Citizen Action of New York created and coordinates the Coalition for After-School Funding (CASF), made up of 350 member organizations. CASF coordinates an advocacy program that involves youth, parents and after-school providers in organizing secure federal, state and local funding for after-school programs in NYS by organizing statewide mobilizations and events.  CASF believes that every child in NY deserves access to a quality after-school program by 2010.


Our 2007 advocacy efforts -- in conjunction with partners statewide -- have resulted in real and concrete victories that will dramatically help after-school programs and the youth they serve:

  • Funding Increases and Programs Saved! – This year’s Advocacy Day was the centerpiece of a statewide campaign waged in response to the State Education Department’s decision not to renew 207 after-school programs serving 34,000 children, funded through the federal 21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative.  Through the efforts of CASF and its allies, several million dollars were added to the state budget to make up for the federal funding shortfall; many of the programs threatened with closure will be saved. A $700,000 increase was also provided for the Advantage After-School Program.

  • School Aid Reform Legislation Helps After-School Too! - In 2007, Citizen Action won one its greatest organizing victories ever, when, due to our efforts and those of several other major educational partners (including the Alliance for Quality Education and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity), the Legislature passed school aid reform that will eventually result in $7 billion in annual additional school funding.  The bill also requires school districts to direct a large share of the new funding to programs that have been shown to work, like after-school.

Next Steps
A lot more work needs to be done! On the statewide level, our priorities for the rest of 2008 are:

  • 21st Century Community Learning Center Program - CASF will advocate on the federal, state and local levels to protect existing 21st CCLC Programs still threatened with closure, and to ensure that funding for these critical programs is maintained.

  • School Aid Reform and After-School - CASF will advocate on the state and school district levels to ensure that school districts devote a portion of the new funding provided by the landmark 2007 school aid reform legislation to quality after-school programs.

    • 2008 Advocacy Agenda

    Click here to read about our goals for this legislative session.

    2008 CASF Award Recipients

    Click here to read about this year's CASF Awards Recipients.

    What's New?

    Click here to read the CASF testimony to the New York City Council about after-school programs.

If you live in New York, contact your local After-School organizer to find out how you can get involved on this critical issue.

In New York City: Kendra Guild, (212) 523-0180 ext. 43

In Western New York: Tina Washington-Abubekker, (716) 855-1522

All other areas of New York: Bob Cohen, 518-465-4600 ext. 104