we're seeing less traffic um to determine kind of like what is that sweet spot.

So we started kind of like looking at that at the data, and I think that we're gonna be able to take a deeper dive once we start kind of like really looking at the holistic design, um, you know, because the summer is those summers are longer um than the school year, right?

I mean, you know, they and you know, so we're looking at the summer component and we're looking at the school year component and trying to figure out what are what does the at what is the t the attendance telling us to determine what is that realistic um time frame?

Yeah, those summer hours are long, but I won't lie, those are the best summers I had.

I don't think I could do it again in this old age, but good times.

Um, how does D um DYCD collaborate with DOE to support programs with um students with disabilities?

I will say this.

Although I am not a fan of summarizing, everybody knows that I've never made a secret of it.

Um, but I think one of the things that we really did benefit from summarizing is just seeing how students with disabilities should be serviced and being able to provide services, and it wasn't so much unnecessarily I feel like in this RFP for after school, which I'm a little disappointed by, but like thinking about corner souls and beacons moving forward, how do we kind of make sure that we are including students with disabilities in this conversation um and making sure that they are prioritized when we're thinking about these RPs and rollout because it gets really hard for parents who with students with disabilities, they typically don't have programs to put their kids in.

Yeah, well, thank you.

That is definitely something that is at the core of our, you know, of of the commissioner and kind of like looking across the the spectrum.

Um the goal is to make every reasonable accommodation um that ensures that every participant um has an opportunity to engage, and so all of our programs are dedicated um to working with young people of various um disabilities, and so we recognize the importance of addressing um the unique needs of each individual to foster their growth and and participation, and so um we you know, to your point about summarizing, I think you know, one of the wins for me is has been just the menu of offerings that and workshops and info sessions that the DOE has made available, and so um, although our cornerstone programs are not part of summer rising, right?

We make sure we try to create spaces for our our cornerstone um directors and staff to receive that information and learn about best practices and strategies of being in creating an inclusive in environment during after school and evening hours.

So that's that's something that we're definitely committed to in ensuring um that we infuse in in our work.

Um another question I got from providers were that um the beacons are required to do workforce development, but we don't allow stipends as a allowable cost, trying to get an understanding why would that be, why is that not something that we're encouraging and trying to do more um where there is workforce development happening in these programs and young people are interning or you know getting specific skills, why can't they allow stipends?

I unfortunately don't have that um response.

I definitely will get back to you on that piece um for the spectrum.

I bet you will, Andrew, write that down.

I want to know why things I don't want to mess it up, so that's the reason I'm hoping.

No, I think that that's important.

I think you know, when we're looking at the unemployment rates for young people, specifically between the ages of um 16 and 24, they're at the highest since COVID and have not come down, and so especially for programs, we should be looking at encouraging young people.

And sometimes those young people who don't come to program is because they are trying to make money.

And so we should be encouraging it.

And so if and I don't know, I don't know how they have money after these beacon um budgets because they're so tiny.

So they got the money.

But if they can, they should be able to eek out and be able to give the the young people some stipends.

And I know we also work closely with um Valerie and her team to try to, you know, create.

I mean, we would with DY City, right?

And so we definitely try to um um work closely with our workforce team um to see where there are opportunities for um some of our beacon participants to attend, like workforce center or any other um um stipend related program.

Yeah, but I feel like especially when we got the kids, we gotta keep them because sometimes when you train different program to program, you lose them.

So I'm gonna I'm gonna tap in this habit.

Okay, Ms.

Havers, I want to give you more practice.

In some of our programs as well, um, not directly through DY CDR providers, but like the ONS CMS providers sometimes have the ability to infuse stipends for young people 16 to 24 and job.

I know, but it's not enough.

Right.

Not at all.

We always need more.

No, it's not even that we need more, it's just not enough.

Those typings sometimes are a hundred dollars, and don't get me started on this.

But those are the things that I think that that's the feedback that we want to hear, like if we wanna, and and I think that when we go back and we look at our policy and and and be able to kind of like um get back to you on that.

I think that'll help kind of like yeah.

I mean, again, like I'm I've been yelling at the rooftop around how we need more um employment opportunities for young people.

And again, I want to also be clear.

When I'm talking to young people, they don't want stipends anymore.

They said they want jobs, they said they want to be able to have hours, they actually are annoyed with the stipends because it's like less or whatever, but they want real jobs, and so we should be responsive to that.

But I think even if there's programs where they're doing workforce development and they're like, hey, I want to give them a hundred dollar stipend for coming to these five workshops, that should be allowable.

