Children’s Programs and Services

Children’s programs directly impact this area

  • Serves over 3,000 underprivileged New York region children
  • 9 After School Programs serving 1,200 children
  • Summer Day Camps help 1,800 children at 20 locations
  • Summer 2010:

Summer 2010 Awardees

The funding for the Summer Task Force for 2010 is $30,000.  We received applications from 20 churches.  UMCS staff and members of the Child Care Committee reviewed the applications in May and made funding awards at our meeting in June.

The final award amounts are as follows:

§  Asbury United Methodist Church                                       $1,100
§  Brooks Memorial United Methodist Church                   $1,200
§  Butler Memorial United Methodist Church                     $1,500
§  Chinese Methodist Center                                                    $1,700
§  82nd street Academy/Community UMC                           $1,600
§  Embury United Methodist Church                                     $1,000
§  Epworth United Methodist Church                                   $1,900
§  Faith United Methodist Church (Staten island)            $1,000
§  Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church                        $   900
§  Freeport United Methodist Church                                    $1,400
§  John Wesley United Methodist Church                           $1,200
§  Jubilee Cluster United Methodist Church                        $1,100
§  Kings Highway United Methodist Church                      $1,000
§  Salem United Methodist Church                                        $1,900
§  St. Johns United Methodist Church                                  $1,200
§  St. Mark’s United Methodist Church                                 $1,200
§  St. Paul’s United Methodist Church                                  $1,100
§  Summerfield United Methodist Church                            $1,000
§  Tremont United Methodist Church                                    $1,700
§  Wakefield Grace United Methodist Church                     $1,100

  • In addition to the grant awards listed above the City Society will also be providing tickets to a New York Liberty Summer Camp event in July and purchasing copies of a vacation bible school curriculum from Scripture Union.
  • Camp Olmsted changes the lives of 255 city children this summer.
  • UMCS After-School Initiative: The City Society’s After-school Initiative provides program and financial assistance to churches in the development and operation of after-school programs in New York City.

The programs under the City Society umbrella are located in some of the neediest communities in New York City, most of which do not have adequate programs to support the needs of children and youth. Currently, there are nine churches in the project serving over 1,400 children. The following churches were part of the United Methodist City Society’s Children’s Program Initiative in 2009 – 82nd Street Academics @ Community United Methodist Church (Queens), Chinese Methodist Center Corp (Manhattan), Epworth United Methodist Church(Bronx), Helping Hands Tutorial Program @ Cuyler Warren United Methodist Church (Brooklyn), John Wesley United Methodist Church (Brooklyn), Salem United Methodist Church (Manhattan), Springfield Gardens United Methodist Church (Queens), St. Paul United Methodist Church (Queens) and Tremont United Methodist Church (Bronx). In 2009 the City Society contracted with ActKnowledge, a research and evaluation agency based at the City University of New York, to conduct an evaluation of the Children’s program. Overall, the representatives from ActKnowledge felt that the sites implement quality programming for youth which engage students in both academic and enrichment activities. Some of the key findings of the report demonstrated that the children participating in after-school programs sponsored by the City Society enjoyed attending the after-school program; felt that they mattered and are valued; felt that the program helps them academically; learned a new skill; enjoyed school more because of their participation in the after-school program; and felt that they had the power to achieve anything.

In 2009, the UMCS Children’s Program provided financial support for the following services – piano lessons by the Piano School of New York; counseling service for students with behavioral problems; drama, photography and dance classes which allowed students to express their creativity; and tickets to shows and sports events which allowed children to be exposed to a broader NYC experience. The City Society also provides training for program staff and sponsors quarterly networking meetings for program directors to share information and discuss best practices.

  • Head Start: The City Society has been involved in providing Head Start program services for 44 years. The goal of the Head Start program is to provide free child care and other support for families from lower socio-economic backgrounds that have preschool age children.

Our Head Start programs offer activities that are designed to assist children between the ages of 3 and 4 years in the development of their social, emotional, academic and motor skills. The Head Start model also puts an emphasis on parental involvement, community partnerships and in-kind donations.

Currently, the City Society manages two programs – at Christ UM Church in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn (which serves 96 children) and Joseph Di Marco Child Care Center in Long Island City (which serves 32 children).

The City Society receives funding for these programs from the Administration for Children’s Services of New York City and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

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