NEW YORK – The New York Department of Education launched the Open Arms Project this Tuesday, an initiative to help the more than 5,500 migrant children who have entered the city’s public schools, where they have arrived with their families in the last months.
Education Commissioner David Banks indicated that a team of volunteers will support newcomers (mostly Venezuelans) in several issues, starting by facilitating the school enrollment process.
“It is imperative that these families feel welcome here in our country and in our city,” said Banks, who made the announcement at a public school in the Bronx, where 39 of these children, from Chile, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, they study.
The Open Arms project also includes help for parents in their mother tongue, support for their children to enroll in English as a second language courses, transport vouchers for students and parents, as well as extra-curricular activities for the whole family.
Thousands of immigrants have arrived in New York since last May, some alone, but mostly sent by bus, without coordination with local authorities, in an operation devised by the Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, who created crisis in the public shelter system.
The city has asked the federal government for financial help to deal with the situation, which has led to the mayor’s office renting hotel rooms to accommodate the new arrivals.
When that help arrives, they will ensure that children and parents have the resources they need, according to Banks.
The Department of Education plans to expand bilingual programs in response to the influx of migrants and is providing schools with more funds to hire more staff and provide mental health care.
To address this, there will be social workers in every school and they are hiring some specifically Spanish-speaking, as well as counselors and, in some cases, mental health specialists.
“We firmly believe that every student has the right to high-quality public education, regardless of their immigrant status, and the city’s schools will continue to honor that commitment,” the education commissioner said in a tweet.
“We are working together with our agency partners, staff and community leaders to prepare students for success by addressing their academic, emotional and social needs and ensuring their education is not disrupted,” he said.
