This series of virtual and in-person policy discussions kicked off in June 2023, and examines the intersections of child poverty reduction and other policy areas, including health, early childhood policy, and immigration. Panelists have included policy experts, pediatricians, parent advocates, NYS agency leaders, youth partners, and others invested in ending child poverty in New York State.
Centering Children in the New York State Budget– January 2024 webinar
January 12, 2024 at noon
As Albany gears up for the 2024 New York State legislative session, this insider conversation looks at what we expect (and hope!) to see in this year’s state budget and the investments needed to make New York State a place where families can afford to live, grow, and thrive.
In this webinar, Schuyler Center’s Kate Breslin and Dede Hill discuss budget priorities for New York’s children and families, answer questions, and share resources as we kick off 2024.
The Power of Guaranteed Income Programs– December 2023 webinar
There are several guaranteed income pilot programs across the state and country. These programs provide a basic income to participants, with no work requirement. During this webinar, panelists discussed lessons learned from these pilot programs, the experience as a participant, and how this type of policy can combat child poverty. View the webinar recording.
Panelists:
Steph Silkowski, Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives, The Bridge Project
Children in Immigrant Families – October 2023 webinar
For children in immigrant families, there can be many barriers to services that support well-being. This discussion with immigration and policy experts examined how New York can best support all children, why those investments matter, and opportunities to support the newest New Yorkers. View the webinar recording.
Panelists:
Lillie Hinkle, Associate Policy Analyst, National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, Migration Policy Institute
Early Childhood Foundations – September 2023, in-person event
This discussion with early childhood experts focused on the intersections of early childhood development and the experience of poverty, as well as the policy interventions that have proven to be effective for families. Held in Albany at The Bull Moose Club, the event brought together advocates, policymakers, community leaders, and state agency leadership. View the recording here.
The discussion was moderated by David Lombardo, host of The Capitol Pressroom, with panelists:
For families experiencing poverty, there are many barriers to consistent, quality health care. This discussion with leading child health and policy experts focused on how New York supports health for all children, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations for action that addresses health goals within child poverty reduction efforts. View the recording here.
Panelists:
Dr. Benard Dreyer, Pediatrician, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center
Progress Update on the Child Poverty Reduction Act – June 2023 webinar
The first in our discussion series included the co-chair and members of the NYS Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council. The conversation focused on the work the Council has done so far, goals for the coming months, and what lies ahead in pursuit of the Child Poverty Reduction Act goal to reduce the State’s child poverty rate by 50% by 2033. View the recording here.
Panelists:
Advisory Council co-chair Daniel Tietz, Commissioner of the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance;
Alyson Tarek, Assistant Secretary for Human Services and Mental Hygiene, NYS Executive Chamber; and
Advisory Council member Candace Cabral, Parent Advocate.
Schuyler Center’sNext Look is an initial and targeted assessment of how the New York Senate and Assembly 2023-24 One-House Budget proposals would address some of the issues most critical to the health and well-being of low-income families and children, and all New Yorkers living on the margins. Chief among these issues is child and family poverty. View Next Look.
Highlighted in the assessment are State budget actions that hold real opportunity to concretely improve the lives of New York children, families, and marginalized New Yorkers. Schuyler Center’s team is continuing to analyze these proposals more closely and is working with our partners to ensure that the enacted NYS budget seizes these opportunities to set up all New Yorkers to thrive.
Next Look includes Budget proposals in the areas of Child Welfare; Refundable Tax Credits (excerpted below); Minimum Wage; Housing Voucher Program; Universal School Meals; Public Assistance; Child Care; Pre-K, Afterschool, and Home Visiting; Public Health, Health Coverage, Access and Care.
Schuyler Center’s First Look is an initial assessment of New York State’s 2023-24 proposed Executive Budget and how it advances priorities that improve the health and well-being of all New Yorkers, especially families impacted by poverty.
In 2022, New York State enacted the Child Poverty Reduction Act, committing the State to reducing child poverty by 50% in the coming decade with attention to racial equity. The law creates an expectation of public accounting for progress over time and assessment of budget actions with regard to their impacts on child poverty. We urge partners in and outside of government to systematically evaluate each and every budget decision as to its impact on child poverty and overall child and family well-being.
On February 4, 2020, Schuyler Center and the Empire State Child Care Campaign (ESCCC) held a Child Care Advocacy Day, co-sponsored with Winning Beginning NY. More than 250 providers, parents, and advocates came to Albany to bring visibility to our broken child care system and to urge support for the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget ask. Two buses brought participants up from the New York City region, while another bus came from Rochester. A lively rally and press conference took place at noon on the Million Dollar Staircase.
More than a dozen lawmakers joined us, including Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Children and Families, Assemblymembers Michaelle Solages, Kimberly Jean-Pierre, Carmen de la Rosa, and Carrie Woerner, Senators Jessica Ramos, Julia Salazar, Catalina Cruz, as well as Scott Stringer, Comptroller of the City of NY and author of an exciting proposal to provide universal access to child care in NYC – NYC Under 3. Senator Harry Bronson and Assemblymembers Didi Barrett, Pat Fahey and Shelly Mayer were in attendance as well.
Digital Magazine: #FundChildCare: Child Care keeps children learning & parents earning. We can’t afford to ignore the growing crisis in child care this year.
On March 26, 2019, Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee joined the Ready for Kindergarten Ready for College Campaign, other legislative champions, child advocates and parents at the State Capitol Tuesday to make a final push to ensure that proposed investments in early childhood education end up in the final 2019-2020 NYS Budget. View our Press Release,with comments from our President and CEO, Kate Breslin.
Last week, both houses of New York State’s Legislature proposed to invest $20 million to enable more families to access child care subsidies, along with a commitment to maintain the $26 million proposed by the Executive to increase subsidy reimbursement rates. If included in the final state budget agreement, the allocation of $20 million for new subsidies would mark the first significant new state investment in child care subsidies in five years.
What does this mean?
The new investment would enable more than 2000 additional New York children from low-income working families to have access to quality early learning, while making it possible for their parent(s) to work and achieve economic security. Fewer than 20% of low-income working families are currently able to access quality child care due to inadequate state investment. This unified legislative proposal to add $20 million for child care shows that the dire need for increased state investment in child care is finally being heard.
The stats:
Many child care providers are shutting their doors around the state because current subsidy reimbursement rates are too low to meet rising costs. As a result, many families have trouble finding regulated child care even if they can afford the costs. Providers trying to stay afloat are often forced to keep wages low, to trim staff numbers and increase staff workloads. But these action result in high turnover and the loss of the most qualified teachers.
For many families with young children, child care is their largest monthly bill. The average cost for full-time center-based care is $15,000 a year for an infant. Subsidized child care allows parents to build economic security while raising young children. It also prevents working families from falling into poverty due to child care costs – a leading contributor to family poverty.
The end result:
The $26 million proposed in the Executive, Senate and Assembly budgets, if included in the final enacted budget, will ensure that subsidy reimbursement rates remain stable outside of New York City. The $20 million proposed in the Senate and Assembly budgets, if included in the final enacted budget, will enable more low-income working families to receive a child care subsidy so that they can access quality child care while they work. These twin investments would not solve the state’s child care crisis, but would represent a significant step in the right direction. Schuyler Center and our partners in the Empire State Campaign for Child Care and Winning Beginning New York will spend the final weeks of budget working with our legislative champions, Assemblymembers Ellen Jaffee and Jean-Pierre, and Senator Montgomery, urging that these investments in child care are included in the final 2019-2020 New York State Budget. [/vc_column_text]
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