Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. continued his support of child assistance programs by securing $15,000 in funding for Child Abuse Prevention Services. The grant will help the group continue to provide programs and educational opportunities for local children.

Child Abuse Prevention Services is a nonprofit organization formed in 1982 which is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and the promotion of child safety. Through education and community awareness, the group teaches children how to be safe and how to respect each other.

"Child Abuse Prevention Services has grown so much in the past two decades and the continuation of that growth is such an important piece of the education of our children," stated Fuschillo. "I am happy to assist them with their important mission and, by doing so, to help the children of our community."

The funding that the organization was able to obtain with Senator Fuschillo's assistance will enable it to administer the program Child Abuse and Violence Prevention through Education. According to the organization, this is a volunteer program of child abuse, bully prevention, sexual harassment and date rape prevention that will be utilized in Long Island's elementary, middle and high schools. The funds will further be used to recruit and train volunteer speakers and make presentations.

One of the most important projects that the organization runs is a bully prevention program, Steer Clear of Bullies, which began in the mid '90s. This instructional program empowers children with the skills necessary to take charge of their own well-being and prevent school violence. Some of Fuschillo's grant funding will be used to establish a formal parent portion of their bully prevention workshops in elementary school.

"We are getting more and more phone calls from people in the community about the problems of bullying, harassment and violence," said CAPS Executive Director Alane Fagin. "We really appreciate Senator Fuschillo's continued support of our work, and this grant makes it possible for us to reach more than 5,000 school-aged children with these vital prevention programs."

Fuschillo would like to inform residents that the New York State Banking Department consolidated its toll free help and complaint lines into one phone number to better assist New Yorkers with their banking needs.

Consumers can now call 1-877-BANKNYS (1-877-226-5697) with any banking or mortgage-related questions and concerns. Operators are available Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The system will record messages from calls received outside business hours. The toll free credit card complaint line (1-800-518-8866) will still remain in service.

This new number is a result of the New York State Banking Department's ongoing efforts to consolidate and improve services. Previously, there were three separate numbers that New Yorkers had to call for specific problems.

"The help and complaint line will help reduce confusion and facilitate the process in which consumers are served,"' said Fuschillo. "New Yorkers can now find answers to their banking questions simply by calling one phone number."