Advocacy Center

Parent Advocacy is the most important advocacy of all! For 853 and 4410 schools, the key question to ask legislators is “If I pay the same taxes as every other New Yorker, why is my child’s school not funded in the same way?”

Brookville Center for Children’s Services is composed of 4410 special-education preschools and 853 state-approved school-age programs. Advocate for BCCS students by calling for legislators to:

• Address the urgent and ongoing teacher shortages experienced by 4410 and 853 schools.

• Include a 10% tuition increase so that 4410 and 853 students receive the same investment as students at public schools.

• Adjust cost screen modification from 70/30 to 56/35, beginning with the 2022-23 school year until the implementation of a new rate methodology.

• Share your support of these issues with state representatives. Unsure of who your representatives are? Find out at www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative.

• Share Brookville Center’s social media posts dedicated to advocacy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Become More Informed

• 2023 Parent Video Training. “Learning About the State of Education (NYS 853 & 4410).” Educators and advocates from The InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies (IACNY) offers insight into the current service obstacles of 4410 and 853 schools; share October 2022 survey results from education providers; and actionable advocacy steps. Find out the answers to questions, including:

  -Does my child receive the same funding as children attending public schools?
  -Why is my child’s school experiencing staffing shortages?
  -Are the other schools struggling to staff their schools?
  -Do all schools have teacher shortages?
  -Where are all the therapists?
  -What can you to do help?
  –View here.