Staff and Very Invested Parents from The Children's Agenda, and representatives of the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI), ROC the Future, and VOCAL-NY rally at the state capitol

On Wednesday, December 18th, the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) voted to approve a series of recommendations that will reduce child poverty in New York State by 50% by 2031. 

TCA's own Policy Director, Pete Nabozny, serves on the Council and has been instrumental in steering its recommendations, along with Candace Cabral, a Rochester parent leader of 3 children and member of the Council.

Larry Marx, CEO, spoke at a press conference immediately following the vote:

"We are here today to both applaud and prod. We applaud the CPRAC's vote for specific policy solutions. And we are here to prod the Governor and legislative leadership to take immediate action to make a meaningful difference for children in poverty today.

It’s clear that when it comes to children especially, poverty is nothing more or less than a policy choice."

Click to read Larry's full remarks.

Read the full press release here.

Our partners at Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI) have released their 2025 Policy Agenda.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Strong National Museum of Play to Celebrate 20 Years of Wins for Children and Families! With the generous support of sponsors and attendees, we were able to net more than $100,000 - funds that sustain our ongoing work of improving lives of children and families.

We were delighted to present our first-ever Game Changer Awards to:
*  Rochester Area State Legislative Delegation – Policy
*  Jim Brush – Funder
*  The Center for Teen Empowerment – Organizational Partner (pictured above)
*  Toyin Anderson – Parent Leader

Congratulations to you all and thank you for your courage and leadership on behalf of children and families!

Special thanks to our emcee, Deanna Dewberry of News10NBC, and our dedicated team of Board, staff, and volunteers. Together, we enjoyed a powerful event.

Child Care

Child Poverty

Health

Developmental Services

Education

Click to read what we intend to achieve in the new year.

We will be watching the Governor's State of the State address (January 14th)
and listening for her policy priorities for children. Then the Executive Budget Proposal process begins. Stay tuned for action alerts!

Advocates with Kids Can't Wait are going to Albany on February 11th, 2025 and ALL are welcome to attend!

This is a great opportunity for you to speak directly to legislators and demand funding in the 2025 New York State budget for Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education! We will provide training and materials before we get to Albany so you can confidently advocate with legislators.

Interested in receiving more information and participating? REGISTER HERE!

Governor Hochul has started an important conversation in New York on cell phone use in schools. The Children's Agenda suggests that limiting the use of cell phones in schools is a worthy goal, provided that it is not used as a pretext for suspension, that parents and students are at the table to craft their schools' policies, and that after-school programming is the priority for creating outlets for students other than social media.

Click to read The Children's Agenda's full statement.

Understanding suspension from a student's perspective

Thank you to Oryia Brown (daughter of a Very Invested Parent) for sharing telling the story of what led to her suspension, how it impacted her return to school, and what she wants you to understand:

"There will always be a child or a teen who messes up not once but multiple times but it is up to all of us to help each other. Mistakes don’t deserve to dictate your life or your character and should never impact your education."

Read the rest of Oryia's blog post here

Thank you for everything you’ve done this year to advocate for a stronger, more equitable child care system in New York. Your efforts, alongside the leadership of dedicated legislators, helped advance important policies like the Presumptive Eligibility Bill. While this was a step forward, it was ultimately diluted in its final form, showing us how much work still lies ahead.

But we are not giving up. Together, we can and will continue to fight for the child care system every family in New York deserves. Here’s how you can take action: 

Join us on January 28 for Child Care Advocacy Day to demand a fairer, more inclusive child care system. Sign up here!

Click to read The Children's Agenda's full statement. 

For more coverage about the presumptive eligibility win, read WXXI's article here.