KUDOS TO MAYOR DE BLASIO FOR CHAMPIONING THE CAUSE OF FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

PROCESS OF RECEIVING SERVICES IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS WILL BE STREAMLINED AND IMPACT THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES

“I applaud Mayor Bill de Blasio for working with the NYS Legislature in instituting these essential changes that will ease the burden and ensure the dignity of families of children with special needs.”

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) was thrilled that the degrading process that currently exists in NYC of applying for services for special needs children, has finally come to an end. As of this September, parents who send their children to private schools, will no longer need to continuously fight each year for the same services that their children had already been approved for previously.

“I applaud Mayor Bill de Blasio for working with the NYS Legislature in instituting these essential changes that will ease the burden and ensure the dignity of families of children with special needs,” said Assemblyman Hikind who has fought for these families from the beginning. “The Mayor is changing the horrible process in place up until now, where parents felt victimized by having to fight each year for basic services their children are entitled to,” said the Assemblyman.

Through Mayor de Blasio’s initiative, New York City will now provide approved services for children of special needs on a continuous basis without having to reapply each year. Parents will also be reimbursed in a timely manner and will no longer have to wait many months, even years, for the reimbursement.

Assemblyman Hikind praised his colleagues and all involved in the successful change in NYC’s policy. “I applaud my colleagues, Senator Simcha Felder and Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein for leading the charge. None of this could have been possible without the help of Speaker Sheldon Silver, Rabbi Shiya Ostreicher, Rabbis Chaim Dovid Zweibel and Shmuel Lefkowitz, advocate Leah Steinberg, Leon Goldenberg, Chaskel Bennett and countless others.

This Motzei Shabbos, Saturday evening, The Dov Hikind Show will feature key people involved in this issue, who helped make these changes happen. The Dov Hikind Show airs on 570 AM, Saturday night at 11pm.

Contact: Marc Kronenberg

718-853-9616 (Office)

917-414-7891 (Cell)