en English
ar Arabiczh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchen Englishfr Frenchde Germaniw Hebrewit Italianpt Portugueseru Russianes Spanish
  • The Agenda
    • Early Childhood
      • Child Care
      • Developmental Services
    • Education (K-12)
    • Health
    • Poverty
    • Racial Equity
  • Our Reports
    • By Area
      • Rochester City School District
      • City of Rochester
      • Monroe County
      • Western & Central New York
      • New York State
      • Federal
    • By Agenda Item
      • Early Childhood
      • Health
      • Education (K-12)
      • Poverty
      • Racial Equity
    • By Initiative
      • Budget Analysis
  • News NEW 
    • E-News NEW 
    • TCA In The News
    • Events
  • Partnerships
    • Interfaith Collaborative
    • All Kids Thrive
    • Local
    • New York State
      • Official Appointments
      • State Coalitions
      • State Partner Organizations
    • National
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Funding
    • Join Our Team
    • Volunteer or Intern
    • Link to TCA
    • Board Portal
    • Staff Portal
  • Blogs/Podcast
    • Raising Rochester
    • Our Blog
  • Take Action!
Menu
  • The Agenda
    • Early Childhood
      • Child Care
      • Developmental Services
    • Education (K-12)
    • Health
    • Poverty
    • Racial Equity
  • Our Reports
    • By Area
      • Rochester City School District
      • City of Rochester
      • Monroe County
      • Western & Central New York
      • New York State
      • Federal
    • By Agenda Item
      • Early Childhood
      • Health
      • Education (K-12)
      • Poverty
      • Racial Equity
    • By Initiative
      • Budget Analysis
  • News NEW 
    • E-News NEW 
    • TCA In The News
    • Events
  • Partnerships
    • Interfaith Collaborative
    • All Kids Thrive
    • Local
    • New York State
      • Official Appointments
      • State Coalitions
      • State Partner Organizations
    • National
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Funding
    • Join Our Team
    • Volunteer or Intern
    • Link to TCA
    • Board Portal
    • Staff Portal
  • Blogs/Podcast
    • Raising Rochester
    • Our Blog
  • Take Action!
Find My
Representatives
Donate

 

Sea Change for Children

 

 

By Larry Marx, CEO, The Children's Agenda

Looking up from last year’s nadir of crises (the pandemic, economic downturn, and racial injustice), we see some newly visible ripples of light and hope. At The Children’s Agenda, we are raring to go to turn those ripples into a sea change for children.

Nationally, the new Administration has proposed policies to reduce childhood poverty: expand the Child Tax Credit, raise the dependent care tax credit, and make it refundable. Researchers at Columbia University estimate that these proposals will cut child poverty in half.  President Biden has recognized in his proposals that “build back better” means fully investing in our child care system and repairing public education.

At the state level, Governor Cuomo... (Read more)

 
Read More
 
 
 

Restore and rebuild developmental 

services for young children

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with developmental delays and disabilities.  Some have missed months of crucial services.  A recent report by Advocates for Children found an 82% decline in the number of Early Intervention (EI) referrals per week in New York City during the pandemic and a 67% decline in EI evaluations completed. Children throughout the state are suffering.

Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget does not address these trends.  State leaders need to hear from us!  The final 2021-22 state budget must include funding and reforms that help young children recover from gaps in therapies and instruction.  Read our 2021 recommendations for state funding and reform.

Take action today to urge Governor Cuomo and your representatives to pass a state budget that ensures all children and families can access the Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education services they need! 

Click Here To Help

 

 

Save the Date: During the week of February 22nd, the Kids Can't Wait campaign will raise awareness about the NYS Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education programs.  The weeklong event will take place on social media with daily posts providing facts, images, hashtags, and opportunities to engage. Be sure to follow the Kids Can’t Wait Facebook page to stay updated about the event and how to get involved.

