PS20 is one of the twelve day care and after-school centers run by CPC for multiethnic families in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. With homework help, dance lessons, cooking classes, and a variety of other activities, PS 20 provides its students a "continuum of education" to the regular schooling that ends early afternoon. In the past few years, these centers are facing increased challenges as city changes its childcare structure.

 

Lois Lee, the Program Director of the School Age Day Care at PS 20 in Queens, explains that the goal of these after-school programs is to "make things relevant to kids' lives." There is constant communication and collaboration between PS 20's teachers and instructors from the after-school program so that there could be a "seamless" transition from regular school to the after-school program.

 

In the past five years, however, the city has made many changes that made enormous impacts on all day care and after-school programs like PS 20. For one, after-school programs that were founded on the generous idea of "free after-school care for all" are severely underfunded-often hundreds of children compete for a few dozen spots. Enrollment in day care or after-school programs has become like a lottery in many places due to enormous demand. The city removed school-age programs and kindergarten children from Day Care Centers and placed them in schools, emptying out day care centers' classrooms and undermining the "connectivity" these programs have worked so hard to build with local schools. 

 

Many Day Cares have become "feeders" to the schools that host them as the program director and principles closely communicate with one another about the needs of their children.  When the children "step-up" and move from attending Day Care to regular school, their teachers and after school teachers communicate with on another to make sure that their students get the attention they need when in both environments.  

 

With the loss of school age programming from Day Care Centers, however, the long term connection between the program director, staff, school principal and teachers is loss or severely weakened.  The synced communication and ongoing collaboration between all child care providers is necessary to provide children with the best education and enrichment time as possible.  Although many Day Care budgets are being cut, the needs of the children should come first. 

 

Original article from CSA News - Feb. 2011 page 8-9.

 

Last summer, Joseph Leung and Amanda Lee, a junior from Stuyvesant High School and a student from Forest Hills High School, were among the few lucky ones in this tough economic climate to have received summer jobs through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). 

 

On March 9th, however, Joseph, Amanda, together with about 30 youths from CPC and 300 others, gathered on the steps of the City Hall to rally for preserving SYEP in response to the recently proposed City, State, and Federal budget cuts that would severely downsize if not eliminate public programs such as the SYEP.

 

SYEP is city-wide, government-funded program and an important part of CPC that has been providing youth with means to be actively engaged in their community, gain work experience, and support their families. Last summer, 35,612 jobs were given to an applicant pool of 143,169. If the proposed budget plans are passed, a total of 18,000 summer jobs will be lost city-wide. 

 

"If these programs get cut," said Peter Chang, Youth Employment Program Director "kids would be prevented from meeting their full potential."

 

In the summer of 2010, CPC received 6000 applications to SYEP and were able to provide about 1200 summer jobs, which were only two thirds of the 1800 jobs provided two years ago. The proposed budget plan would further reduce the number of available slots to approximately 600 while CPC still expects to receive about the same number of applications.

 

During the rally, Joseph were among the many people who talked "their hearts out," as Joseph put it, about why they feel SYEP and other programs that may be cut are vitally important.

 

"These jobs provide teenagers like me to experience what an actual job would feel like," Joseph said, "kids need experience in the real world to decide whether or not they want to pursue an occupation in a certain field."

 

Amanda also reflected on that her experience with SYEP in CPC had been a particularly enriching one.

 

"I thank SYEP for giving me the opportunity to observe and learn, for introducing me to CPC who has guided me throughout the school year, enabled me to reveal my personality and meet new friends who I consider now to be close friends," Amanda said, "SYEP opens up opportunity for all youths to experience what it's like to have a job and take on it's responsibilities."

 

As of March 28, 2011 SYEP funding was put back into the state budget at $15.5 million. According to UNH, this funding restoration will save 11,000 jobs across the State, and almost 6,000 in New York City for this summer. Even with $15,5 million State SYEP funding restored, NYC's program only has enough funding to provide 24,000 jobs this summer; 12,000 fewer jobs than last summer.  

 

The restoration of SYEP funding will go into affect when the NYS budget is voted on and passed.  Click here to find who represents you.  There is still time to contact your elected officials in support of increased funding for SYEP.

 

CPC's SYEP applications for this summer will be available on April 18th, please see the bottom of this page for more information.

