Child Poverty
As the cost of living continues to climb, Governor Hochul can make our state more affordable – while reducing New York’s stark racial disparities in child poverty – by putting cash into the hands of her constituents through a stronger Empire State Child Credit.
Child Health
Wall Street, New York, April 17, 2023 -- Elected Officials and leaders from anti-poverty, health access, anti-hunger, education, human services, and faith-based groups joined New Yorkers in protesting outside the New York Stock Exchange while House Speaker Kevin McCarthy delivered a speech outlining negotiating terms for lifting the federal debt ceiling.
Child Health
We, the 70 undersigned faith-based, child advocacy, social justice, environmental health and justice advocacy, and philanthropic organizations, write to you to collectively implore you to make bold and critical investments towards combatting and ending the racial, environmental and moral crises of childhood lead exposure and poisoning in New York. As a co-founder and co-leader of Lead Free Kids New York, a growing statewide coalition of individuals, groups, and organizations working to end childhood lead exposure and poisoning in New York, the Children’s Defense Fund - New York (CDF-NY) stands alongside our partners in urging State Budget investments and policy solutions for childhood lead exposure in housing and other settings within marginalized communities.
Child Welfare
We urge you to include the Child and Family Wellbeing Fund, currently included in the Child and Family Reinvestment Act advanced by Assemblymember Hevesi and Senator Brisport in the FY 2023-24 Budget. The Child and Family Wellbeing Fund advances the health and development of all New York’s children by investing resources in communities that have been historically disenfranchised and targeted for government intervention through the CPS system.
Child Poverty
The Children’s Defense Fund¬ – New York (CDF¬-NY) strongly supports and respectfully urges passage of S. 277A (Gounardes) / A.4022A (Hevesi), which would combine and strengthen the Empire State Child Credit (ESCC) and State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to create one more inclusive and generous Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC).
Child Health
Today, as a part of its celebration of the life and world-changing legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., renowned civil rights activist and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history, the Children’s Defense Fund – New York (CDF-NY) releases its Fiscal Year 2023- 2024 Legislative and Budget Agenda, titled Prioritizing the Needs of Children, Youth and Families: New York State Budget and Legislative Priorities.
Child Health
We write today to urge you to extend the Telehealth Consumer Survey deadline for an additional 30 days, to past July 31st in order to afford community-based organizations, trusted messengers and healthcare providers adequate time to deploy the survey among the communities they serve and for the State to receive ample survey responses that are truly representative of as many New Yorkers as possible. We also request that paper versions of the survey should be provided to local departments of social services and other community-based partners to ensure individuals who face barriers to responding electronically can participate.
Child Poverty
As faith-based organizations from across New York, we write to you to uplift the moral and human need for you to empanel the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council with utmost urgency and to prioritize appointing to the council impacted youth and clergy leaders who serve in impacted communities.
Child Health
Children’s Defense Fund – New York (CDF-NY) is grateful to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) for the opportunity to comment on its proposed amendment to New York’s Medicaid Redesign Team Waiver Demonstration, titled Strategic Health Equity Reform Payment Arrangements: Making Targeted, Evidence-Based Investments to Address the Health Disparities Exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Child Health
The Children’s Defense Fund – New York (CDF-NY) strongly supports S. 8438 (Rivera) / A. 9294 (Gottfried), which would extend continuous Medicaid coverage of infants from up to one year to up to three years for families whose income does not exceed 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).