And I think that's important that we know what the tax structure is in each of your respective cities are so we can compare.
And, again, I'm not afraid to do something, I'd just like to know because on balance, while we're trying to 00070 encourage development, we don't want to, on the back end, incur additional taxes. And I understand in the long run, it's to everyone's benefit, but that's not so easy to explain to folks sometimes. So it would be helpful to me, while I contemplate my decision on support or nonsupport of this bill. And in our bill that's being proposed, it's basically -- it says that any business, entity or group that is awarded financial assistance in excess of $100,000 must contribute amount equal to 1 percent of the value of the assistance, and I guess that goes to my previous question. Is there a threshold? Does a small business person who's opening a deli have to pay that portion as well as -- similar to the portion as paid by the hotel or the office building? I mean, $100,000 really doesn't get you far in this environment, whether it's Philadelphia or anywhere else. I mean, $100,000 is a very small amount of money, so if small businesses are going to have to pay that percent, it could be rather dramatic for them 00071 1 as opposed to hotel development, which is a $50 million project, and that money's coming in from a lot of different sources.
I'm asking, actually, any of the three of you, but I'm --
Well, we don't have the same measure, but they're proposing a threshold, which --
I know in our bill, it's $100,000, and $100,000 in today's environment -- I have friends of mine who just opened a restaurant a couple of years ago across from where I live. They took a vacant butcher shop, and these guys -- the people who built it are in the contracting business, they spent $350,000 to renovate a little restaurant that seats about 45 people. You know, they struggled to get to that place, to open that business, which eventually employs people who pay wage taxes, et cetera. 00072 So I need to have some numbers.
Yeah, I mean, most of the measures that we do in San Francisco that are comparable to this have threshold where the idea is not is not to hurt the mom-and-pop small business but to really generate some revenues from --
And that's where I'm going, 'cause most businesses -- well, maybe it isn't most, maybe many businesses in Philadelphia, whether they're a small business or a big business, receive some sort of assistance from the City, whether it's facade improvements, whether it's an abatement or an exemption, whether it's for equipment that goes into the building, into the business. So, again, if you're dealing with a small business that maybe takes 150,000 to get started but the City contributed 10, 15, 20,000 towards that, it can be significant that it may not get them to where they have to be in order to open that business up.
Councilman, I want to -- if I may respond in a couple ways. One, I love 00073 it when you said --
I hope you're going to be here in support of the billboard signs, Shelly.
I did like it when you said "our bill" a few minutes ago. The second thing I wanted to suggest was that this does do percentage. And so, I mean, obviously, it's 1 percent of the value. So if the value of the benefit isn't very much, then it's not -- and actually, there are some child care and after-school providers who -- who -- they -- they don't think of a $100,000 as a little bit of money. They have to struggle an awful lot to get anywhere near there. And so I guess the -- you know, the comment is that there's nothing that can satisfy totally everybody. This seems to be one -- I mean, people say, Why aren't we working on 5 percent, what are we doing with percent? And I guess the 1 percent is 24 because we think we are cognizant that we don't 25 want to discourage. We want to encourage 00074 1 developers, but we also want it to be linked to recognize that kids and families benefits and business benefits should go together in the City.
I'm going to go back to San Francisco and we're going to hit up Bloomingdale's. (Laughter.)
At least you have Bloomingdale's. (Unintelligible, parties talking over each other.)
And I think it has something to do with our tax base in Philadelphia, actually. What's the number of children in San Francisco who are benefitting from the program?
What are the number of children in the school district in San Francisco, do you know? 00075
63,000. It's a -- your child population is two and a half times ours.
Councilmember Clarke and then Councilmember Tasco. We'll he's on the committee that's why, a protocol thing.
I just have a question for Miss Brodkin. Do you use property taxes to fund your schools?
What impact does this 2.5 percent have on your property tax for school funding?
Nothing, nothing. It's the property tax that goes into the general fund. Our schools are funded through the state. The property tax gets funneled to the state and it all comes from the state. That amount is set; this has no impact on this. So 00076 this is a portion of the property tax that goes into the city's general fund, which does not fund the school district. It does have an impact on the other things that the city funds -- that was one, of course, of the arguments against it, which was that it ties down a certain portion of the general fund. Well, our argument was, of course, this is a high priority and, you know, other things will be will -- will accommodate to it, which is exactly what happened.
I appreciate it. Don't leave I have another question. But I want to say to -- I agree with Shelly that we always find ways not to do something. It would be very nice if we could find a way to do something for children. I mean, she's been advocating for years, ever since I've been here, for some small funding dedicated to children. And I'd like to see us take a 00077 proactive approach as opposed to every time we send something to the Law Department, it comes back, you can't do this for legal and regulatory reasons, and they never tell us how to do it. And I'd like to see us have a discussion about how we do it, how we get there. What we do is very important, but I don't want to start off with "we can't do it."
One last question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that everybody in this room 16 believes that we need additional dollars for our children, and I'm the proud father of a child. We had an opportunity, and unfortunately, her father had a halfway decent job, so he was able to accommodate a number of things. But I have this pet peeve, and, Shelly, I've actually mentioned it to you. I think I spoke at the library about this. And my question is, what is your organization's and 00078 some of the other organizations' involvement in encouraging parental responsibility and parental involvement? 'Cause, honestly, I think throughout the studies and the number of analysis that have been done as it relates to funding for children, on the other side of the coin, there's also this part about lack of parental involvement and parental responsibility that causes us to continue to have to put money into these various programs. And I'm wondering, what's the involvement of your organizations to encourage that side of the coin?
Actually, Councilman Clarke, no one would in any way disagree that parents are the most important teachers, guiders, mentors of kids. And we also well know that parents these days, whether we like it or not, most of them are working out of the home. And so what public funding is trying to do is to support what happens to kids when their parents are working in many instances, and they are not supervised. So that's a general piece. 00079 Our organization actually is just starting a project with the Department of Human Services to try to develop family support parenting programs in many of the -- in actually most of the neighborhoods in the City. Obviously, that's a long-term goal, much as after-school programming was five years ago. But we've got to have more resources for parents to strengthen their involvement, to guide them and, in fact, to -- and we strongly agree with you that parenting, you know, that strong parenting makes better kids, most of the time. And we will yield that not at all. But the public responsibility is there too. Many of our parents can't afford the programming that they know is good for kids, many parents have to be out working when their kids are home. I mean, all of this comes in. Child care, we're going to be -- about 80 percent of the families in the country are going to need child care because the primary parent is working. Now, how are we going to do that unless we really invest more seriously? That's a national problem, you know. 00080 But certainly we all -- and we'd like to work as much as we can with your office and with anybody else to try to figure out ways to strengthen parent involvement, at the same time recognizing the stress that parents are under in trying to work and take care of their home and take care of their kids.
Well, you know, I hear you and I agree that the public should invest, but, I mean, sometimes, there's this fine line. Both of my parents did work, but my father also was the coach of the little league, as were a number of the other fathers on the block. Unfortunately, I understand today's family environment where we don't -- sometimes don't have that two-parent family. But, fortunately, we have a lot of women stepping to the plate. At 25th and Diamond, we have three female coaches. In the last year, the female coached team won the championship of the little league over there. So I really would like to work with you and your other organizations because I really think that people need to get more 00081 involved, and sometimes I think that if we put too much public funding on the table, it kind of gives people a crutch and a reason not to be involved the way they should be involved.