Um, and allowing them to have that flexibility with their budget.

Um, the next question I have, um, which I did not know, and this is a question for providers.

Why is there a requirement for participants to participate three days before being considered enrolled when there's no similar requirements for Cornerstone or Compass?

And and apparently that's happening in the beacons.

Yes, that is true.

It is in the um current it uh program design that it that was, you know, 2017, and so that is one of the things that we're looking at.

I don't know how to do that.

That's so random.

Is it I don't know how I can't remember how we got to that space.

Um we can definitely um dig.

No, you had your light on, don't turn it off.

I just wanted to ask a clarifying you said three days of participation.

Yeah, so it remember three days of participation.

Um before they're considered enrolled.

It's beacon, not for us.

Just okay.

Um so yeah, um, um, yeah, we we I can't speak to the logic how we got to that space.

Um, but I will say that that's one of the areas that we're working on.

Let's add that to the list of things we want to change.

Um, I think those are all the questions that I have.

Caltimore Brewer Council Profelder, no question.

Okay, well.

Just thank you very much.

But again, I I know we're talking about the overcrowded, but just in general, um data and support for youth development that is in a targeting as this chair knows those young people that are not in programs, you know.

We're not I don't think we're making them accessible enough.

And it's I know you're trying, and you've got many other agencies that you're working with, particularly at NYCHA developments.

We need to have just robust youth development.

And I know you're working on it, but I don't feel this imminent, you know, emergency need.

That's what I'm looking at.

That's what I'd like to see.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Um I don't have any more questions for you guys.

Um, think that was pretty painless.

Um, so at this time, I don't have any more questions for this panel.

So thank you so much.

Look, you did great.

I was nice, right?

And I told you I'll be fast.

See, Andrew text me last night.

I said, Oh my quick.

He said, wrap it up.

So thank you guys.

Thank you.

I'm now opening the floor to public testimony.

Before I begin, I remind members of the public that this is a formal government proceeding and that the quorum shall be observed at all times.

Um as such, members of the public shall remain silent at all times.

The witness table is reserved for people who wish to testify.

No video recordings or photography is allowed from the witness table.

Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recordings as testimony, but they may submit transcripts of such recordings to the sergeant of arms for inclusion in the hearing records.

If you're wishing to speak today, please fill out an appearance card with the sergeant of arms and wait for your name to be called.

Once your name is recognized, you will have two minutes to speak about the oversight topic or the resolutions listed on today's agenda.

If you wish, if you have written um testimony or additional um witness written testimony, which to submit for the record, please provide a copy of the testimonies to the Sergeant of Arms.

You may also email your written testimony to testimony at council.nyc dot gov within 72 hours of this hearing.

Please note that audio and video recordings will not be accepted.

Um you hear your name, please come to the witness panel for the first panel.

And I believe the first panel is assembly member Dais, who will be talking about a resolution we have today.

Thank you.

He's from Harlem, but I just want to let you know.

No, no, the Bronx claims him.

He is from Harlem.

I just wanted to know I know his parents very well.

I'm from Harlem too, but we the Bronx.

Us uh Harlem people are in the Bronx.

So please let her know.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

We are I did just come from Harlem, so uh, enough of you, Lance.

Uh.

Uh first off, good afternoon to the council.

Uh, I want to say thank you for having me here.

I am speaking uh behalf of Kevin O'Reilly's uh resolution uh 142, which is for the fatherhood initiative, which is in support of a bill that we have in Albany, uh, which is Assembly Bill 89811, which is the fatherhood initiative bill, myself and Senator Jamal Bailey.

He has it in the Senate, sir.

Uh being a father is one of the greatest gifts I've ever had.

My two boys are actually with my father right now, visiting that they just arrived in Atlanta to visit my my older brother, their uncle uh Larik, and my father and my older brother were two great examples that I've had in my life to what it means to be a uh to be a father.

But I am yes, you do know my parents very well, but I am a very wealthy man because I have two great parents and a father that came from very little but had a foundation of love for my grandmother, and he bestowed that upon us.

But I do know the young men in New York don't have that same wealth that I have when it comes to that.

The fatherhood initiative is to create a resource center for the young men or the young fathers within the state of New York who need access.

And even with all the resources I had within my own family, I'll be the first person to say uh when my wife was pregnant, there wasn't a lot of resources for fathers.

I didn't know about postpartum depression.

I didn't know about preclampsia, where if not for, for example, Hall of Fame tennis player Serena Williams' husband intervening when she was giving birth.

We might have lost the greatest tennis player of all time because her pleas of pain weren't being heard, and the father of our children had to step in.

