Squadron Heralds Nurse-Family Partnership, Social Services Funding in Budget

Even in Minority, Squadron Pushes Forward Priorities as Social Services Ranker

ALBANY – Today, State Senator Daniel Squadron, the ranking member and former chair of the Senate Social Services Committee, heralded the $2.5 million allocated for Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) in the state budget, as well as significant investments in other critical social services programs.

Senator Squadron has long championed state funding for NFP, which matches low-income first-time mothers with registered nurses for home visits throughout pregnancy until the child is two years old. Between 2009 and 2010, Senator Squadron secured $7 million in state funding for the program, allowing NFP to grow the number of families for which it can provide services. Studies have consistently found that NFP’s work reduces child neglect and abuse, improves children’s behavior and school performance, and leads to significant long-term savings for families. The program is available to families in New York City, as well as in Monroe and Onondaga Counties.

“Nurse-Family Partnership is proven to change the lives of young families. That’s why I’ve fought to ensure as many New York families as possible have access to this program and the profound service it provides,” Senator Squadron said.

“Even in the minority, we were able to secure vital funding that allows New York’s most vulnerable to access fundamental services,” Senator Squadron continued. “The funding secured in this year’s budget for Nurse-Family Partnership, settlement houses, homelessness prevention, and other key social services programs will make an important difference in the lives of many who need it.”

The budget also secured critical funding for a number of social services programs:

• Over $10 million for the Neighborhood Preservation Companies Program (NPP), which supports community-based preservation companies that provide tenant counseling, landlord-tenant mediation, community rehabilitation and renewal, employment programs, and legal assistance.
• $1.45 million for settlement houses, which provide comprehensive cradle-to-grave services for communities in need, including education, housing, and support for the aging. Senator Squadron’s district includes a high concentration of settlement houses.
• $500,000 for the Advantage After School Program, which provides quality educational, recreational, and cultural after school programs to children and youth for three hours a day, five days a week.
• $1.5 million for the Solutions to End Homelessness Program (STEHP) and $1.5 million for supportive housing funding, aimed at providing assistance for individuals and families to stay in or find permanent housing, as well as assistance with supportive services related to homelessness, eviction prevention, and housing stabilization. STEHP also supports programs that maintain and improve emergency and transitional shelters and drop-in centers.

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