If I may, I'll just tell you that, you know, if you do this, really think of it as a community-building effort, because that's what it is. When you have, for example, in our programs, if you ever came to Baltimore, you would always see parents in our program during program hours. You'll see them after program hours 'cause they're working with the team to plan what's going to happen next. We're also doing things with families together, and so this that we've made a -- the parents have become a very essential part of what we do, because, fact it, $80,000 for a program with 150 to 200 children in it just doesn't cover it. If you didn't have the in-kind contribution of volunteer hours from parents from our neighborhood churches and other community organizations, that you couldn't do it. And so you recognize that, and 00082 that really is built into your effort as well as those businesses who look for volunteer opportunities. And that's exactly that's happening for us. And I would recommend you do the same.
And there is, Councilman Clarke, there is a parent here who took time to talk about needs as he sees it, so we definitely believe parents have a very critical role here.
Thank you very much for your testimony. The Chair calls Estelle Richman, or her representative. Captain Joe Mooney. Is Dr. Farmby here?
No? Janice Davis. Is there anyone from Human Services or any other City agency? 00083 (Witness comes forward.)
Thank you. Miss Davis, could you identify yourself for the record and proceed.
The Director of Finance and Secretary of Financial Oversight for the City of Philadelphia. I'm here today to testify regarding Bill 543, which would require parties contracting with the City and receiving financial assistance to contribute 1 percent of such financial assistance to the fund for Philadelphia's children. The fund would be responsible for contributing to new and existing programs that benefit children throughout the City. The Administration supports the spirit and intent of this bill. However, we believe that Bill 543 is too broad in scope and too vague in its implementation strategy, especially with regard to the percent formula 00084 1 and the items that would be considered financial assistance. The Street Administration is solidly committed to improving the lives of children. I would like to take a moment to highlight for the committee both the significant investment that the City already makes in programs specifically oriented towards children and the multitude of general services that benefit all of Philadelphia's residents, including the young. In order to determine the amount of the City's resources that benefit the City's youth, the Managing Director's office recently conducted an analysis of every City department, board and commission and City-related agencies. This massive inventory initiative included 16 different departments and agencies, with a specific programmatic focus on children. It was determined that the total General Fund expenditure identified for children's programs was $474,265,116 in Fiscal Year 1999 and $520,749,792 in Fiscal Year 2000. 00085 Expenditures for children's programs are budgeted at $564,012,741 in Fiscal Year 2001. Importantly, these totals represent approximately 40 percent of the budget for the departments and agencies inventoried. It is also important to recognize that expenditures for children have risen each year, from 9 percent of the General Fund budget in Fiscal 10 '99 to percent in 2000 and percent of 11 the budgeted total in Fiscal Year 2001. 12 What may be most significant, 13 however, is the fact that the resources 14 dedicated to children's programs are growing at 15 a faster rate than the General Fund budget as a 16 whole. The children's program expenditures 17 rose 10 percent from Fiscal Year '99 to 2000 18 and are budgeted to increase by 8 percent from 19 2000 to 2001. Comparatively, the General Fund, 20 as a whole, increased by 4 percent from Fiscal Year '99 to 2000 and is budgeted to increase another 4 percent this year. This funding supports a wide variety of children's programs that benefit youth throughout the City of Philadelphia, including, 00086 but not limited to, all programs available through the Department of Human services, with the exception of the Division of Aging, the Department of Recreation and the Free Library and programs available through the School District. While the Administration is proud of the commitment it has made to Philadelphia's children, it is unquestionable that more must be done. Too many children are faced with insurmountable challenges in life and need a helping hand to ensure that they can grow in a healthy, safe, engaging environment. The Administration is eager to develop new avenues of funding that will increase both the quality and quantity of children's programs. Children are our most precious resource, and the Administration is committed to nurturing and enriching the lives of Philadelphia's children. However, as I stated at the beginning of my testimony, I believe that this ordinance will not necessarily accomplish this objective and may, at the same time, hinder the economic development essential 00087 to our city's future -- city's success going forward. I would like to address the issue of economic development and my belief that this bill would harm the growth that is so vital to the overall economic health of our city.
This bill would have an impact on most agencies that have traditionally administered and supervised economic development in Philadelphia -- the Commerce Department, PIDC, and PCDC. Notably, however, this bill would also have an impact on most City agencies dedicated to providing suitable housing alternatives for City residents -- the Office of Housing and Community Development, the Redevelopment Authority, and the Philadelphia Housing Authority. 61 million of community development block grant was allocated for community economic development. 5 million for loans and grants to businesses. 4 million to capitalize its small-business revolving loan 00088 fund, funded security rebate program, and funded facade treatment and other programs. 6 million to be allocated along its Enterprise Zone Program, Special Services District Program, neighborhood support services, and planning and pre-development program. In Fiscal Year 2001, the Commerce Department will fund nine community development corporations under its neighborhood support program. As the fund is presently configured -- as the bill is presently configured, all of this funding will be effectively reduced by the amount of the contribution to the fund. Any assistance being made to community development corporations to foster development in distressed areas of the City will be reduced if this bill is approved. 8 million. Over 17,500 jobs were impacted by these loans. As much as 50 percent of those loans were made to businesses choosing 00089 to operate in some of Philadelphia's distressed areas. I believe that this bill will adversely affect all PIDC loans and will adversely affect the ability of the City to foster economic development via PIDC programs. Importantly, this will also affect the ability of certain businesses to operate in some of Philadelphia's most distressed areas. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, PCDC gave financial assistance totaling 7 million to 133 entities. These loans were made mainly to small businesses that act as the very backbone and life blood to Philadelphia's continued economic success. I fear that many of these small businesses may not be able to meet the specifications of this bill and would be severely impacted by these requirements. In the Office of Housing and Community Development's budget for Fiscal Year 2001, approximately $17 million was dedicated to housing production; $2 million was dedicated to employment and training programs; $8 million was dedicated to community economic 00090 development. Imposing the 1 percent requirement on this agency would drastically affect the funding that can be provided for the development of low- and moderate-income housing for Philadelphia's residents. Further, imposing this 1 percent requirement will limit the number of community economic development programs that would be available for Philadelphia's neighborhoods. The Administration cannot support any initiative that jeopardizes housing or communities development. It is important for me to emphasize that the Administration strongly supports the development of specific sources of funding that would allow for the increase of children's programs. However, taking funding from development projects and/or businesses committed to staying in the City could have a harsh effect on the City's ability to successfully thrive long into the future. We cannot risk jeopardizing the small gains we have made in recent years by enacting legislation that will reverse, slow down, or in 00091 any way affect this. Just as we recognize that even a minuscule increase in taxes can drive business and residents away, this measure being proposed today is no different. This may cause businesses or developers to look elsewhere to locations where the cost of doing business is lower.
In addition to my concern regarding how Bill 543 would stifle economic development in our city, I am concerned with certain fiscal ambiguities that I believe would create confusion within the business community with the practical application of this bill. I believe that attempting to determine 1 percent of some of the items defined by the bill as financial assistance would be difficult, if not impossible. For example, the Commerce Department and other City economic development agencies are involved in multi-million dollar HUD 108 loans for major development projects that target low and moderate job creation. Because of the broad definition of "assistance," which 00092 would include, for example, real estate tax abatements, these programs would be included and affected. I believe that this would ultimately be very bad for the overall economic health of the City. The broad definition of "financial assistance" makes it nearly impossible to calculate the full economic impact that the bill would have. No one questions the need to do as much as we possibly can for our children, but it is important to recognize that Philadelphia is a diverse microcosm, in which many different systems are interrelated and dependent upon each other. Encouraging growth in the business community will allow for an increase in both jobs and revenue in the City. This, in turn, will allow the City to give more back to its residents. Making a change in one system can have an adverse impact on another. We must nurture and foster growth in ways that the entire system can successfully flourish. The Administration is eager to work with Council to improve the level and quality of children's 00093 services and would welcome any input from Council regarding this matter. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before this committee today. I'd be glad to answer any questions at this time.