 

Blog explores Governor's

Executive Budget

Governor Andrew Cuomo released his 2022 Executive Budget on January 19th. The Children’s Agenda has conducted an initial review of the proposed budget, as we work with partners around the state, including our local legislative delegation, to ensure that children and families get the support they need to thrive. The COVID-19 pandemic caused great harm to many families in New York State –from disease, social isolation, economic loss, and other factors. Lawmakers need to ensure that New York’s budget prioritizes children, especially the most vulnerable, to help recover from the trauma of the past year.

While The Children’s Agenda monitors many issues affecting children, we have identified 2021 state legislative priorities in four major areas: Child Care, Developmental Services, P-12 Education, and Child Poverty. The Governor’s actions related to those items in the 2021 state budget are... (Read More)

Click to Read More

Evidence-based home visiting programs for mothers and their newborns are expanding locally

Family Connects will join existing local programs as a first, “light touch” universal screening to eventually reach all 8,000 families with new babies in Monroe County annually – thanks to leadership from the United Way, ESL Foundation, and the three health systems.

 

 

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has agreed to become the first health insurer in NYS to cover these services for up to 2,000 families this year. The local program is available to many Excellus BCBS members through the health plan’s partnership with Accountable Health Partners, Greater Rochester Independent Practice Association, Rochester Regional Health, Jordan Health, and the University of Rochester Medical Center. The United Way of Greater Rochester, The Children’s Agenda, and Children’s Institute helped to start the program here.

“ROC Family Connects will bring together families, community agencies, and healthcare providers to give babies the best environment for growth,” said Dr. Jeff Kaczorowski of The Children’s Agenda. “This is an effective way to have a positive impact on families and infants’ well-being.” 

The NYS First 1,000 Days Initiative (using federal Medicaid redesign funds) has also selected Monroe County to receive $400,000/year over the next two years in state funding and technical assistance for data integration, resource referral, and more behavioral health supports.

 

In Her Own Words

The Importance of In-Person Schooling
 

As the Rochester City School District moves forward toward opening schools, Carmen Torres, Parent Advocacy Coordinator at The Children's Agenda, received a letter from a 9th grade student she has mentored and supported in the past.

Eriliany and her mother permitted us to tell her story in her own words. 

 

In her own words...

 

“From my experience... the online school thing is a little overwhelming, because it’s way different then doing things on paper, and having help right when you need it.

Getting so many notifications from teachers [each] day is overwhelming, many kids like me haven’t been motivated in school... Ever since I’ve been in online classes my grades have dropped from the lack of motivation, as have many other students’ too.  But ... I want to bring that up as fast as I can, because school is only going to get harder and harder from here on out.

 

Eriliany

Online school is a lot of stress on me... very overwhelming, and the more we do online the more overwhelmed I’ll get."

 

 
  
 
 
Tribute to Donald Whitney

Don Whitney - 1948-2021

Donald Whitney

1948-2021

Obituary

 

The Children’s Agenda is saddened by the loss of Donald Whitney, President of the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation.  Donald had served as a trustee for the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation since 1993, and as President since 2010. Like the foundation itself, Donald was a quiet and important force for good – improving the lives of children in our community, true to the founder’s wishes, as well as an annual funder of The Children’s Agenda, too, since our inception in 2004.  We will miss Donald’s kindness, his keen understanding of children based on his years as a teacher and principal, and his humor.

 

 

 

Monthly giving supports

children in need

 

 

 

2020 was a difficult and trying year for everyone.  There are no two ways about it.  It's been tough.  While we worked together on accomplishing great things for future generations, the pandemic forced us in many cases just to try to maintain the progress we had already made, or worse, repair broken systems exposed through the pressure of the pandemic.  We want to thank everyone who partnered with us to ensure we did all we could for children in our community in 2020.

We look to 2021 with great hope and enthusiasm, knowing both that the pandemic's grip has yet to be fully realized and that many families in our area are struggling more than they were at this time last year.

That's why, if you have the ability, we encourage you to contribute to The Children's Agenda.  We've made it even easier for you to make a recurring donation should you so choose.  And when you do, you will join hundreds of others in our community who partner with us to advocate for effective policies and drives evidenced-based solutions for children who are vulnerable because of poverty, racism, health disparities, and trauma.

