Asylum seekers across New York City rush to register children for school before classes start Thursday
NEW YORK -- The rush is on to enroll migrant students in time for the first day of school Thursday.
There have been long lines at the Department of Education's Family Welcome Centers across the five boroughs.
In the scorching heat Wednesday, dozens of families new to New York waited on line outside of the Sutphin Family Welcome Center in Queens, sweating and hoping to get their kids registered in time for the first day of school.
- Related story: New York City Public Schools sheds light on how it will handle influx of asylum seeker children
A woman named Maribel told CBS New York's Jennifer Bisram she arrived in the country from Ecuador just 15 days ago with her three young children -- ages 10, 5 and 2-and-a-half.
She says it was a tough journey, but she's happy she's now in a safe country.
"I'm here to enroll my kids," she said in Spanish.
She says city workers at the shelter she's been temporarily staying at helped her find the DOE's Family Welcome Center -- one of several in the five boroughs.
"We are really new here. We just don't know how things are here," Maribel said in Spanish.
- Related story: New York City schools face challenges of educating nearly 20,000 children of asylum seekers
According to the city, there are over 19,000 kids who currently live in temporary housing, and most of them are migrant kids.
According to the New York City schools chancellor Wednesday, about 500 new students in temporary housing enrolled in public schools this summer, and that number continues to go up.
"I'm really happy that my kids will be able to learn another language, and they could start teaching me a little bit and they will learn really fast because they are really smart," Maribel said in Spanish.
On the eve of New York City's first day of school, as the city scrambles to find room, money and teachers to handle the influx of children who speak different languages, workers at the Queens site were giving out backpacks and MetroCards to families in need.
Maribel says every little bit helps. She's eager to get her kids into school so she can go to work, save some money and eventually get a place to call her own.
"I feel really good, really proud. I accomplished my dream to come here," she said in Spanish.
- Related story: New York City Schools preparing for influx of children of asylum seekers: "We are very confident that the students will be ready"
Workers at the center say the lines have been long since Tuesday.
They say they are working overtime to make sure every child here is registered for school.
