Homelessness, Child Care On UES Community Board Agenda This Week

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A dearth of child care options and a possible new facility for homeless New Yorkers are both on the agenda at Community Board 8 this week.

First, on Tuesday night, CB8's Women and Families Committee will hold their monthly meeting, focusing on "the unmet need for child care" in the neighborhood.

The meeting will focus on the "extreme shortage" of remote learning centers on the Upper East Side for parents still going to work during the pandemic. The city's Learning Bridges program, rolled out in September, lets parents drop off their children at one of dozens of sites around the city — but only one such site exists on the Upper East Side. (At the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center, 1792 First Ave.)

In November, parents on Roosevelt Island rallied for their own Learning Bridges site, saying the city had neglected their needs. Not long after, the city met those demands, announcing a new site at the Advantage Tennis Club.

Speakers will include representatives from the City Comptroller's office, the Health Department and the Borough President's offfice.

On Wednesday, CB8's Health, Seniors, and Social Services Committee will hear from Goddard Riverside and the Department of Homeless Serivces about a proposed Safe Haven at 419 East 91st St.

Safe Havens are described by the city as a "low-threshold" shelter for street homeless clients who may be unable or unwilling to stay in a typical shelter. They have fewer rules and regulations, with the goal of getting people off the street and into a bed.

View a full monthly calendar at CB8's website.