Please Joseph, Make A Gift Today!

Thank You January Donors

 

Janet Anderson - Joseph & Elisa Calabrese - Jackie Campbell - The Education Trust - Dr. Richard Kreipe - Steve and Ann Martin - Diane and Michael Mendick - John Nelson - Paychex Charitable Foundation - Irving and Gloria Rosenstein - Moritz Wagner

 
 
Connect With Us:
Facebook
 
Twitter
 
Contact Info:

The Children's Agenda
1 S. Washington Street
Suite 120
Rochester, NY 14614
United States

(585) 256-2620

 
  

 

E-News Archive

  • January 2023 E-News
  • December 2022 E-News
  • November 2022 E-News
  • October 2022 E-News
  • September 2022 E-News
  • August 2022 E-News
  • July 2022 E-News
  • June 2022 E-News
  • May 2022 E-News
  • April 2022 E-News
  • March 2022 E-News
  • February 2022 E-News
  • January 2022 E-News
  • December 2021 E-News
  • November 2021 E-News
  • October 2021 E-News
  • September 2021 E-News
  • August 2021 E-News
  • July 2021 E-News
  • June 2021 E-News
  • May 2021 E-News
  • April 2021 E-News
  • March 2021 E-News
  • February 2021 E-News
  • January 2021 E-News
  • December 2020 E-News
  • November 2020 E-News
  • October 2020 E-News
  • September 2020 E-News
  • August 2020 E-News
  • July 2020 E-News
  • June 2020 E-News
  • May 2020 E-News
  • April 2020 E-News
  • March 2020 E-News
  • February 2020 E-News
  • January 2020 E-News
  • December 2019 E-News
  • November 2019 E-News
  • October 2019 E-News
  • September 2019 E-News
  • August 2019 E-News
  • July 2019 E-News
  • June 2019 E-News
  • May 2019 E-News
  • April 2019 E-News
  • March 2019 E-News
  • February 2019 E-News
  • January 2019 E-News
  • November 2018 E-News
  • October 2018 E-News
  • September 2018 E-News
  • August 2018 E-News
  • July 2018 E-News
  • June 2018 E-News
  • April 2018 E-News
  • March 2018 E-News
  • February 2018 E-News
  • December 2017 E-News
  • November 2017 E-News
  • October 2017 E-News
  • September 2017 E-News
  • August 2017 E-News
  • July 2017 E-News
  • June 2017 E-News
  • May 2017 E-News
  • April 2017 E-News
  • March 2017 E-News
  • February 2017 E-News
  • January 2017 E-News
  • December 2016 E-News
  • November 2016 E-News
  • October 2016 E-News
  • September 2016 E-News
  • August 2016 E-News
  • July 2016 E-News
  • June 2016 E-News
  • May 2016 E-News
  • April 2016 E-News
  • March 2016 E-News
  • February 2016 E-News
  • January 2016 E-News
  • December 2015 E-News
  • November 2015 E-News
  • October 2015 E-News
  • September 2015 E-News
  • August 2015 E-News
  • July 2015 E-News
  • November 2013 E-News
  • May 2012 E-News

Contact Us

The Children’s Agenda
1 South Washington St.
Suite 120
Rochester, NY 14614

Find Us With Google Maps

(585) 256-2620
Facebook Twitter Envelope

Our Mission

The Children’s Agenda advocates for effective policies and drives evidenced-based solutions for the health, education and success of children. We are especially committed to children who are vulnerable because of poverty, racism, health inequities and trauma.

The Agenda

  • Early Childhood
  • Education (K-12)
  • Health and Safety
  • Poverty
  • Racial Equity
  • Early Childhood
  • Education (K-12)
  • Health and Safety
  • Poverty
  • Racial Equity

Proud Member Of...

Partnership for America's Children Logo
RMAPI Logo
GRASA Logo
TRACC Logo
Healthikids logo
Community Task Force on School Climate Logo
Raise the Age NY Logo
winningbeginnings logo

We are a Level Up Champion

© All rights reserved

Scroll Up