Are there any questions from members of the committee?
I'm sorry. Who wants to go first? Councilwoman Tasco?
Thank you so much for coming to testify. I represent an area in northwest and a strip called Wadsworth Avenue, and we have thriving businesses there. I mean, we've -- we have maybe one store that's vacant. And we can't get any support, or very little support, for community activities from these businesses. And a couple of years ago, the City gave some stimulus money for facade development 00094 and we put money in their businesses to help them improve the community, and we had to fight them 'cause they don't want to invest in the community, but they were taking money out of that community. There were people -- the stores were thriving. Most of them are eateries, so they're always filled. And there must be something going on up there 'cause you can get any kind of meal you want on Wadsworth Avenue. We also have a group of teenagers that hang out on that street. Now, one of the problems I have in that area is that I can't get funding for after-school programs or any programs from community development block grant because the neighborhood income is too high. So as the lady said from San Francisco, their program covered the entire city. So we are struggling to keep these kids off the street, we get very little support from the business community. So what are we to do? They come in there, do business, and then take the money across Cheltenham Avenue, Montgomery County, 00095 and Delaware County. And then to have to force them to participate in a program that will improve their businesses and make it look better. I don't see them leaving Philadelphia if we ask them for 1 percent of something in return for development. Not at all, not at all. (Applause.).
The people who are doing business in the City, these are developers. They pay a fee to do business. They -- the community development CDCs, they hire developers, and the developers get a fee for doing those projects. So they're not poor, and they want to do business in this city. And we constantly hear -- I would love to have you rewrite this testimony to tell me how we could do it, because I don't see these developers running anyplace else to do development and not want to participate in this program. (Applause.)
I heard the lady from San Francisco say that the business community, the Council didn't support them. And now everybody wants to support them because they have a funded program. I think that we wouldn't have so many families leaving the City, Councilman Kenney, if we in the past years had developed some way to reach out to all communities in this city and not just targeted communities, to bring after-school programs, to bring programs into the neighborhoods that would cut the crime, 'cause if I had after-school program in the Northwest, I wouldn't have those kids on Wadsworth Avenue in the afternoon hanging out. We would have something for them to do. So the benefit to the community far outweighs 1 percent of what these businesses would pay because they are thriving.
We would love to work with you to develop a mechanism to provide additional funding to all areas of the City.
Is there an ability to work on that effort within the 00097 framework of this bill? And what suggestions and changes and recommendations would you make to amend this bill? I mean, obviously, you can't give them all to me today, but are there any things that come out in your mind that could be changed? I mean, n Councilman DiCicco's line of questioning on the $100,000 threshold limit, you know, was clearly a concern of his, and, you know, maybe if that threshold was raised to a level that doesn't hurt small businesses, that he could be, you know, supportive of it in full. So I guess my question is, in addition to opposing it, what is the Administration recommending we do to change it to make it more palatable and better?
We would need to look at some other opportunities to amend the bill. I'm not certain that this bill could be amended in its current form to get there, but we welcome Council's help to fashion something that gets us where the Councilwoman would like to go. 00098
I guess, in deference to the Council President and as acting chair now, perhaps we could make a request that within two weeks or so, three weeks, you could come back with some written recommendations and amendments to this particular bill?
Is that a sufficient amount of time, do you believe or --
I would think we should have sufficient time to come back with something that would get where we're trying to go.
I would like to see the fervor of the Administration, not just this one, any administration in the City, come to Council and say, We are for something that's pro-children, pro-families that we're considering and -- (Applause.)
With the same fervor that we get when they find ways to fund 00099 parking garages, hotels, which are all needed and I've supported, because I do believe Philadelphia needs to grow and thrive, but somehow, they've got to find a way to be enthusiastic about some of the initiatives that we take to provide funding for children. Shelly and PCCY have always talked about some small fund, at least a beginning, to help children. And all of the dollars that have been outlined here on of your testimony, most of that probably goes to services for children and youth and for juvenile crime. Very little of that 500-and-some million dollars would go to direct programs for children in the neighborhoods of the communities, so they've lumped everything that they've funded, that comes under the Department of Human Services that deals with children; it's not necessarily a program that is a proactive program. They may be preventive and they may provide services for children, but not preventable programs in the community.
Miss Davis, how long do you think you guys would need to come 00100 back with some recommendations? And as Councilman DiCicco's informing me, I'm -- just one second. Miss Davis, just one second. As Councilman DiCicco mentioned just now, I mean, we're not looking for formal amendments. We could take written suggestions on what areas we need to concentrate on to make the Administration more comfortable with this.
Thank you. Are there any questions for Miss Davis? Councilman DiCicco?
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just briefly. You know, the tax abatement issue, and I think you may have heard my comments earlier. When you're doing your recommendations, would you also be able to give us some examples of what impact that may have? I mean, on the exemption bill that we did in 1997, a lot -- and I would suggest that if anyone has an argument with this that I think we had proven the fact that had it not been for 00101 the exemption tax in 1997, 35 buildings that are now occupied would have still been sitting out there vacant. What impact would any type of tax for this program, or any other program, have on that kind of development? And, again, not to be in an argumentive position here, but just to be able to look at it in a broader sense, 'cause I think what happens with this bill -- and, again, I support the intent of this wholeheartedly. I think that it may be a little bit too broad because when I look at the real estate portion, the abatement of real estate taxes, would this not be contrary to what we just passed a couple weeks ago, even so far as it relates to single-family residential properties? Is it the value of the property or is it just the tax that would be on that property? I mean, that's lower-income, moderate-income folks buy who were hoping they'd be able to buy homes and be a part of the fabric of this community. So, I mean, those are things that we really need to look at. And any recommendation 00102 would be helpful. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Miss Davis, I was just thinking about possibly looking at something on the procurement side, where you have a more of a competitive environment. If we put out an RFP, maybe as a part of that RFP, there includes -- and I don't know how legal this would be -- some reference to favorable consideration if a particular respondent gives a corporate contribution to such a fund. And I've seen us do that in the past kind of unofficially on the housing side and it was relatively successful, and I don't know the legality of that, but I think that because it's the RFP process, you will not get bids out of kilter with the traditional bidding process because people are still trying to submit a competitive bid, but I think it will also give them some incentive to put something on the 00103 table as a corporate contribution.
Any other questions for Miss Davis? (No further questions.)
Good morning. CAPTAIN MOONEY: I've been asked to testify for the Police Department and give a law enforcement perspective on Council Bill 16 543. And through our experience in the Police Department and law enforcement, we know that juveniles and children who commit crimes generally do so when they're not in school or they're not otherwise constructively engaged. They're either truant or they commit criminal acts after school or in the evening or during the summertime. And we feel that idle time and the lack of constructive activities contributes 00104 to children's propensity for mischief and criminal activity. So the Police Department supports any effort or initiative which allows children to make constructive use of their time and reduces idle time, especially after school hours. The Police Department would want to encourage youth development and prevent crime and disorder throughout the City. Programs of activity and enrichment such as sports leagues, music lessons, after-school tutoring would be the types of programs that we feel could help reduce the incidents of juvenile crime and delinquency.
Thank you very much. Are there any questions for Captain Mooney? (No questions.) (Applause.)
Cheryl Oakman, Cheryl Weiss, Veronica Elias, Wanda Miale, 00105 Blondell Oates. (Witnesses come forward.)
Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.
