Karen Rogan testifies on community outreach for 2K enrollment
Karen Rogan, Director of Community Programs at Literacy Inc., describes the Cities First Readers network and urges the city to leverage trusted community organizations to help families learn about and enroll in 2K.
Thank you, Councilmember Gutierrez and subcommittee for the opportunity to testify today.
As the city builds 2K, we need to think beyond the number of the seats that are created.
We also need to ask, do families know these opportunities exist?
Do they understand what 2K can offer their child?
And can they successfully navigate the process to access it?
My name is Karen Rogan.
I'm the Director of Community Programs at Literacy Inc.
And Community, or LINK.
And LINK is the backbone organization for Cities First Readers, New York City's only council-funded early literacy initiative.
CFR brings together 18 community-based organizations working with children and families from birth through age 5 across all five boroughs.
Our strength is our reach.
Our partners have deep relationships in different communities, speak different languages, and connect with families in places they already know and trust, such as libraries, health settings, community organizations, and family programs and neighborhood events.
Those relationships allow us to do more than hand a parent a flyer or direct them to a website.
We can help families understand what 2K is, what their child can gain from early learning, and how to enroll.
So this is especially important for families who are new to New York City, speak languages other than English, or may routinely connect with traditional city outreach.
So CFR is not asking the city to create another enrollment system.
We are asking the city to leverage an infrastructure that already exists.
We already have relationships, we have community presence, and we have the trust.
As 2K expands, we encourage the city to invest not only in seats, but in community infrastructure that connects the families to them.
Because success should not be measured only by how many seats we create, but whether families know about them, understand their value, and can access them.
So CFR and our 18 partners are ready to help you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Karen.