Dear Neighbor,

The City has been allowed by the State to go ahead with its mid-year UPK expansion and we need your help. As a result, the City Council is once again partnering with the Department of Education (DOE), the Administration for Children Services (ACS) and childcare advocates to help enroll four-year olds in FREE Universal Pre Kindergarten (UPK) programs by Friday, January 30th.

Currently, there are over 4,000 half-day and full-day UPK seats still available for children who turned four years of age by December 31, 2008, in public schools, child care centers contracted by (ACS) and community-based organizations contracted by the (DOE). Research clearly supports UPK as a way to support the social, emotional and academic skills of children as well as prepare children for kindergarten.

We hope that you will join us in getting the word out that UPK slots are still available. Please help distribute the attached fliers which are available in English, Spanish and Chinese. To help target areas with the most vacancies, attached are updated maps of vacant slots by zip codes.

How families can get more information regarding available slots:

* Families can call 311 and ask for “UPK programs in my neighborhood”, or call (888) 469-5999 toll free.
* NYCMap lets families search for UPK programs with available seats close to their home, work or school. Families can log on to www.nyc.gov, click on the “Universal Pre-K” hand icon, click on “locate a program,” and enter an address.
* The DOE Web site has a directory of programs with available seats at (http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK/default.htm).

If you have questions please call Melvyn Mahon in my District Office at (212) 564-7757 x102.

Sincerely,

Christine C. Quinn
Speaker

WHAT: State Senator Thomas K. Duane (D, WFP – Manhattan) is hosting a forum on “College Financial Aid: Where to Look, How to Apply, When to Start and What to Watch out For.”

WHEN: Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 6:30pm

WHERE: P.S. 19, 185 First Avenue (between 11th and 12th Streets)

WHO: Presenters will include representatives of the New York Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, the Office of New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association, the US Department of Education and New York State Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Deborah J. Glick.

Co-sponsors include Congressmembers Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, Borough President Scott Stringer, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Assemblymembers Brian Kavanaugh and Richard Gottfried, and City Councilmembers Rosie Mendez and Dan Garodnick.