COVID-19 has had a huge impact on all of New York City's students, but the youngest children - particularly those with developmental delays or disabilities - are suffering the most because they are not able to receive all the necessary services they need in a remote, socially distanced environment.

Randy Levine has dedicated her life to helping children in need as the Policy Director for Advocates for Children. She joined In Focus to talk about how so many students in the school system have experienced unprecedented learning loss and trauma over the last year, and how her organization has come up with a comprehensive COVID education recovery plan for the current mayor and his successor to adopt that includes hiring a core of professionals to bolster the areas of academics, social, emotional and engagement and outreach; creating an expanded summer program to help students who need additional help; specialized support for different populations of students including special education and English language learners; and significant mental health assistance.

Levine also talks about how during the pandemic there has been a startling decline in the number of referrals to the city's early intervention program which provides evaluations and services for zero to three-year-olds with developmental delays and disabilities, and that 3-K and Pre-K will never be for all until the mayor steps up and also ensures that there is a preschool special education class for every child who needs one.