On Friday, August 13, the Grand Street Settlement Child and Family Center (GGS CTC) came a major step closer to victory- staying open and continuing to serve low-income children and families in a high need section of Bushwick, Brooklyn.
The Grand Street Settlement and the private landlord/owner of 783 Knickerbocker Ave, the Center's "home" for decades, reached an agreement on lease terms and signed a term sheet reflecting the agreement. The positive outcome was the result of months of intense, strategic actions on the part of a team consisting of determined and committed parents, staff, GSS' executive management team, GSS' board of directors, advocates,a union, friends, supporters and elected officials.
The NYC Agency for Children's Services (ACS) told Grand Street Settlement that it would rescind its plan to close the GSS CTC when GSS had a term sheet. Well, there is a signed term sheet and it's time for ACS to send letters informing parents, staff and others that the GSS CTC will remain open and will continue to serve children and families as it has done all along - despite ACS' issuance of a closeout plan that required GSS to give termination notices to 40+ staff members and ACS' notification to working parents, that the center they relied upon for the safe and reliable care of their children would cease to operate.
The Grand Street Settlement and the GCC CTC's supporters have done their part and more. The ball is now in ACS' court. Will ACS and the City of New York deliver on a promise? Stay tuned and I'll tell you.
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