The chair of the Assembly Committee on Children & Family Services told Capital Tonight that funding afterschool programs is at the top of his priority list. 

Queens Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi referenced what the CDC has dubbed “ACEs”, Adverse Childhood Experiences, which affect children through adulthood. Every ACE a child may experience compounds the likelihood that he or she will face challenges as an adult, from prison to drug use. 

Some examples of ACES include neglect, experiencing or witnessing violence, and having a family member attempt or die by suicide. 

“Adverse Childhood Experiences are public enemy number one for policy makers,” Hevesi said. “What we need to focus on is preventing it when we can, but more importantly we need to mitigate it, and afterschool programs are the answer.” 

There are two funding streams for afterschool programs in the state budget; according to Hevesi, the governor cut one of the streams by $5 million.