NYC Plans to Close Dozens of After-School Programs

The city is set to close dozens of Brooklyn after-school programs, angering working parents who say there’s nowhere else for their kids to go.

Brooklyn is slated to lose 77 of its 154 Out of School Time programs in the fall, the most programs axed in any borough.

Many parents say they will have to give up jobs or school if the programs close. In a survey of Brooklyn parents by the NYC Campaign for Children, 32% said they would quit a job or educational opportunity, while 28% would leave kids alone.

The Bloomberg administration’s proposed budget cuts funding for the OST program from $91.5 million to $73.3 million, with 23,838 of 52,567 kids losing their seats.

Advocates estimate 10,000 of the slashed seats are in Brooklyn.