CCC testified at the New York City Council Finance and Education Committees hearing on March 16, 2015 regarding the Fiscal Year 2017 Preliminary Budget. The Preliminary Budget funds a number of previously announced initiatives for children and families, related to education, behavioral health and addressing homelessness. Unfortunately, however, the Preliminary Budget failed to include a number of critical programs and initiatives that are important to addressing income inequality and ensuring the well-being of New York City’s children and youth. Notably, as it relates to education, the Preliminary Budget fails to expand Universal free lunch to elementary and high school students and cuts summer programming for nearly 31,000 middle school students. Read our full testimony for CCC’s proposals to improve educational outcomes for children, additional investments we think are needed in the Executive Budget and maps that details cuts to summer programming by council and community districts.