Last night, we celebrated our VIP parent leaders at our annual Parent Appreciation Dinner. Parents and their willingness to show up and speak up for children - this is the heart of why we're here.

From discussing the budget with members of the Rochester City School Board to advocacy bus trips to meeting with legislators in Albany, from speaking out at press conferences to testifying to City Council on poverty, our 74 parent leaders are trained, effective, powerful advocates making a difference on children’s issues like child care, early intervention, and education. This dinner was our chance to honor them fighting for their children – and all children.

Special thanks to Angélica Pérez-Delgado, President/CEO of Ibero-American Action League, for delivering an address of hope and determination, and to parents Will Williams, Tamara Hall, and Christian Serrano for delivering purpose, poetry, and power in their remarks.

Heartfelt gratitude to Carmen Torres, Parent Leadership Manager, for organizing an amazing evening, and to both Carmen and Isabel Rosa, Community and Parent Advocacy Coordinator, for their work in encouraging our VIPs all year long.

Click here to view the full gallery on our Facebook page.

We are happy to report progress on priorities that The Children's Agenda and our Very Invested Parents (VIP) group advocated for with Rochester City School District and the City of Rochester.

What happened in the RCSD 2025-26 Budget:
1. The Budget book was reformatted to include a position object summary, something we have demanded the past few years for greater budget transparency.
2. RCSD is maintaining funding for the RocRestorative Team with no cuts.
3. Help zones and alternative to suspension rooms will still be funded at all schools.
4. The District will open 5 new mental health satellite clinics next year, bringing the total up to 18. With 8 school-based health centers offering on-site mental health counseling, RCSD will now have 26 locations with on-site mental health providers. 👏👏

What happened in the City of Rochester 2025-26 Budget:

The City of Rochester 2025-2026 Budget passed on Tuesday, June 17. We want to thank VP Harris and Councilmember Lupien for mentioning their support for The Children's Agenda's budget recommendations during the vote.

Three important initiatives included in the budget we want to uplift:

The R-Future Fund (aka child savings accounts) will begin in the spring of 2026, when every kindergartener at RCSD will automatically “…receive a $50 seed deposit, and an additional $100 equity bonus for students experiencing poverty..." Families will have opportunities to receive additional bonuses for their children and put their own money into the savings accounts. Research shows that even a few hundred dollars in savings may impact college enrollment and completion.

We are excited to see that the Northeast quadrant of the city is finally getting a second branch library as part of the Fernwood Avenue Project.

The expansion of social-emotional programming to 5 R-centers is a great step in moving towards being a "Restorative City."

Read our full recommendations for the City Budget here.

When funding for children’s basic needs is under threat, silence is not an option. Every dollar you give strengthens our ability to act — faster, louder, and smarter.

If you believe every child deserves a fair shot, stand with us now. Donate to help protect the programs kids depend on. 

Your gift can help keep children fed, housed, healthy, and learning.

Thank you for being part of the fight.

The State Legislature wrapped up its session last week. We applaud the Governor and Legislature for approving several measures to support families' economic security, boost students' education and mental health, and increase funding for the Child Care Assistance Program.

We are dismayed that the State made no new investments or progress in fixing New York's broken Early Intervention system. The legislature once again did not vote on the Solutions Not Suspensions bill (S.134/A.118).

You can read our full statement here.

ICYMI: We released a report, Sustainable, Sufficient & Fair: Revenue Sources for Universal Child Care in New York State, to inform the work of advocates and policymakers as we strive for universal child care. Thank you to ESL Charitable Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson Foundation, and the Robin Hood Foundation for their generous support of this report. Their commitment to improving all children’s lives, especially the most vulnerable, has been instrumental in making this work possible. We also appreciate the supportive research, review, and other contributions of our partners at the WNY Women’s Foundation, Liftoff WNY, and Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy.

From our friends at Hunger Solutions New York:

Almost three million New Yorkers rely on SNAP to put food on the table, yet Congress is advancing a budget bill that will cut more than $300 billion from the program.

These cuts would be devastating for low-income New Yorkers who are already struggling with rising costs and are counting on our federal representatives to help, not cut vital food assistance.

Tell Congress to keep their hands off SNAP.