State policymakers have proposed transformative investments in children and families this year, and we have high hopes that the final State Budget will include what we see as the best options proposed for Child Care, Pre-Kindergarten, Developmental Services, and Foundation Aid (School Funding).
 
At the time we hit "send" on this email, it is unclear when precisely there will be a deal to move the budget forward to a vote. The good news is: there's still time for you to make sure Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Heastie understand how important State investments are. 

Take 2 minutes to send our pre-filled email to the Governor and Assembly and Senate leaders. Your voice matters!

More than 1.4 million New York children live in immigrant families, and all are at risk of experiencing family separation due to sweeping non-targeted federal immigration enforcement actions. The impacts of family separation on children can be devastating, resulting in long-term health and psychological effects. 

At the State level, The Children's Agenda joined more than 60 organizations in urging Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Heastie to pass New York for All (S.2235A Gounardes/A.3506A Reyes), invest $175 million in immigration legal services, and enact the Access to Representation Act (ARA) (A.270 Cruz) and the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense (BUILD) Act (S.4538 Liu/A.2689 Cruz) this legislative session.

At the federal level, The Children's Agenda signed onto a letter written by First Focus Campaign for Children and Coalition on Human Needs, urging all members of Congress to prioritize the well-being and safety of children by discontinuing deportation enforcement funding and adding safeguards to prevent the harms currently being done to children. 

The Governor’s and legislature’s proposals to increase funding for New York’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) are critical to address a funding shortfall throughout many parts of the state. As of February 1st, 34 counties plus New York City have wait lists or have closed enrollment entirely.
 
To track this funding shortfall and its impact on families, we have launched a new Child Care Assistance Program dashboard to provide you with current information on the status in every county. You'll see information on:

On Thursday, 3/26, our team hosted the Kids Can't Wait State Budget Teach-In featuring a panel of speakers from Citizens Committee for Children of New York, Liftoff WNY, Advocates for Children of New York, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, United for Brownsville, and the TCA Very Invested Parents group. Facilitated by Sushmitha Madaboosi, MSPH, Senior Advocacy Coordinator, our 29 attendees learned more about what is in the proposed State budget for Early Intervention, Preschool Special Education, and inclusive child care - and about what is missing for our roughly 130,000 infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities. 

We will continue to fight for every child to have equitable access to services. Make your voice heard by signing the action alert here.

Join us on Thursday, April 16th online to learn more about RCSD’s proposed budget for 2026-27 and this year’s budget priorities from The Children’s Agenda and our Very Invested Parents:

* Mental Health

* School Climate

* School Meals

We will share tips on advocating and speaking at the hearing, and allow time for questions and conversation.

Make your voice heard!

Register here.

According to our research, New York's students lost 840,067 total days of education due to suspensions in the 2024-25 school year.

Join the Solutions Not Suspensions coalition and The Children's Agenda in Albany to demand that our elected representatives pass the Solutions not Suspensions Bill (A.118/S.134) this year.

SNS Advocacy Day in Albany - Monday, May 11, 2026

Register by May 8th, and let us know if you need transportation. 

Every sturdy structure begins with a strong foundation, and every meaningful change in the lives of children and families starts the same way: with people who believe it is possible, and who commit themselves to making it real.

That is the spirit behind this year's Impact Report, and its theme: Building Blocks of Progress.

At The Children's Agenda, we know that no single organization, policy win, or advocacy campaign transforms a community on its own. What creates lasting change is the accumulation of intentional effort - block by block, partnership by partnership, year after year. You, our collaborators, funders, community partners, and advocates, are those building blocks. The work in these pages would not exist without you.