My name is Dr. Cheryl Oakman, and I'm the Director of the Center for Youth Development at United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. And I appreciate the opportunity to come before you today to discuss how important it is for the City of Philadelphia to create dedicated revenue streams to ensure the availability of more and better services for our children and youth. The Center for Youth Development basically came about as a result of the William Penn Foundation commissioning the United Way to study the opportunities and barriers to development of preteens and young adolescents in low-income neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia. This 1996 study was guided by literature on adolescents and how best to design programs for them. Youth development basically promote a shift away from an exclusive focus on problems 00106 of youth and going beyond mere prevention and intervention to address the full range of developmental competencies, supports, opportunities and services that benefit all young people, regardless of income and regardless of risk environment or whether problem behaviors are being displayed. Problem-free is not fully prepared and prevention and intervention alone is inadequate. I just wanted to address one of the things that you had raised a little bit earlier, Councilman Kenney. You were asking about -- or you were questioning whether or not it was useful to provide support here in this city, where most of our young people come from low-income families.
My question was, how do we develop a constituency citywide?
I believe that we 00107 always need to deal with our most at-risk kids with as much resources as possible. The problem that I face in representing the City as a whole and the problem that District Councilmembers face in representing districts that aren't as at-risk or doesn't have as many at-risk neighborhoods or families --
And the argument comes, Well, we pay our taxes, we run our ball leagues, we run our programs, we run these things for kids, why am I about paying for people who live in neighborhoods who don't do that for their own kids?
I'm not saying that's at a valid position, but it's a common position that people take, and in order to kind of develop a constituency broad base for this, we have to have answers for those people.
Right. And I apologize 00108 for misrepresenting what you had said. I guess the point that I was going to make here was that I think that everyone can really benefit from youth development opportunities. If we look at some of the affluent communities throughout the country even, we are finding that while there may be opportunities in some of those communities for young people, all young people are not necessarily engaged in those activities. And this is where the youth development piece of it comes in and why it is so important for organizations like United Way who provide technical assistance and build the capacity of organizations to provide quality services based on a youth development approach where we're actually making things interesting and creative for young people and encouraging them to want to participate. If we look at, for instance, Columbine, which is a very affluent community, what we find is some major difficulties and crime, and that's because not so much that there might not have been things for kids to 00109 do, but young people now are not spending their time constructively, they're not utilizing their free time in a constructive way. National research has really shown that one key to whether or not youth receive needed supports to grow healthfully is their actual use of discretionary time. The non-school hours after school, on the weekends, during the summer is so important, and yet, in spite of this, the evidence in the Philadelphia study really demonstrated -- it revealed that 60 to 80 percent of young people here in the City are not spending their time constructively. Part of that reason was because they were not aware of things to do in their neighborhoods. There were actually a significant number of things for them to do, but they were not engaged. They were not engaged, they said, because they wanted more voice, okay? They wanted to be able to say what it was that was of interest to them. They wanted a wider range of choice. But one of the problems is that 00110 programs are -- agencies are developing programs and not asking the young people what it is that they would like to do, and then they wonder why the young people are not utilizing those services. So this is where the youth development model comes in. When this study was conducted, there was a youth opportunities council that was chaired actually by Reverend William J. ), who was the pastor of White Rock Baptist Church and now is president of the National Baptist Convention. And this council was actually charged to develop recommendations and an action plan that would synthesize the research findings and their own deliberations. And one recommendation was to shepherd an organization or an entity to develop a youth opportunity system for Philadelphia's young people. So in 1998, the United Way was funded by the William Penn Foundation to establish the Center for Youth Development for that purpose. We have a list of charges, ranging from promoting communitywide understanding of youth 00111 development, building the capacity of organizations to provide high-quality programs to increase access to youth development services by increasing collaboration and planning on a neighborhood level. There was also a question about the -- whether or not planning was taking place in neighborhoods. And there is a lot of neighborhood planning that is now being promoted, and community groups are beginning to talk about the need to have more and better after-school and how they might be able to address some of the barriers to young people actually participating. So in some cases, it's not always about whether or not opportunities exist; it's about whether or not young people are actually engaged in those opportunities. This is really a substantial opportunity, I think, for those of us who are working in this youth development field.
Certainly, mothers of school-age children are employed and mothers receiving public assistance are now being required to work, so 00112 there's increased concern that young people on their own are not left unsupervised, but are, in fact, engaged. So this is really what the United Way has been involved with. I also wanted to address something that Councilman Nutter had talked about. The City of Philadelphia, for instance, has really made a significant commitment to youth development and to after-school programs, and so has private philanthropy. But one of the things that I wanted to say was that I do think that the source of funding really does make a difference. While it's important for the City, for public and for private funding, to make a commitment to this, it's also important that we have a permanent source of funding. When the administration, when the government changes, then the dollars are liable to go away as well. I mean, we certainly can't guarantee, you know, that those dollars would remain stable. So I think that having stable sources funding is very important. Also, regarding parental involvement, 00113 there was a question about that. There are some efforts also to increase parental involvement and support to provide parenting education, and I think it's real important that we also talk about the fact that this is another reason why we need so many more resources. Programs that are really effective in involving parents in a meaningful way really are able to do that because they provide a full range of services, not just for children, but for the entire family. And I think that that's what we have to do in order to really involve parents in the lives of children and to really educate them about how they might be able to better provide support to their kids. We have to address their needs as well, and that takes money. So that these -- for instance, in New York, the beacon schools, these are schools that provide a full range of community services, not just to children, but to the whole family. So that those parents are getting support right along with their 00114 children. So we have heard about a number of different creative funding streams, and I really urge you to think about supporting this particular bill. I think that it's time that the business community give back something for the investment and I think that, you know, that we need support from all levels of government, from all levels of the community. And so that's what I would say.
Whoever's next, please identify yourself for the record.
Hi. I'm Veronica Elias. I am the Executive Director of the Roxborough YMCA. And I thank you for listening to testimony about youth funding.
It is my passion and it is my concern that we look at our kids and look at them in a different way than we have in the past. I think we all know that the messages 00115 that we send and the environments that we create are critical to the positive development of our children. When we surround our children with -- whether it be in school or home or in the community, it has a direct impact on the success of every child. That success means that they become caring, compassionate, and responsible adults, adults that just don't take from the community or take from the City but give back to the City and contribute in some significant way. I think we make the biggest mistake when we fail to connect the strengths and resources of one another together to create these positive environments. And the environments I'm talking about are environments that keep kids safe, environments that give them constructive use of time, as Cheryl had said, provide opportunities for growth, help kids feel good about themselves, encourage them to give back rather than to seek entitlement, and provide an atmosphere of fun and enrichment. That's an important component. As Cheryl said earlier, to engage 00116 kids, we need to have interesting and creative activities. We can't just offer programs and expect the kids to come if it's not what the kids want. As youth-serving organizations, we seek to create such environments through programs, and many of us share a common vision and envision what we all strongly desire: that our child care and youth programs are programs where staff consists of trained, caring adults or young adults who serve as role models of good character, models of honesty and integrity. And we all know that considering what's happening in our country now, we kind of need this. You know, we're sending messages to our children with what's been happening over the past couple of months with the campaign, with how the campaigns are being handle, with how the campaigners were handling it, and how the media is handling things. These are messages that are being delivered to our kids, so the messages are very critical in how we as adults role-model, not just, you know, in the 00117 programs themselves, but citywide, statewide, countrywide. And it starts somewhere and it can start with our programs. We need adults that role-model and teach respect for one another and teach kids to resolve conflict peacefully. When I came to Philadelphia six years ago and entered on June 13th, which was the first day of summer camp, I never saw such angry, frustrated little kids, 6 to years old. And how they resolved their 12 arguments with another is taking the gym bags, throwing it on the roof, punching one another, kicking one another, cursing one another out. There was a lot of anger and frustration. So we need to teach kids that, you know, this is not how you resolve conflict, that there is another way. Albert Einstein said that example is not main thing; he said it's the only thing. And I truly believe that. So I think a lot of how we reach our kids is through the staff that we have and the programs. Envision also programs filled with adults who lovingly guide and help children to 00118 see their gifts and talents and help them to blossom and give those gifts back, contribute back to the community. Adults who set parameters and teach responsibility. The parameters these days have gotten a little too far, and that's why we're seeing the violence and the dishonesty. And when I get a resume, I really have to check that resume because most of the time, many of the times, they're something's that's false on that resume. So kids easily lie, or young adults easily lie, you know, to get a job. So there's a pervasive, you know, dishonesty, a responsibility that's happening. It's because the parameters are too wide.