So I want to make sure that the young fathers within the state of New York have this knowledge that they understand that what does a woman go through in those situations and how that they could be a better partner and a better father.

Even if they're not together, co-parenting is still key when it comes to New York.

We want to make sure that the young people and the uh the children, the future of New York have parents that have as much resources as possible.

As you had in the previous testimony, it's not just about fatherhood, but also making sure that they have workforce development programs and making sure that these young fathers have apprenticeship programs that can get into programs so they can provide for their children so that they can have housing and education and beacon programs and at the school programs.

I I was I'll be the first to say that the Senate passed uh the fatherhood initiative, and I'm still kind of dismayed on why we couldn't get it done in the assembly, and I would go uh get it, I'll go at it again.

I've also had conversations uh with uh Commissioner Harris of OCFS, and she's in full support of it also, because there are young fathers who are currently in juvenile dis uh juvenile centers that still need to be within their children's lives, and these resources could be used to help it.

To the chairwoman, I know her advocacy for young people is ever essence.

She works her tail off in our district in the Bronx where we overlap, but for all New York City families, and I think the fatherhood initiative and this resolution is key.

I want to thank Kevin Riley for bringing this to the table.

But more importantly, I really hope that we can create a broad coalition across the political spectrum, across the boroughs, religions, or whatever, to embrace this because I think strengthening young fathers across this state and New York City is how we create not just that's how we make New York better and stronger.

And I want to thank the council for hearing my testimony in this, and I hope that we can count on you guys on creating a coalition to support our bill.

And I want to thank again for you guys for passing this resolution.

So thank you kindly.

Um, thank you, Summer, uh, for being here.

Um, I guess my question I have a couple questions.

One, um, are you one?

I spoke to the OCFF Commissioner as well, and she's also talking about like rolling this out statewide, even before the office is up and running.

Um, she definitely believes in this.

But my question to you is um, um, how are how are you working with the fatherhood initiative at the city level?

I know um DYCD we had a major rollout last year where I believe it's like 17 additional sites, um, and and really trying to do this.

Have you been working with them?

Is that something that you haven't been connected with?

If not, I would love to connect you and have you heard about the work that they've been doing.

So please connect me.

Uh what we have done is a barbershop series with Senator Bailey and Councilman Riley.

We did one right near River Park Towers, which we overlap, and it was very successful.

We had over 50 young men show up and it was great dialogue and talking about co-parenting and other legal rights that they have as fathers, right?

Why, if they're traveling to nationally, why you need a notarized letter.

You know, if you have an issue with child support, what can we do?

Um, also been working with as a lawyer with legal services to make sure that young fathers have legal representation when they go to family court.

Because sometimes the judicial interference of families is a conversation I know you've had with ACS and other oversight that you've been pushing for.

And so I think that conversation has been tremendously helpful, and it is at least getting some I saw legitimate and tangible results in that short period.

And by expanding it to your point, I think we'll only do more for our city.

Yeah, they they did it, they did an additional 17 across the city.

The two in the Bronx, I believe is closest to you, is Claremont Center, and then also I think it's Metropolitan College.

So I make sure I'll connect you with them as well.

In addition to I'll make sure that I connect you with Bob at the end.

I connect with Metropolitan College.

I do apologize, but I would love to do a tour with you and maybe with Kevin.

Let's do it.

Yeah.

Kevin had the gang, the dad gang.

I had a bunch of dads and there's other dad programs that have been that have been uh blooming across the city, and I would love to connect them and really create some uh momentum.

Yeah, because I think there are some resources there, and even like I said, the conversation I had with the OCFS commissioner.

She was really excited about it, also like how do we connect it?

Because a lot of times a lot of all these things are already happening, and then it's like, how do we connect the dots to have the biggest impact for all of it?

Because there is a lot of amendments around like fatherhood initiatives.

And so for me, it's like, well, how why are we all not working together?

So I will make sure that we have a conversation.

I'll bring Bob and everyone from DYCD together so we can start talking about what does it look like holistically.

And I know Councilman Riley's also trying to get an office of fatherhood open at the city as well.

I think that's one of his his priorities this year as well.

So I will be due diligent and make sure I connect you because I know where to find you.

Thank you so much.

And I will support Kevin.

Um, sorry, Councilman Riley on that.

And the one big thing I would like to just put on the record, one reason why I think this is more important on the internet, there is this, I'll be honest, this toxic masculinity sometimes that has been perpetuated on social media, and we're trying to counteract that.

In reality, fathers today are one of the most interactive fathers in generations.

Uh my kids would tell you they love when I cook.

