Advocates for Children of New York

Note: The organization did not respond to this question.

Note: The organization did not respond to this question.

Staff attend a wide variety of outside programs offering education and training. For example, a company called Exec Comm has provided frequent opportunities, free of charge, for individual staff at all levels of the organization to participate in training sessions on presentation skills, writing, and other topics. In addition, individual staff members, identified by the Executive Director, have been given the opportunity to participate in various leadership development institutes and academies, and most legal staff have attended the PLI Education Law Institute every year. All supervisors are required to attend a two-day management training course at the Management Center, and AFC has sent 14 non-supervisory staff to Management Center programs over the past two years to learn skills like project management and “managing up.”.

AFC has developed in-depth knowledge of education law and practice, and we are widely recognized as a leading authority on the NYC special education system. Parents, professionals, and other advocates looking for legal expertise often turn to AFC for guidance in interpreting the extensive statutes and regulations that apply to education. We are frequently asked to train or consult with other advocacy groups, and the media often looks to us for insight on stories pertinent to New York City students. Indeed, we have been at the table on most major policy changes in education since 1971. In addition, AFC has notable areas of specialization – in the educational rights of immigrant students and English Language Learners, students experiencing homelessness, and students involved with the child welfare or juvenile justice system -- that make us stand out from other organizations offering special education advocacy.

During the pandemic, we had to increase our use of digital outreach to reach families. However, once the pandemic ended, we quickly became aware that many families lack digital access or have low literacy skills and have a harder time obtaining information as a result. To reach these families, AFC explored new methods of outreach. For example, AFC posted ads on 10 LinkNYC kiosks in Brooklyn and the Bronx, in English and Spanish, and started a monthly newsletter, Building Blocks, in English and Spanish, for 3-K and Pre-K providers to facilitate outreach to families of preschoolers with disabilities in their programs. In addition, AFC sent an email with contact information for its Helpline to all City Council Members at the start of the school year so they could refer constituents with education issues to us. We also engaged in a number of outreach activities specifically targeting newly arrived immigrant families. Our bilingual staff reached out to schools and superintendents where high numbers of new migrant students have enrolled and provided know-your-rights workshops (in-person and on Zoom), a legal clinic, and one-to-one assistance to families.