My team (Grand Street Settlement's Executive Management and Board leadership) and I have been working night and day since June 2, 2010, to ensure that the Grand Street Settlement Child and Family Center in Bushwick, Brooklyn (serving 160 children from low-income families and employing 40+ staff members) does not fall prey to a haplessly wielded budget ax which is aimed at, and soon will land on, our program. The amount, in dollars, standing between saving the program and dismantling it is $125,000 per year for 2 years at most. We're told that our City's budget woes are such that it cannot come up with that amount Did you know that the time and effort of city workers (price tag please?) are being used to close off, and install portable swimming pools on, Park Avenue for tourists and others? How can one argue with the wisdom of such a choice? I'm not going there!

The affected families, and we, have taken our case to the highest echelons of the bureaucracy in charge, and little has changed. The day designated (by the bureaucracy) as the final day for serving families is August 20, 2010. But-the families and children and staff keep showing up - determined not to allow the little they have (good quality child care services ) to be taken from them. At the moment, the Grand Street Settlement Child and Family Center in Bushwick is alive and well and open for business because the children and families need the services.

At the moment, it feels like those in charge are hoping to run out the clock - dismantling the program and services by default. This is taking place even as the Mayor and the Commissioner of the NYC Agency for Children's Services have, with fanfare and celebrity sponsors, launched a campaign warning parents to be very careful about leaving their children in the care of family members, friends, and others who might be untrained or unsuited to care for children. It's a good campaign issue but, under the circumstances, there seems to be something wrong with this picture. Do you see it? It's causing more than a few thinking people "cognitive dissonance".

The people in charge may not see the disconnect between what's being promoted- safe and reliable care for vulnerable children- and taking safe, reliable and professional child care away from low-income working parents (who are voters and taxpayers) and their children. Perhaps others can help them see and understand the wisdom of stopping a counterproductive action ( discontinuation of valuable services to children and families in need) that makes little sense.

311 was created so that government decision makers can hear from us- the voters and taxpayers. You can make your voice heard by calling 311 and, for information about how to contact the players (Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs, ACS Commissioner John Mattingly, Deputy Commissioner (ACS) Melanie Hartzog) more directly,(find phone numbers and email addresses etc) go to www.nyc.gov

August 20, 2010 is 12 days away. The clock is ticking. Please do what you can to help!

Gracias