 

For more information on how SYEP budget cuts are affecting CPC please contact Peter Chang (pchang@cpc-nyc.org).  

February marked a joyful end to Chinese American Planning Council-Confucius Plaza School Age Child Care Center's (SACCC) staff's arduous two-year effort in getting the center accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), an internationally recognized institution that reviews and accredits human service organizations that meet its high standards. This is the first time Confucius Plaza SACCC being an accredited school age program.

 

The Confucius Plaza SACCC, located in P.S. 124, is the first after school program accredited by the COA in the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) of the city of New York. The accreditation signifies the center's long-term commitment to giving the best to its children by providing high quality programing, entailing high quality staff, cleanliness, offering various recreational and educational enrichment program, health and nutrition, safety, well-maintained relationship to the wider community and more. 

 

"COA's recognition is not just nation-wide, it's international," Pauline Chen, the director of the SACCC said, "this is very good for our center and CPC, especially in securing both funding and recognition."

 

"I'm just so happy!" Diane Lui, the center's activity specialist, exclaimed. Diane, Pauline, and Timothy Chin, the center's program aide, worked together to accomplish this daunting task.

 

The accreditation process outlined by the COA requires organizations to prepare extensively researched and surveyed narratives of their service, administration, and human resources. Organizations also must provide thorough documentations on-site for interviewers who come from all over the United States and Canada to do an assessment/evaluate our program.

 

"We have three large bins of documents when they [the interviewers] came," Diane says, "they sat down in our office with the door locked. No one was allowed to go in while they were looking through the files." The interviewers interviewed PS 124's principal, 3 parents, 3 teachers, 3 administrative staffs, 1 CPC board member and CPC's founder Virginia Kee.

 

Late in 2008, the day care center formed an accreditation advisory committee consisting of CPC staff, the principal of P.S. 124, parents, and the students. They collaborated in extensively researching the organization itself, drafting surveys that were sent out to parents, children, and staff.

 

COA's accreditation is not a one-time deal, but a long-term commitment to exceptional quality service on the parts of both COA and CPC. "We must get reevaluated every four years," Diane explained, "Even after the accreditation, we're constantly being monitored and it is an ongoing process."

 

Established in 1969, it is the CPC's first day care center funded by the Human Resource Administration Agency for Child Development. The center was originally named the Confucious Plaza Day Care Center but changed its name to Confucius Plaza SACCC in 1976, the same year it moved to its current location in P.S. 124 after the Confucius Plaza was built. Since then the center has grown immensely in size from only 2 classes offered and a total of 50 students served in the very early years to more than 8 classes now. Currently the center serves185 students, is funded by the Department of Youth and Community Development of NYC and has over 400 students on its waiting list.

 

For more information about and accreditation process for Confucius Plaza Day Care Center, please contact Pauline Chen or Timothy Chin by calling 212-925-4325.

CPC's 2011 Annual Lunar New Year Dinner, held on February 10th at Jing Fong Restaurant, was a huge success, raising over $200,000. Congratulations to this year's Trailblazer Award winner Sheryl WuDunn, Civil Leadership Award winner Scott Stringer, Comunity Service Award winners Judge Michael Corriero, Robin Mui, Michael Mulgrew, and Lily Din Woo, and Volunteer Extraordinaire Vanessa Chiu. 

CPC Brooklyn - 2nd Annual "Better Health, Better Life" Health Fair

Date: Sat., 4/30 

Time: 11am - 3pm

Location: CPC Beacon @ IS220 4812 9th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11220

Contact: Ms. Wai Yee Chan or Ms. Lucy Chen (718) 492-0409

 

Summer Youth Employment Program Application

Date: available starting on 4/18 

Location: DYCD website

Contact: Peter Chang (pchang@cpc-nyc.org)

 

CPC Project Gateway SAT Prep Class

Date: Class is in session 3/30 - 6/1, Monday and Wednesday 

Time: 4 - 6pm

Location: Registration at CPC Central (150 Elizabeth Street, New York NY 10012) 

Fee: $250 (SAT Book included)

Contact: Jennifer Ja (212) 941-0920 x.147 

              (projectgateway@cpc-nyc.org)

Note: Open to High school Juniors.  Classes cover critical reading, writing and math (focus will be on math).  Free college application assistance.