Well, Gail, I know you like my cooking also, but I love his cooking.

Thank you.

It's all right.

I'll tell you be hating on my cooking.

But what I but we've changed, better.

That's what I'm saying.

That's not that's like me.

This is on the record, ma'am.

We have this is we have people.

I'm sorry, people are watching behavior.

But more importantly, though, we are changing the narrative on what fatherhood looks like.

And then he's it's different examples, right?

And and I think that when they see that you might fit into a different mode of what it is, but at the end of the day, as long as you're providing love and empathy and caring for your children, I think that is what it needs to be magnified.

And I think you're doing it.

I think Gail's always been doing it.

I know that I know the senators talk about family values also.

Sorry, the councilman has talked about family values also.

I'm sorry, I'm just used to calling him Senator.

I don't know what I am.

But this is something I'm very uh passionate about, and thank you so much for that.

Yeah, there was an there's a father advocate that was here.

I think he left already that comes to a lot of my hearings too.

If he comes back, I make sure I'll connect you because he's come to talk about his struggles as well and trying to bring fathers together as well.

He was here, but he left out.

So I'll definitely connect you with him as well.

So thank you so much for being here today.

Oh, Councilmember Brewer has some questions.

Thank you very much, Assemblymember CUNY, City University of New York.

Are you working with them?

Because they had a horrible situation with the the feds cutting some of their funding for this issue, and I don't know where they're ads.

Um I was wondering if you also work with some of the fathers there.

I will we we had conversations trying to put back funding for CUNY.

Obviously, SUNY and CUNY took tremendous hits, and we did our best in our in this current state budget.

You know, we did get our budget done unlike the council yet, but um that's true.

You do guys pass yours on time, unlike us.

But I will have those conversations because I think in our education, um in our education facilities, I think putting this as a part of it is key.

And also making sure that single fathers or single mothers or single parents in general have also child care opportunities at those places so they can further their education and their and their jobs.

Um, but I also think there's something, you know, I think there's something amazing if the Soyim schools, even starting in high school and and like bringing back home egg to a small degree on how to change a diaper, how to swaddle, how to prepare a bottle.

I think all those things are life lessons that we all need to learn, regardless if you plan to have a family or not, because you might be an uncle or aunt, a godmother, godfather, or godparent.

I think all those skills helps us as a village to come together.

So I will work with uh with City College in the CUNY system, and thank you for bringing that to my attention.

And the Times did have an article the other day about how much more fathers are involved than they were when I was growing up.

So, yes, I think you're on obviously you just need to make sure that people have the support.

Yes, and in further to that knowledge, one thing that I want to also make sure that we make public knowledge is that not only that they have actually shown that black and brown fathers are actually one of the most proactive and changing the public perception of the absent black and brown father, and we're not actually know due to periodical data that it's actually not true, and we we need to make sure that we echo that uh from coast to coast from city to the to the farms because we need to let people know that fathers are very active in 2026 and we need to continue that process.

Thank you very much, Assembly Member.

Thank you, Councilwoman Brewer.

Thank you.

Um I don't have any more questions for this panel, so thank you for joining us.

Thank you, Chairwoman.

Thank you, Councilman Brewer, thank you, Councilman uh Felder.

I'll be calling the next panel.

Um, Christy Um Mansell, David Garcia, Pedro Pez, Kate Coddley, Annie Nelson, you guys can get started, whoever wants to go.

So I mean that's all.

Good afternoon, and thank you, Chair Stevens and members of the New York City Council for the opportunity to provide testimony today.

My name is Christy Mansell, and I am a division director for school-based programs for the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park.

I'm here to speak about the critical role that beacons and cornerstone programs play in our communities, and about the need for the city to protect and adequately fund these models as true community-building programs.

I've been working in or overseeing beacon programs for the Center for Family Life since 2003.

We operate two D-Way City Beacon programs in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and I believe they are vital resources to our neighborhood.

Our beacon programs are anchors in the community, serving people across age groups and building trust over many years.

Our Beacon programs are places where many people find belonging and connection with their community, which combats isolation in these challenging times.

Community members not only learn about and access resources from the Beacon staff, they also become resources for each other, strengthening the fabric of our neighborhood.

The Beacon model allows providers to create unique community spaces that are both reflective of and responsive to the community we serve.

They are welcoming spaces for new New Yorkers, longtime residents, young people, families, and older adults.

They're not solely after-school programs.

From ESL instruction and know your rights workshops to soccer leagues, dance troops, and family cooking classes.

There is something for every member of the community.