And in the programs, if we set contract parameters, we're giving kids the discipline they need to guide them in the right direction and not go off the track into something that will end them into a situation where they are facing the court. We need to teach kids that it's better to give back, rather than to just take. We need to have adults in our programs that 00119 provide opportunities to build skills and self-esteem. And adults who empower kids by asking for their input in planning the programs. And adults who really listen to kids, not just adults who say, Well, I think this is what kids need, but adults who can help the kids to decide what they want and what will be best to enrich their own lives. Picture the program content, envision the program content that includes opportunities for kids to make decisions, for kids to do something to give back to the communities, not that we are going to just keep providing for kids and providing for kids but that we will teach them that, you know, they need to contribute, or it's a good feeling, it will give them joy to contribute back. We envision programs that have scheduled time for play in a safe, constructive atmosphere. Creative activities, including art and theater and music, and activities that include physical fitness and mental challenges. Our kids are the most unfit these days. We are considered the fattest nation in 00120 the word, and a lot of it is our kids are overweight. They are not as physically fit, which has a ripple effect. You know, when you're not fit, you're slower. I mean, we promote physical fitness in the Y there's stress relief, there is -- you feel better, you're more mentally alert, there's a lot of positive effects, and it needs to start by teaching our kids that this is a lifelong journey of fitness, not only, you know, fitness, you know physically. Youth-serving organizations in the Roxborough cluster in the 5th District share this common vision with many others throughout the City who care about youth. Our vision is similar and our challenges are similar. Staffing and program content, quality equipment and affordable fees for family challenge us all. The unemployment rate has left many of us with a smaller pool of qualified candidates to care for our children. Our pay needs to be competitive, yet our fees need to remain affordable. The reality is that the 00121 qualified people that we need to work with our kids have families and homes and apartments and lives to feed and school tuitions. Children need consistency in their caregivers; yet, we find high turnover, sometimes a revolving door of good caregivers because of good pay. We can't buy a caring adult, but we can attract a greater pool of qualified candidates and retain current staff if we can offer competitive salaries. Often when we do hire camp counselors or caregivers, we need to offer extensive training -- child-abuse, child development, conflict resolution, curriculum implementation, and creative activity development -- because often they come to us without these skills. Although grants for supplies and equipment and subsidy for families to pay for child-care and youth programs are available, the funds do not cover the extent of needs for ensuring quality environments. I am still seeking funding for just a plain youth playground to replace one that was taken away two years ago because it was old and no longer 00122 safe. So I am still seeking funding for that simple basic playground. Families struggling to make ends meet do not qualify for subsidy at times and are tempted to leave their school-aged children at home during the school year and in the summer months because of costs of the programs. And these are among the families that need additional support. So staff, equipment, training costs subsidies are the very things that challenge our ability to offer consistent enriching programs and offer new programs and provide subsidies to meet the needs of families.
Funding would not only help to ensure the quality environments our kids need but also provide for more initiatives. In creating healthy environments for kids, extensive research was done by the Search Institute in Minneapolis that found that kids need environments to help them develop skills of schedules of resistance, resiliency, and the ability to thrive in the environments in which they live. 00123 Asset development combines parents, schools, the community, and congregations to surround their kids with a positive and comprehensive environment. It focuses on how we relate to kids as well as the opportunities that we provide for them. With funding, staff and youth programs could be trained in initiatives such as asset development with partnerships throughout the City and the community being strengthened. Funds could be used to identify the best initiatives in the community and the best initiatives in youth programs throughout the City. These successful initiatives could be forwarded to other organizations through training and resource- sharing. And these are just some ideas for new and better ways to serve kids and families, but additional funds would be needed. Finally, overall, the benefits of greater support to kids and families includes the assurance of positive environments, with qualified staff, where kids are safe, valued, nurtured, and given opportunities to succeed. It would provide for opportunities for kids to 00124 be involved in interesting, constructive activities that actively lead them to be contributors rather than takers from the community. And, finally, it would leave no doubt that the City of Philadelphia, its school, its businesses, organization, and government greatly supports its families and children. It's the right thing to do and it makes good business. Thank you.
Good afternoon ma'am. Could you please identify yourself for the record.
Good afternoon. My name is Blondell Oates. I am the Director of the Nicetown Boys and Girls Clubs of one of the sites for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. There is currently running a PSA that, as the music comes up, you hear a voice 00125 that many of you would probably recognize as a well-known actor. And the question that is asked, it's 3 o'clock in the afternoon, do you know where your child is? And those of us who are in youth development agencies and serve youth, that is the question that we are part of asking, and also the services we provide are the answers that we hope we are giving. The Boys and Girls Club, as the PSA goes on, it tells about different things that happen to youth at 3 o'clock every afternoon across the country, because lots of times, that is a question that cannot be answered as to where they are. And at the end of the PSA, it says, Come to Boys and Girls Clubs, the positive place for kids. And as we think about youth service and youth development, that is what we have to keep as our focus, providing positive places for children to go so that we are all a part of the support system in our communities. Why? Because there is the need, and the needs are many. One is that youth development 00126 agencies are in a position of having to support the efforts of our neighborhood schools, we're in the position of having to support parents' efforts, and we are in the position of having to be a viable force and a viable part of our communities. When we look at the developmental characteristics of the youth we serve, at different points in their lives, the needs are different. If we are talking about preschool, we have a certain set of characteristics that we must address at that point. If we are talking about school age, we are looking at a certain set of characteristics. And when we are talking about our teen population, we're looking at an even different set of characteristics. I can speak for Boys and Girls Clubs. Through our programs, we address five basic core areas, and the things that we're looking at working with youth are in the areas of character and leadership, in the area of education and career development, looking at their physical education and their social 00127 recreation outlets, involving them in cultural arts and also in health issues. We have programs that are developed and built for prevention, and we believe in youth service and in youth development agencies that prevention is much preferable to intervention. When we get to the point of having to intervene, then we're talking about an entirely different kind of program that youth need. Our goals are common as far as serving youth. All of the agencies in the City of Philadelphia now measure the outcomes of the goals we set, and this is helping us to establish how well we are doing with the different programs that we develop and administer at our sites. "It takes a village." That is a saying that I think has been beaten quite well in the last few years, but my take on "it takes a village" is that it actually takes a community, it takes all of us, through, quote, collaboration, through the support for programs, through the schools, through parents, 00128 and, yes, through government, too. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Reverend Vincent Coles, Reverend Isaac Miller, Mary Veitz, Mary Laney. (Witnesses come forward.)
