New York children had many policy wins last year. So what’s next?

New York children had many policy wins last year. So what’s next? A lot! In 2022, The Children’s Agenda, along with coalition partners and advocates like you, will work to – 

• Put New York on the path toward universal, quality, affordable child care 
• Increase access and equity in the Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education systems 
• Eliminate school suspensions in grades K – 3 in favor of developmentally appropriate therapeutic and restorative practices 
• Launch a statewide effort to reduce child poverty by half 

Work on this year’s agenda began with the Governor’s State of the State address. The Children’s Agenda commends Governor Hochul for laying out a vision for how state government can and should work for families. We appreciate her acknowledgements of children and the families, educators and child care professionals who care for them. We agree with the Governor that this is “a moment of great possibility” and a time to be innovative. The agenda the Governor laid out is ambitious. However, the size and scope of the challenges New York families are facing require more than mere ambition. They require bold action. Expanding existing programs is not sufficient. We must lay new foundations on which families can build their children’s futures. Read our full response here.   

While the State of the State articulates aspirations, the state budget is where the real impact is made. Mid-month the Governor presented her Executive budget proposal. Our staff and partners are diving into the briefing book  and other documents to untangle the many threads related to children. Our response will be coming out shortly. For now, here are some things that stand out: 

• $31.3 billion in school aid, including $1.6 billion in Foundation Aid, accelerates New York’s meeting of its commitment to fully fund Foundation Aid  
• $100 million over two years to create or expand summer learning, after school, or extended-day and extended-year programs to help students recover academically 
• Support for the hiring of mental health professionals and the expansion of school-based mental health services 
• 11% increase to the rates paid for special education at specialized schools and summer programs 

 Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter feeds for our response to the budget.