And if there isn't, there's flexibility to create, host, or partner with neighborhood groups to bring new programming to life as new needs emerge.

Our programs are being asked to meet real community needs while operating within funding structures that do not reflect the current cost of the work.

Rates need to reflect what actually it actually takes to run high-quality, safe, responsive programs today.

This means investing in the workforce that makes this work possible.

The jobs are hard with late nights and weekend hours, and programs are often asked to extend hours, pivot quickly, and respond to urgent community needs.

Staff, the majority whom are community members and former participants in the beacon themselves, rise to those requests.

So the city must recognize that what is being asked of these programs and invest resources to support them.

The city should also support the leadership pipeline within Beacons.

Many participants volunteer their time as counselors and training or as youth coaches because the program has been meaningful in their lives and they want to contribute to the community.

That commitment is powerful, but they should not have to work for free.

We should be able to provide stipends for interns and create paid career readiness pathways for young people who want to give back to their communities.

Finally, community voice must be central in any new beacon design process.

Families, participants, and school partners should have a real voice in describing the value of their beacon and shaping its future.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is David Garcia.

I'm here to talk about the importance and impact of Beacon programs in New York City under DYCD.

I didn't just learn about beacon programs, I lived them.

And growing up, I was a participant in Beacon Program.

It was just it wasn't just a place to go to for after school.

It was a safe space where I could be myself, build relationships, and stay engaged in positive activities during critical hours of the day.

The after-school program gave me more than structure, it gave me opportunity.

I had access to academic support that helped me stay on track in school, but also creative outlets where I could explore the arts and discover my interests, whether it was theater, music, or other activities, I was encouraged to try new things and express myself.

In the evenings, the neighborhood center programming extended that support.

As a teenager, I had a place to channel my energy in a positive way from playing basketballs to participating in performances and community events.

I stayed involved and connected.

The program kept me engaged, active, and surrounded by mentors and peers who helped shape my future.

Beacon programs do more than fill time.

They build community.

They create safe space, support environments for young people and families, particularly in neighborhoods with those opportunities might otherwise be limited.

Now, more than 20 years later, I've come full circle.

Today I have the privilege of serving as a co-director of a beacon program.

I help lead the same kind of programming that once supported me.

The full circle experience is powerful, and it speaks to the long-term impact of these programs, not just in helping young people succeed in the moment, but in shaping future leaders who give back to their communities.

When you invest in beacon programs, you are investing in safety, in opportunity, and the potential of young people in New York City.

Your supported spaces where youth can learn, grow, and thrive, just like I did.

I'm living proof of the value of this work.

Thank you.

Oh, my God.

Oh, God.

Good evening.

I am truly honored to have the opportunity to speak today and express my gratitude for the Beacon program.

A program that has had a tremendous impact on my life and my family's journey.

Growing up in a single parent household, I watched my mother work tirelessly to provide for our family.

Like many families, we faced challenges.

There were many resources.

There were many times where resources were limited and opportunities seemed out of reach.

Despite those hardships, my mother never stopped encouraging us to work hard, stay positive and make the most of every opportunity that came our way.

Beacon woo Beacon wasn't just a place for us to go after school, it became a second home, a support system and a community that helped shape who we are.

One of the greatest opportunities I was given was becoming part of Beacon.

While the activities and programs were valuable, some of the most meaningful things I gained were the relationships and connections I put along the way.

I met friends who became family, and mentors who guided me through some of the most important stages of my life.

Those relationships taught me how to communicate, collaborate, and build genuine connections with others.

As I grew older, I realized that those lessons I learned here extended far beyond the walls of the program.

Beacon helped prepare me for school, work, and life.

It gave me confidence in myself, taught me responsibility and encouraged me to believe that I could achieve more than I ever imagined.

Today I have the privilege and honor of working for that very same program that once supported me as a participant.

It is a true full circle moment to go from receiving guidance and encouragement to now being in a position where I can support young people who are walking a path similar to mine is something I never take for granted.

Every day I take the opportunity to give back to a place that gives so much to me and my family.

There is no greater feeling than being able to help a child discover their potential, build confidence, and create memories that may stay with them for a lifetime just as beaconed for me.

The impact you make reaches far beyond what you see each day.

Uh to everyone in this room, I ask that you keep believing in these young people involved in this program.

Encourage them to embrace every opportunity, build meaningful relationship, and believe in their own potential.

You never know where those experiences may lead them.

Thank you.

Thank you to Chair Stevens, the Children and Youth Committee, and New York City Council for the opportunity to present testimony today.

My name is Annie Nelson, and I'm a policy analyst at Children's Aid.