Okay. Good afternoon. Whoever would like to start is fine. If they can just identify themselves for the record. Reverend, thank you. 00129
I'm the Reverend Mary Laney, Pastor of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church and Board Chair of Urban Churches at St. Gabriel's, located at Front Street and Roosevelt Boulevard. I also serve as a board member of Episcopal Community Services and the PIA, Philadelphia Interfaith Action, a premiere community organizing organization of 40 churches and institutions throughout the City who are affiliated with the National Industrial Areas Foundation. I speak in support of the bill before us today. And thank you for your leadership, Councilwoman Tasco and others, in proposing this initiative for the well-being and development of the children of our city. In my work with Episcopal Community Services, which sponsors three after-school programs and the 40 churches and institutions of PIA who work with children and youth, as well as the founder and current board chair of Urban Churches at St. Gabriel's, I experience 00130 daily the critical need in our neighborhoods for after-school programs, especially in low- income communities but throughout our city entirely. I also experience the awesome success of children who participate in these programs. Currently, at Urban Churches, we offer five after-school programs, both onsite, in our church building, and in three public schools in the Olney cluster. During the summer, we offer three summer day camps. Through these programs, we serve other 447 children each year by providing experience in arts, academic assistance, literacy, English as a second language, computer skills, conflict mediation, leadership training, and a variety of enrichment opportunities. When we opened our doors ten years ago for just two afternoons a week with just eight children, we had no idea then how great the need was. Or how beautifully the children would blossom from this tiny seed that we had begun to sow. Because our community is a world 00131 where 53 different languages are spoken, we chose our initial focus to be art so that we could transcend the barriers of language, race, and culture. And as we built relationships and trust, we discovered the hunger for the learning of reading, math, computer, music, dance, and the thirst for being in a nurturing community. Miracles happen every day at Urban Churches at St. Gabriel's. Children who barely passed in schools are on the honor roll. Eyes widen with delight when a piece of pottery is completed, when a hundred books are read from cover to cover, or when the mystery of multiplication is mastered. Children who never touched a musical instrument beamed with pride and delight as they played their drums and percussion instruments in the Mayor's reception room last spring, on the invitation of Councilwoman Tasco. We are proudly and profoundly touched when children arrive and parents arrive tired from that long day of work, maybe two or three jobs, and they gather their children in their 00132 arms, knowing that they have been safe in those afternoon times. We all know what the statistics show, we've heard it here today, and we've heard it before. Children who experience nurturing and support in safe places experience positive role models and mentoring, who experience encouragement in academics through tutoring, who have opportunities to discover and share their creative spirits, these children succeed. Parents who know that their children are safe and well work. They lose less time at their jobs and they are more productive in the workplace. These families succeed. In the final analysis, the City of Philadelphia succeeds. And it's an investment that we cannot afford not to make. It's been said that a society is judged by how well it cares for its most vulnerable. And the children of this city are our children. In the 21st century, after-school programs need to be a part of the fabric and structure of our city life. They need to be available for every child throughout 00133 our entire city and for every family.
Out of my experience with after-school programming for ten years, I would like to offer the following two suggestions for consideration: That the current bill include funding for sustaining existing programs as well as program expansion and new programs. Securing funding sources for maintaining current programs becomes more and more difficult for existing programs. The popular trend to only support bigger and/or new programs often means that ongoing successful programs are forced to cut back or closed because funding is no longer available. I've seen it happen. There is nothing more devastating to a neighborhood than to lose an after-school program that was a bright light of hope to working poor families. It is irresponsible and even cruel to have children families taste hope and then allow it to wither away. These programs need to be sustained. And, number two, instead of creating another bureaucracy with a board of governors, 00134 City Council and the Mayor could designate like Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth to administer the funds. This would draw on the resources of a highly respected organization, in partnership with our elected officials and after-school programs for the welfare of our children. There is actually a precedent for this in our funding for the elderly, through the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. But, again, I would like to commend you all for your leadership in seeking to make Philadelphia more child- and family-friendly. The fund for Philadelphia's children is a symbol and a step, a symbol to our nation that in the birthplace of America, children are highly valued treasures. Here, there are no 18 throwaway children, or we hope there will never be. It's a step into the 21st century that recognizes that we will be judged by how we care for the most vulnerable of our society. This bill needs to move forward for the welfare of all of us. It's an investment we cannot afford not to make. Thank you. 00135
My name is Mary Veitz, and I'm the Center Director for Hope Day Nursery. Hoe Day Nursery is a child-care center located in North Philadelphia, serving children in the community from six weeks to five years old. We come under the auspices of Associated Day Care Services, Incorporated, one of the oldest nonprofit day-care centers in Philadelphia. Our mission is, and has always been, to provide quality child care to low- income children. We are State-licensed and have recently become an accredited center through the National Association for the Education of Young Children. I am here today to solicit your support in signing Bill 543. In order to provide quality child care, additional 00136 financial resources must be made available. Over the past two years, I have had the experience of working diligently in order to turn a center around that was in jeopardy of closing due to continuous low enrollment. While my endeavors were successful, our success would not have been possible without having access to additional funds from foundation and grant money. In July 1998, I became the Center Director for Hope Day Nursery. My role was to help revitalize our program and the staff in order to increase enrollment. In September, as a result of our State inspection, we were issued a provisional license based on the physical condition of our building. The center was in dire need of painting and general repairs. When the information was reported to the executive director and the board of directors, it was evident that there was no 22 money in the budget to have the necessary repairs done that would enable us to receive a full one-year license. I had contacted one of our resource 00137 centers to inquire about purchasing some used equipment at a reasonable price so that we could brighten the classrooms. That is where I found out that there was foundation money available to improve the quality of our center. From January 1999 to January 2000, my staff and I worked relentlessly. Our goal was to meet the high-quality criteria standard of (unintelligible) in order that we could become accredited. Using foundation money, we were able to renovate our center. The walls were painted, new tile floors laid, and carpets installed where necessary. Child-size and adult sinks were installed in the classrooms in order to satisfy health issues for the children. New ceiling lights with plastic covers replaced the old, dim fluorescent lighting without any protectors. Fire escape doors with panic bars replaced the doors that were difficult to open. We were able to add child-sized handrails to our fire escape and to weld or replace the steps that were loose or rusted. In the outside play area, a 00138 splintered loft was now sticking up that had been erected many years ago was demolished and rebuilt with consideration to the children's head and torso measurements. Old, ineffective safety surfaces were updated with new thicker padding that provides much more protection. Also with foundation money, in each classroom, we were able to purchase much-needed age-appropriate materials that are necessary to develop children's learning schools. Careful selection of these objects introduced or enhanced pre-reading and pre-math concepts. These items are displayed on new labeled shelves, which are at the children's eye level, thereby promoting decision-making and a print-rich environment. To make further valuable use of foundation money, my staff and I attended an array of workshops. From administrative standpoint, I was able to strengthen my leadership and management skills. My staff was reeducated on developmentally appropriate practices with children. Today, we are cable of producing activities that are fun-filled and 00139 have an educational component. I am using money from the State of Pennsylvania to further educate my teachers.
Four of the five teachers who are eligible are in the teach program in the Community College of Philadelphia, pursuing their child development certificate. In addition, two new staff members are taking early childhood classes, which are paid for with foundation money. By the end of the year 2001, 11 of my 12 staff members will have a college degree or their CDA certificate while. This story is long, it is a successful story. Because we had access to additional financial resources, we were able to take a dismal situation and turn it around. Today, we are a thriving, nationally accredited center. I implore you to sign Bill 543. In order for child care teachers and administrators to make a difference in the lives of little children, we need additional financial resources. We need you to advocate for the investment of children so that we can 00140 make a positive impact on their lives and lay a strong foundation so that every child in our care has the opportunity for future successes. Thank you.
