We were honored to partner with the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) for a local hearing, convened by New York State's Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) on Tuesday, August 4th. Established in 2022, thanks in no small part to The Children's Agenda's advocacy and Assemblymember Harry Bronson's leadership, CPRAC is responsible for analyzing child poverty in New York, making policy recommendations to reduce child poverty by 50 percent over ten years, and measuring and reporting on the State's progress towards that goal.

At the Rochester hearing, CPRAC Co-Chair and OTDA Commissioner Barbara Guinn, CPRAC Members Pete Nabozny (TCA's Deputy Executive Director of Programs) and Candace Cabral (parent leader and benefits navigator at Foodlink) delivered updates on the State's progress before opening the floor to public comments.

54 people attended and 17 individuals - parents and providers - spoke about their experiences day-to-day, their frustrations with systemic barriers, and their hopes for continued progress. Reducing poverty by 50% is an important goal, and we intend to keep elevating the importance of this work until every child is lifted out of poverty.

The Kids Can't Wait campaign sent out a statewide survey to learn what the top challenges are for families of children with developmental delays and disabilities. We received responses from 361 people - parents, providers, and concerned individuals from every region of the state!

Over 40% of respondents identified as a parent, caregiver, or family member of a child with a developmental delay or disability. From the survey, there were three top priorities that clearly resonated with people the most:

We appreciate people's commitment to building equitable early childhood systems for our youngest New Yorkers with developmental delays and disabilities. The ideas and perspectives gathered in this survey are a valuable tool guiding the Kids Can't Wait campaign as we develop our strategic policy and budget priorities for 2027 and beyond. 

On July 30th, ten members of our Very Invested Parents (VIP) group attended a Government 101 training to better understand how legislation moves through the policymaking process, where and how their voices can influence decisions, and practical ways to create positive change for their families and communities. We are honored to partner with parents and caregivers in their journeys to becoming informed advocates and active leaders in shaping policies that affect the issues they care about most.