For over 170 years, Children's Aid has worked to ensure that young people face no limits to their aspirations or potential.

In service of this mission, we operate more than 50 DYCD contracts across New York City, including a Beacon Community Center on a school campus in the Bronx that serves over 600 children, youth, and adults as a year-round community hub.

As a provider operating multiple youth programs, we see firsthand the value of a comprehensive model like Beacon.

Our site operates late evenings, weekends, and throughout the summer because community need does not end when the school day ends.

At our Beacon, community members of all ages can participate in sports and arts programming, academic enrichment, workforce development, adult education, financial empowerment services, and community invents and partnerships with other local organizations.

Yet despite strong community demand, these programs are reimbursed at lower levels than other after school and summer initiatives, creating persistent and growing strains on providers.

At the same time, we know contracts have not comprehensively been updated in almost a decade, and many requirements and payment structures no longer reflect operational reality.

We really appreciate that city leaders like Chair Stevens are considering the future of Beacon and Cornerstone programs, and we see this as an important opportunity to issue a new RFP that aligns funding and program designs with the reality of these community-based centers.

Um, at a high level, we urge the next RFP first to be developed through early instructor uh early and structured engagement with providers and families, including concept papers before release, to ensure program design and fiscal assumptions reflect on the ground realities.

Second, establish base contract rates that reflect the true cost of operating extended hour multi-generational community centers, including staffing, security facilities, and the full range of services these sites provide.

This should include dedicated support for programs we know have demonstrated high demand, like adult workforce development initiatives, financial empowerment programming, and food access initiatives.

Um, and finally include cost of living adjustments in all contracts to stabilize the workforce and sustain service delivery over time.

Uh, without these updates, providers will remain stretched to meet expectations that no longer match funding structures.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and we look forward to our continued partnership.

Hello, and thank you for the opportunity to testify.

My name is Kay Connolly, and I'm a senior policy analyst for United Neighborhood Houses, an umbrella organization that represents settlement houses across New York State.

Settlement houses within our network operate one third of all beacon programs and half of all cornerstone programs.

Um I just want to start by saying thank you to the chair for hosting this oversight hearing.

I think um attention to these programs are long overdue.

Uh, and despite the benefits of these programs that you've heard all throughout today's hearing, both programs are chronically underfunded and have not seen new RFPs in years, as DYCD and the city plan for the future of these programs with a new RFP or with other updates.

They must meaningfully engage community members, families, and staff early and often to ensure that their needs and priorities are shaping decision making.

Um in the meantime, it's critical that the city invest in our city's community centers by increasing overall funding for cornerstones and beacons to respond to the pressures for minimum wage increases and inflation and to address the changing needs of the community.

Alongside increasing overall rates, DYCD must permit intern and counselor and training stipends as an eligible budget expense to strengthen the workforce development opportunities for our youth.

Um, and then while funding increases should be the top priority, there are a lot of other challenges that these community centers face.

For example, many providers cite growing mental health needs among their communities.

At current funding levels, hiring qualified mental health staff is often unrealistic, leaving many providers reliant on referrals to external clinics that have long wait lists.

Programs should have the flexibility and funding to offer on-site services directly or through partnerships with community-based mental health providers.

And then regarding Nitro infrastructure as you detailed today, they face significant challenges due to long neglected buildings, not only disruptions to services, but um slow response times to emergency repairs and they also receive fines from DOH and FDNY for issues already reported to DYCD and NYCHA.

Um, as these programs evolve, agencies must establish clear communication and accountability.

So providers and participants are not left bearing the costs of delayed repairs, fines, or administrative failures.

Um we appreciate that DYCD has already started taking some steps, um, but they need to do more.

Um, and then as you heard earlier, beacons and cornerstones are so much more than after school programs.

And as the city and however, and the as the city continues to work towards a vision of universal after school, they need to think about how beacons and cornerstones can play a role in this and especially serving communities that would benefit from more comprehensive services.

Thank you very much.

Yeah, I just uh the universal thing always stresses me out because I feel like we need to fix so much stuff before we get there.

So thank you guys.

Appreciate your testimony, and I don't have any questions for this panel.

I'll be calling our next panel Vincent Price, Chris Pinya, Liam Leonardo Richards, Vinny Dung, Oli.

How does this colte?

Dialis.

Felsneable.

I I'm sorry, I must have been a name.

Please say a name before you speak.

I apologize.

Wait, okay, um, my name is Vincent Price.

And I'm here with um Father Speaks Up.

And we trying to get um we trying to heard.

