From the Offices of Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry and Council Member Shekar Krishnan:

Council Member Shekar Krishnan and Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry’s offices have been in regular communication with school leadership, program providers, parents, and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) regarding this matter. We have met with DYCD multiple times to convey the concerns raised by the school communities, and for clarity about the procurement process.

In response to increased demand for afterschool programs, DYCD launched the first competitive procurement process for these contracts in more than a decade. DYCD shared that proposals from organizations went through an equitable process and these were the results. Input from the school's principals were taken into account in the decisions to award the contracts.

The current providers have the opportunity to file an appeal if they believe there were issues with the procurement process, and the deadline to do so is today, June 5. The providers were informed of this. We are in communication with DYCD and the affected providers regarding that process. Once appeals are filed, DYCD has up to 30 days to review and respond.

Our office will continue to monitor the appeal process closely and advocate for transparent communication between DYCD, providers, the school, and families. DYCD has also committed to ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining high quality afterschool programs that provide the same services. We will continue to hold the agency accountable to that commitment and keep the community informed as we learn more.

Thank you,

Offices of Council Member Shekar Krishnan and Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry