Parents and GIAC urge Ithaca council to fund full‑time nurse for after‑school and summer programs

Parents and program leaders urged the Ithaca Common Council to fund a full‑time nurse position for GIAC and the Ithaca Youth Bureau to ensure children with medical needs can attend after‑school and summer programs safely. Dr. Paula (name given as doctor Paula in public comment) said her son’s diagnosis of type 1 diabetes revealed that while schools have nursing coverage, after‑school and summer programs generally do not, preventing some children from attending. “It is absolutely a health equity gap,” she said, noting that a lack of nurse care forces parents to shoulder medical duties or exclude their children from programs.

Speakers emphasized that private insurance cannot reliably provide on‑site nursing for these programs and that local nurse shortages and compensation expectations must be addressed to hire permanently. Dr. Paula said GIAC has advocated for the position for over a year and that the city council would need to approve a permanent role. Councilors listened and acknowledged the request; no motion or funding action was recorded at the meeting.

The issue was raised during public comment in the same meeting that also included budget‑season remarks, and several speakers urged the council to consider the nurse position in upcoming budget deliberations.