Um we're trying to be heard about our um values and viewpoints of for us us being fathers.

Um, I'm basically here today to see if I could get a chance to be in my kids' life.

Um, their mother picked up and left in 2020 and moved to another state.

And I went to the court to advise them off that and I did find we should move to and uh filed paperwork.

But after that, I didn't that's that as far as it went.

I didn't really get no help from the court.

So I'm here today seeking hoping I could get some type of advice and counsel what to do next.

Yes, I'm finished.

Hello, good afternoon.

My name is Leonard Richards.

Um I'm here part of the father speak up movement.

And myself, I reached out to um Dionis because he's the CEO of the of the um of the movement because going through joint custody with my kids, my well, my ex-wife.

Um, I won't joint custody in 2017.

Everything was going good, everything was going smooth.

Then next thing you know, she just snapped on me, um, made it hard for me to see my kids.

Then when I was trying to go, then when I was to go to one of my visitations, I went there.

She didn't open the door for me to see my kids.

I called the police.

The police came, they said it's nothing they could do.

I had to go back to court.

So I had to go back to through the whole ring around with the court system.

I felt it wasn't hearing me, and I feel like they want us as a dad to snap and put our hands on the woman, which in my case I'm not gonna do because I know that's what some of the mothers want.

Not all mothers are like that, but with my ex-wife, I know that's what she's what she's like, that's what she wants me to do.

And ever since went into joint custody, I've never argued with her, never threatened her, never scared her, anything like that.

And uh also I should um I meant to include I was picking my kids up from the home.

Then next thing you know, she snapped and said, Oh, she feels unsafe for me coming into the building to pick up the kids.

I don't go upstairs to the door, I just meet in the lobby, text her that I'm here.

She's supposed to come down.

So then she went back to the court, told him she feels threatened, she feels scared.

So now for the past three years, I've been picking my kids up from the from the police station.

I don't want my kids going through that, but you know, they're going through it now.

I can't it's but so much I could do.

My son recently just graduated college from Auburn University, upstate New York.

Um my daughter, she's 10 years old.

My kids love me, like they love the ground I walk on.

And the fact that she's trying to paint this narrative that I'm not a good father, good dad.

It's like I have proof.

I have pictures, I have everything.

I do everything with my kids.

When I have the time and I have the my weekends with them, I go get them, we do things, we go out of state.

We just enjoy.

And I'm just trying to be in my kids' life, and that's about it.

I want to thank you so much.

Um, my name is Chris Pena.

I am a birth dueler and journalist out of CUNY Kingsborough Community College.

Um, I've noticed firsthand as an emergency medical technician, uh, why we need these beacons for the youths.

Um, when I witnessed their um high suicide rate, their high pregnancy rate and their high STD rate due to not having any guidance from broken families.

Um, as a survivor of domestic violence and a parentally alienated father of two for 10 years and 15 birthdays, I began advocating for maternal care and against parental alienation and to keep families together, and now uh CUNY Kingsboro Community College is helping me build my freestanding birthing center.

So, in order to get these beacons ready to go, I believe we should keep advocating against parental alienation to better guide these youth the way we do through our annual movements like the bride's march to bring feminine side femicides um rates down and keep guiding these youth because now everybody all the youth around me all want birthing centers now, so it works.

And thank you for having me.

Sorry, I just felt my topic is a little different, but yeah, of course.

Thank you so much.

Um, Chair Stevens um committee members for the opportunity to speak in front of you.

Uh my name is Ole Kortik, I'm in New York City resident, and also I'm a representative of uh international civic platform called Alatran, which is registered in the United States as a nonprofit organization.

And Alatra brings together scientists, experts, professionals from different fields and more than 180 countries.

Our main goal, we are united by a commitment to advance science and public awareness, uh, to help build a safe and sustainable future for all of us.

And under our legal framework, we also have an established uh think tank, Alatra Global Research Center, which advances our mission, uh, our educational and scientific mission, uh, through independent and volunteer driven research and analysis.

And today I would like to draw your attention to uh an issue that concerns the health of the health and future of New York City's children, the exposure of micro and nanoplastics, which is one of the areas that we work on.

Micro nanoplastics are tiny particles, tiny plastic.

I'm sorry, how does this how's connected to the topic of which is um evaluating corn cornerstones and beacons and then also I don't know why put in this line?

Well, this is the hearing of the topic.

I'm just trying to get understanding is it connected to those programs?

I no, I registered to the hearing of like youth and children.

Uh, and I'm gonna talk about like how micronoplastics is impacting the health of children.

I don't know it's specific to corner cells and bacons.

Yeah, sorry about that.

Um, hearing is specific to cornerstones and beacon programs, or some of the um different uh resolutions that we heard, which was one of them the father initiative and um some baby bonds and some other ones around investment.

I felt like something.

Um I'm sorry, we have to keep you on topic, so I can speak to you afterwards and we can have a conversation if that's okay.

Okay, yeah, I would love that.

Thank you so much.

Good afternoon.

My name is Vinning Dong, and I'm a sophomore at Queen's High School for the Sciences.

I'm here to talk about the importance of youth sport and this regards to resolution 32-2026.

It is beyond essential in this day of age for youth to be able to participate in a quality sports program, whether that is through public schools or through NYC parks, I believe it is essential for the city council and the city to advance youth sports.

As a current student in the New York City public school system, PSAL is consistently underfunded.

PSAL is the only way, one of the only ways we could get into varsity or junior varsity sports, and the way that the organization funds teams in regards to big schools, small schools where they're located within the bills is extremely inequitable.

And often small schools or neighborhoods with smaller student counts are often not able to offer a diverse or any sports teams, and that is very inequitable within New York City schools.

Now, on the other part, with NYC parks and specifically the Saturday night light programs, there's a huge disparity in the amount of location and the type of programming offered by this program within New York City.

For example, I go to um the seven night light program at our author's recreational facility.

The facility gymnasium is very apparently run down.

We are very overcrowded, and it is very clear that immediate action or more programs should be opened up to help this effort.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, look, we ran out of time.

Um, thank you so much.

Um, I know we were talking about the you folks were talking about the fatherhood initiative.

I mean, talking about some issues around you're having with the father.

My staff just how um he came.

You can get it give him your contact information so we can kind of connect you to some of the resources and assembly member dance who was here.

And I know that he's been working with some legal well with some legal organizations as well.

And so just how I'll be able to take your information and get our information so we can stay in contact.

Um, and those are the only questions I have at this time.

And thank you for talking about the sports uh program, and and that is a good initiative to get that money from the state, so it can be distributed throughout the city.

So I have no more questions for this panel.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, no.

It's here.

Thank you for everyone who um came here to share your thoughts and experiences today.

If there's anyone else left in the in the room who wish to speak but have not yet had the opportunity to do so, please raise your hand and fill out an appearance card with the sergeant of arms in the back of the room.

Seeing no hands here, we will now shift to Zoom testimony.

When your name is called, please wait until the member of our team unmute you, and the sergeant at arm indicates that you should begin.

Oh no, the first Zoom registrant is Amanda Wilkinson.

You may begin.

Hi, good afternoon, everyone, and thank you, Chair Stevens and the Committee on Children Youth.

I am a single mother.

I am a health care provider and mandated reporter in the city of New York.

I'm here in Harlem, West Harlem.

As a mother and as an advocate for my own child, but also in community, I have brought more awareness and I've heard more awareness from other parents who have had the unfortunate experience of immense and intense bullying, physical assault and harm, um, within schools where their children were not safe, but when these reports were being made by with school staff by the students or the parents, those reports were ignored, they were not addressed in any way.

Hi, is a hopeless.

Is this have to do with cornerstones or beacon or any of the resolutions?

Otherwise, we need you to stay on topic.

So understood.

I'd love to submit my proposal, and I actually do have it um some comments and I'm actually very happy to hear about the cornerstone and the fathers' initiatives.

Um, being a single mother, um, it is nice and refreshing to hear that fathers do want to take the initiative because unfortunately, I'm also an advocate for mothers who can't find resolution and having support for their children, like myself, um, not being able to afford also legal representation or any advocacy when the fathers are um absent and they don't have um the ability to receive child support or any services that their children do deserve and need um by state law.

Um so I would love to also support mothers in that way, and somehow, and with um with your community help, but I would also somehow even like to support the fathers who are taking the initiative too because it's a it's a community, it's a collaborative community.

Um, there's two sides of it as well, but thank you, your time has expired.

Thank you.

The next zoom registrant is Jennifer Nicole Alameda.

You may begin.

Um participants who have not yet spoken.

If you are currently on Zoom and wish to speak, but have not yet had the opportunity to do so.

Please raise your hand, the raise hand function and other staff member will unmute you.

No hands.

Seeing no hands, I would like to um note that everyone can submit written testimony at testimony at council.nyc.gov within 72 hours of this hearing.

I would like to extend my thanks to my dedicated community members who offered their testimony today, to the folks who ran these excellent community-based programs and to the staff who helped organize this hearing.

With that, I will adjourn this hearing.