My name is Reverend Vincent Coles. I represent the Mount Carmel Church, where Reverend Albert F. Campbell is pastor. And I there am the minister to youth. I'm also the president of the Mount Carmel Human Development Corporation, which is a nonprofit charitable organization under the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I support Bill 543, and I would like to thank the Council people for putting this bill in because it's an important one. I was a resident, or have been a resident in Philadelphia, since 1960, educated in the Philadelphia school system. And the Philadelphia school system provided extracurricular activities to me while I was a 00141 child. There were days when I went to Henry Charles Lee Elementary School that I didn't get home till or o'clock because I was 6 participating in a math club or a science club 7 or the choir or playing on the basketball team. And when I attended West Philadelphia High School, I participated on the debating team and on the drama club. I was on the year book staff. I played in the baseball team. And there I also kept late hours. Because I always had something to do or somewhere to go, I stayed out of trouble. And statistics show that the hours that most youth-related crimes happen are between the hours of and daily. And as my children attended the Philadelphia school system, I found out that some of these extracurricular activities were no longer available. They didn't have jazz band, they didn't have acting and some recreational programs. So over the past five years at Mount Carmel Baptist Church, we've expanded the work 00142 that we're doing in the community to try to meet the needs of the kids and the families that live there. We created a seven-week summer camp, called "Camp Discovery," that serves more than 200 children a year between the ages of 5 and 18. In this camp, what we try to do for kids under 12 is have them take daily trips so they can be exposed or discover places that they've never seen before. So last year, we took them on tour to almost all of the City museums, to the Zoo, to the aquarium, to nature reserves, to amusement parks, to Blue Rocks baseball games in Delaware, to the Eagles training camp. We took them to the Broadcast Journalism Museum in Alexandria, Virginia. And they had a historical trolley tour of the City of Philadelphia. These young people from the ages of 12 to 18 who participated in our camp either participated in our drama camp or our computer camp for the same seven-week period. In the computer camp, they got involved with creating a Web site and looking at satellite 00143 communication. In the drama camp, they were exposed to a casting director and some talent agents, and they put together a resume and had head shots. And, finally, they were able to put on a showcase, where they exhibited the talents they had learned over the past seven weeks. We also are involved in an environmental service group, called "Operation Clean Sweep," which provides cleanup services to block clubs and also services vacant lots in our community. And most recently, we started an after-school program, which is now two weeks old, which collaborates with the Commodore Barry Elementary School at 59th and Race Streets, where we work with about 50 children 5 days a week, where our goal basically is to see that the young people increase their performance by at least one grade level over the course of the year. At Mt. Caramel, we have over 27 programs for youth, and we are looking to touch the lives, and we are touching the lives, of over 800 young people and their families. Our 00144 youth programs were recently documented on CBS Sunday morning news program over the Labor Day weekend where Mount Carmel was shown as a model for others to follow with regard to working with children.
However, as a member of a faith-based operation, it's difficult to fund our youth program with church funds which seek additional funding, so we scramble around looking for a foundation and corporations on a daily basis. We have found that the only way to get good people to provide consistent and effective services to our children is to assemble a paid staff. And over our brief history, we found that the operation of these programs with a system of volunteers doesn't work for us. Therefore, any additional source of funding to expand our operation is an answer to prayers. Therefore, I am encouraged to see that the City of Philadelphia, through this bill, is considering setting up a fund to provide dollars to pay for new programs and expand existing initiatives for Philadelphia's children. I am delighted that the fund will be 00145 able to provide operating and capital costs for after-school care, for summer camps, and for day care facilities. I believe that it's important for the City to work with nonprofit organizations and churches to provide them with the resources that they will need to bring their facilities up to code and to provide resources that will benefit our children. By this action, the City will be able to provide additional locations for the needs of the children and also empower these organizations that exhibit a passion for this needed service. I thank you.
Hi. My name is Samuel Hodge. It's a pleasure to see you, Councilman Kenney and also Councilman Clarke. Everyone else up there I don't know, but it's a pleasure. 00146 Where could I start. I guess I could start by saying I'm a volunteer crossing guard for Bethune Elementary School. I watch children every day come from different types of homes. I watch them come in sometimes with bad clothing on, sometimes dirty, sometimes sleepy, sometimes hungry. I identify the fact that the neighborhood that I live in isn't exactly the greatest in the world. However, I also have a tremendous love for children. I can take that back as far as years ago, when I was capable of working as a working parent. Today, I'm disabled. I'm a Vietnam war veteran real angry at the world for different reasons. And I'm angry -- last week, I said disappointed with because they don't care enough about children. That hurts me. I mentioned to one of my colleagues here that I came in here today, crying. I cried halfway down here, all right? I have a strong, tremendous belief in God, all right, very strong. I believe that what's right will happen. I also believe that the things that I see are changing today. I 00147 know that what happened in the 1950s is no 3 longer what's happening in the year 2000. To date, children raise children. They have peer pressures, which is crime-related, all right? I don't see how a child can raise a child. I identified years ago that it takes different words of comfort, love, guidance to take a child through a process of growing. I heard a lot of different stuff and I did a lot of listening today. The major thing that I heard was in order for Philadelphia to thrive, Philadelphia also has to sacrifice and identify it as a future that you won't see today. Our children are the future of tomorrow, and if you don't do something today, we're losing. I don't think there's much more I can say besides that, and I support this bill, and I believe -- and I believe that you're all trying to find a way to make it work, but I support the bill.
Thank you very much, Sam, for your testimony. (Applause.) 00148
My name is C. ) and I am a retired United Methodist minister and a retired Vice President for Programs of the William Penn Foundation. I mentioned that latter because I wanted to make some comments before I talk about after-school programs to set a context, and I do this with your indulgence, please, not to think that this is something that I'm being bragatorial (sic) about, but rather to state some facts. William Penn Foundation, with my initiative, started that United Way Center for Youth Development. Councilman Green (sic), you talked about parenting, and the foundation ran for ten years, and I think is still supporting a child-abuse prevention program, which focuses primarily on parenting education as a prevention tool. When we started that program, we surveyed the 15 largest grantees of the Department of Human Services. We asked the question of what their total budgets were, and 00149 it was in the millions, of course. And we asked how much of that was given for primary prevention, prevention before child abuse began. The aggregate for the agencies was 6 $18,000. 7 The William Penn Foundation 8 subsequently, in the ten years that I was 9 there, before I retired, put $15 million into 10 neighborhood-based child-abuse prevention 11 programs. We put over $10 million in the 12 Violence Prevention Program, starting in the 13 mid-1990s. We put $15 million in Philadelphia 14 libraries for children's programs, and the last 15 of those is going to be dedicated on December 1st. I hope you will be there. We started a summer day camp program 13 years ago, which funds day camps in poor neighborhoods, 120 of them a year. We started the Park Ranger Program that Councilman Nutter certainly knows about. And, finally, we initiated a career exploration program in the summer that has served over 40,000 young people since 1982. It's multiple fund by about 30 different foundations. It's career-related, and it's in 00150 the private sector, private-for-profit center. Now, I say that time that not to claim my involvement with those, which was significant, but to point out that foundations are doing and the private sector is doing in a preventive way, in a developmental way things that the City is not doing with its funding, meager as it is, I know. I'm a taxpayer as well and a resident. In 1997, a number of educators who are members of the first United Methodist Church of Germantown began meeting with the principal and cabinet of Germantown High School. And drawing on everyone's experiences and the needs assessment at the high school, we developed an academically-focused after-school program for academically at-risk 9th-grade students. We are now in the third year. That program has three objectives, and I'll have to add a fourth because of my friend Councilwoman Tasco's 543. The first objective is to help at-risk students improve their chances of becoming academically successful and being 00151 promoted to the 10th grade. The second objective is to reduce risk of 9th-grade students dropping out. The third objective is to provide a safe and nurturing after-school environment. And the fourth one that I will add provides an employment base for the businesses and industries of the City of Philadelphia. We searched the Internet and found very little by way of research and evaluation of academic programs for high school students; they are few and far between. But we did note some things. The 9th grade introduces an academic program that's difficult for some students. The transition from smaller neighborhood middle schools to mega high schools is often traumatic for students who encounter an altogether new learning environment. Ninth-grade students are developing going through many adjustments, and this is the age at which young people become more independent and too often act out and test their own independence by engaging in risky 00152 behavior.
