At The Children’s Agenda, we are filled with both sorrow and outrage at yet another massacre of children. The 19 children and two teachers murdered in Uvalde are victims of what is now the leading cause of death of children and teenagers in the United States: gun violence. 

Employing effective public policies that stop the easy transmission of this epidemic – in this case, by preventing easy access to guns for just anyone and by providing meaningful social supports for nearly everyone – is the way to stop the drumbeat of these heart-stopping headlines: Columbine, Sandy Hook, Marjorie Stoneman High School. . . now Uvalde. Preventing easy access to guns for just anyone and providing meaningful social supports for nearly everyone is also the way to halt the daily catastrophes that are not making our headlines: the little kids shot by stray bullets strafing a neighborhood or a family home, the endless cycle of teen suicides and the retaliatory shootings in response to earlier retaliatory shootings. 

Read our full statement here. 

Community rally outside RCSD central offices the night of the school budget vote.

Youth Mental Health & RCSD's Budget

On the evening of the budget vote for the Rochester City School District, we joined with students, parents, faith leaders and other advocates to call, again, for greater investment in school-based mental health supports in Rochester and more transparency about where dollars are being spent. The budget narrowly passed (4-3) and this week goes to the Rochester City Council for their vote.

• Even prior to the pandemic, 1 out of 5 children in our country were dealing with a mental health disorder.
• During the first eight months of the pandemic, mental health related emergency department visits increased by 24% for children ages 5-11 years and 31% for adolescents ages 12-17 years.
• The growing crisis led the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association to declare a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health.

While this is a nationwide crisis, it is solved locally by ensuring every child in every school has access to the mental health supports, positive relationships, and creative outlets that will help them be successful in school and in life. 

The final step in the RCSD budget process is a joint hearing with the Rochester City Council and approval of the budget by the Council. Students, parents and TCA staff will be there to continue the call for $5 million in additional funding for mental health supports.

Supporting Child Health with Medicaid

The largest and most diverse group of New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid for health care are children. Therefore, innovations in how Medicaid funds are used to eliminate health disparities and create health equity must prioritize child health, including mental health, and address racial inequities in maternal/infant mortality and morbidity. 

This month TCA led a coalition of organizations across the state in calling for changes to the proposal for the next Medicaid waiver that will guide health innovation for the next five years. We made a strong and unified statement with 59 organizations signing onto a joint letter, testimony provided by TCA Senior Advisor Dr. Jeff Kaczoworski, and letters and testimony submitted by many partners. 

We will continue monitoring the process and advocating both statewide and in our region to prioritize maternal and child health. 

Action Changes Things

RCSD Budget

There are only a few days left in the New York state legislative session. That means only a few days to get legislative wins for children. 

It only takes a few minutes to send a message to your representatives when you act as part of TCA's Action Network. Type in your name and address, tailor the message if you want, and click send. 

We have three issues we are advocating for in these final days: 

1. Fixes to ensure that preschool and other special education programs are able to make full use of opportunities to strengthen their workforce
2. A package of child care bills to make sure child care is accessible and affordable to all parents, including those who work evenings, nights and weekends
3. The Solutions Not Suspensions bill to ban most suspensions in grades K - 3 and promote age-appropriate discipline that keeps kids learning

Parent Spotlight

Rebecca is mom to three boys. She is an active leader in strengthening education in Rochester, serving as:

• A leader in the Very Invested Parents (VIPs) group organized by The Children's Agenda
• Serving on the RCSD Parent Leadership Advisory Council (PLAC)
• Serving as the parent representative to the RCSD Finance Committee

Rebecca participated in meetings the VIPs held with each Commissioner of Education and advocated for robust mental health supports to be available to every child in every school. 

To get involved with our community advocacy group, send a message to Carmen Torres at carmen@thechildrensagenda.org or call her at (585) 256-2620 ext. 2613.

Thank you, Rebecca, for your bold work

on behalf of children!

Recent Happenings

Raising Rochester

Episode 14 – TCA Education Policy Director Eamonn Scanlon on the Rochester City School District Budget This episode focuses on The Children's Agenda's work on the Rochester City School District’s budget. Eamonn joins the show to discuss challenges with this year’s RCSD budget, Rochester’s somewhat unique budget approval process, budget advocacy priorities, and more.

Episode 15 – Danielle Jones on Maternal Wellness Danielle is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, doula, and a highly involved parent leader in the Rochester community. This conversation focuses on her background, her involvement in the Rochester Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative, her work as a doula, and maternal wellness.

Chrissy Miller, member of TCA's Very Invested Parents group, speaking at a press conference and rally before the RCSD budget vote.

TCA In the News

Child Health & Safety

Local educators and advocates call for systemic changes after a gunman killed Texas schoolchildren (WXXI)

Education

Crisis in the Classroom: Following the money (WHAM)

Child Poverty

Tax credits for low-income New Yorkers get temporary boost (Capital Pressroom)

The Children’s Agenda is thrilled to announce that the Robin Hood Foundation, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization, has awarded The Children’s Agenda a $300,000 general support grant over the next 12 months. The purpose of their grant is to “reduce the rate of child poverty and increase economic security for New York families” by providing “general operating support for TCA to advance policy and system change through deepened coalition advocacy, research and policy analysis, and expanded leadership participation from parents with lived experience with poverty.” 

Robin Hood is a brand new funder for The Children’s Agenda, and one that rarely funds outside of New York City. According to the Grantsmanship Center, they are the 11th largest foundation in New York State, following the Ford, Rockefeller and other familiarly-named foundations.

Their commitment to our work underscores just how vital The Children’s Agenda has become to changing statewide policy on behalf of all children, whether here in Monroe County or in the five boroughs of New York City. Our statewide role shaping public policy has especially blossomed in the areas of child poverty, child care, and early childhood developmental services. The Children’s Agenda will invest in increasing the bandwidth of our staff and redoubling our impact advocating for effective public policies and driving evidence-based solutions for the health, education and success of children – especially those most vulnerable due to poverty, racism, health inequities and trauma. 

For over thirty years, the Robin Hood Foundation has “been finding, fueling and creating the most impactful and scalable solutions to lift families out of poverty in New York City. We partner with over 250 nonprofits to support food, housing, education, legal services, workforce development, and more to New Yorkers living in poverty across all five boroughs.”

Thank You to our Recent Donors!

Candles 4 Kindness • Carl Hoffman and Betsy Naumburg • Eric Van Dusen • Ida Perez • Jen Cathy • Joe Simson • Ken Traub and Mollie Traub • Meredith Dragon • Mountain Rise United Church of Christ • Paul Tremblay and Jennifer West • Reinhold Samson • Rochester Black Nurses Association • Sarah Mittiga • Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy • University of Rochester • William & Sheila Konar Foundation

Children are young for a short time.

You can make a difference by contributing today.

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