The National Center for Juvenile Justice reports that violent crimes by juveniles, violent sexual assault, murder, robbery, and aggravated assault is four times the rate during the hours from 3 to as it is 7 at any other period in the day. Finally, we knew that, sadly, half of Philadelphia's school dropouts occur in the 9th grade, half of Philadelphia's dropouts occur in the 9th grade. So we started a program by identifying in the high school, in the 9th grade, those students most at risk. We talked to their parents, we talked to the students. And our promise to the parents and their guardians was that absentees would be reported to home and work by phone each day. We're not a babysitting service, but in an era of uncertainty on the streets, families wants to know where their youth are. The church has raised all of the financial support for this program -- just shy of $60,000 a year, plus the cost of technology, we have two computer labs. This year, for the 00153 first time, City support has been made available for an additional slots. We are of 29 programs benefitting from $1 million from the City, administered by the United Way. We hire the best Germantown High School teachers possible. And here is important point: After-school programs must be tied to the schools. I remember an embarrassment at an after-school program that I had in a church in Brooklyn four years ago, when we learned that well-meaning laypersons were teaching math using one method, while the students were learning math, using a different method in school. We were doing them a disservice. That is why we equipped the computer labs, so that we could be in conjunction with the schools. And we have a snack period because these kids are hungry. They eat $55 worth of fresh fruit, juices, and good, healthy snack food every day. They have three classes every day, algebra every day, 'cause that's the 9th grade juggernaut of academics. We have English everyday because the 00154 principal feels that reading and writing is the basis for all learning in his school. And then on alternate days, social studies and science. And then there's use of computers every day. Also available to the students is a counselor that we hire -- not a counselor from Germantown High School but from another school so that he did not know the students. We do foreign language and other kind of tutoring on a one-to-one basis, as needed. Does it work? You bet it does. We have developed a three-part evaluation that is continually being perfected. Students in this program for academically at-risk youth do better than the 9th grade as a whole. Our program students have a better attendance rate than other 9th-graders or the school as a whole. And in algebra, our program students did 27 percent better than the other 9th- graders. None of the students that we have touched over the three years have dropped out of school. Regrettably, not all passed to the 9th grade. But last year, 30 percent of 00155 Germantown High School 9th-graders; 77 percent of our students passed through the 10th grade. And those that don't pass have earned more credits than they would have otherwise. There are many side occurrences -- well, I'll skip that paragraph. One final story. After the first year, the 9th grade students complained that they could no longer participate in a program that they value. So we added a program. Once a week, we provide supper for 10th-graders and church volunteers in a mentoring program with an academic focus especially on the 10th grade math problem, geometry. At the end of that year, we got the same requests from those same students. So now we have a third-year -- in the third year, a 10th-grade program and an 11th-grade program serving more than 30 students. Again, this program serves 45 9th-grade student for 3 hours and 5 minutes daily, Monday through Friday. But, regrettably, I must share with you a few other statistics.
There are 500 9th-grade students in Germantown High School; we are serving 45. There are 28 comprehensive 00156 high schools in the City. If my information is correct from the former superintendent of schools, we are the only academically-based high school program serving those 28 schools. After-school programs are critical to young people, but they are equally important for at-risk school students, high school students, but the programs must be professional, comprehensive, and consistent. After-school programs cannot be only custodial in nature; they must be developmentally and educationally sound. And that's why Reverend Coles argued for a professional paid staff. It is not enough to connect well-meaning volunteers with needy students. I am a volunteer over hours a week. Our 18 academic director, who is a retired 19 Philadelphia high school vice president, is a 20 volunteer. We have over 20 church members volunteering, but we need the core professional staff. It costs $1,500 per student a year, but it's an investment in the future, it's an investment in the business future of this city to have a good workforce. 00157 Thank you. )
Thank you very much. I understand there's one more witness. (Witness comes forward.)
Good afternoon please identify yourself for the record.
Just in the interest of time, I'm going to try and summarize. I really do have a brief statement. Again, my name is Wanda Miale, and I'm representing Congreso, which is really the largest, as many of you know, one of the largest providers of health and human services in the North Philadelphia Latino community. And while we do focus many of our bilingual 00158 bicultural services specifically to Latino families, many of the thousands of families that we work with are non-Latino. And, in fact, 40 percent of the children and youth that serve through our after-school and summer programs are African-American. I will just give you a brief sort of sentiment about the Latino community. Many of you know, it's the fastest growing segment of our population, and it, in fact, has had 70 percent growth over the past years. And 13 yet, that community faces many challenges. 14 In Philadelphia, there are 60 percent 15 of Latino children living below the federal 16 poverty line and a 49 percent school dropout 17 rate, a rate that exceeds all other ethnic 18 groups in the City. In addition, 55 percent of 19 Latino adults are unemployed or underemployed, 20 66 percent lack a high school diploma, and one-third cannot functionally speak or understand English. As many of you know, some of these challenges have been compounded by welfare reform, which occurred for us in our community 00159 on March 3rd of 1999, and while there have been sort of organizations, churches, community-based organizations, like Congreso, who have been working very hard to help families really sort of -- sort of manage the changes and the challenges of welfare reform, still, many of thousands of children go home to a household where there is no caregiver or parent present for them after school. Congreso and other community organizations are working hard to sort of identify the tools or to help families identify the tools and resources they need to become self-sustaining, tools like parenting education, after-school programming, truancy prevention efforts, job training, and much more. During this past fiscal year, Congreso offered free after-school programming and summer programming to over 700 children this the North Philadelphia community. Of these, over 100 were high school and college-age youth from our community who are provided with extensive youth development 00160 training and jobs in our programs. These comprehensive educational "North Star Programs," as we call them, provide culturally-appropriate academic enrichment, recreation, drama, arts, technology and leadership development activities for children ages 6 to 14. The good news is that these programs exist and that kids are really accessing them and participating in them and that there are jobs for older youth in our community. The sobering news is that there were thousands of applications submitted by low-income families for their children to attend the program and only 600 available slots. Congreso and other community-based organization and churches have limited resources and capacity to search the growing number of children and youth who seek our services. Financial support from the proposed fund for Philadelphia's children could help us all increase the vital programming for low- income youth. Parents want and need quality 00161 programs to enrich and nurture their children during non-school hours. And the fact that they are poor or cannot afford their children to costly summer camps and after-school programs should not exclude them from the opportunity to place their kids in well-run, high-quality programs in their own neighbor. Philadelphia, as a city that is committed to addressing the multiple needs of families and communities, must support parents in securing a better life for their children. It's what we all want. We want a quality, good, and healthy life for our kids, and it's what our children deserve.
Bill 543 represents an opportunity for all of us, an opportunity to provide the necessary resources to strengthen the lives of children, youth, and families in the neighborhoods throughout the City of Philadelphia, an opportunity to provide comprehensive educational programs for children and youth during non-school hours, and an opportunity to create partnerships between the School District, community agencies, and 00162 foundations and the City government to broaden the impact of our collective efforts. Most importantly, Bill No. 543 represent an opportunity to help communities help themselves. I'm going to end by asking you to support fund for children's ordinance because the children, youth, and families of the North Philadelphia Latino community really need it and because we believe that Philadelphia really does care about kids.
Thank you for your testimony. That concludes today's testimony. As a result of the Administration's testimony from Janice Davis relative to a three-week period that they require -- that they require to come up with some recommendations for this bill, the Chair will recess this hearing until Monday, December, 11th, at 10 a.m., at which time we will hear back from the Administration on their recommendations for improvement and/or change. 00163 Thank you all for your attendance. (Adjourned at 1:25 p.m.) - - - 00164 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Monday, November 13, 2000, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON RULES BILL NO. 000543 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter