Financial strain, low-performing schools, and state recommendations for improvements are a recurring narrative for Eamonn Scanlon, director of community impact at the Children's Agenda who has been studying the district for nearly a decade. “What you usually see is this pattern of cutting back on those extra things ... even…

Outrage continues to grow after a vote to adopt the proposed Rochester City School District budget for next school year. The $1.16 billion budget for the 2026-27 school year was approved in a 4-3 vote Tuesday evening at the RCSD budget adoption meeting. The adopted budget cuts social work services,…

These concerns, as well as cuts to food service, school counselors, and special education FTEs were echoed by members of the community at a previous budget forum, which had over 50 speakers. Local educational advocacy group the Children’s Agenda also released a report on the proposed budget, focusing on cuts…

Skepticism and doubt remain after the Rochester city school board passed — by a margin of one vote — a $1.16 billion budget that many community members, staff and parents opposed. The budget is larger than last year’s by about $44 million, though the district is also anticipating a fiscal…

Several teachers, students and concerned community members gathered outside Rochester City Hall on April 27 in protest of the Rochester City School District's proposed budget. The demonstration, organized by The Children's Agenda, Citizen Action of NY and Vocal NY, was held ahead of the budget hearing for the proposed budget…

Protestors gathered outside Rochester City Hall on Monday over proposed cuts to programs in the upcoming Rochester City School District budget. Rochester City Council held a hearing on the RCSD budget, one day ahead of another deliberation session for the Board of Education. The group The Children's Agenda says it's…

The proposed budget for next school year would reduce district-wide counseling, social work and psychology funding by about $3 million, according to the draft budget book. About 45 guidance counselor and social worker positions are also on the chopping block. District leadership previously pledged to bulk up student mental health…

Voters across New York — both Democrats and Republicans — want the state to invest more in affordable child care, a new poll found. It’s the latest sign of growing political pressure on Gov. Kathy Hochul to push for the popular but expensive program ahead of a tough reelection race…

As part of ARC Rochester's Spotlight on Hunger, we learn more about The Children's Agenda and their work tackling food insecurity. Community and parent advocacy coordinator Isabel Rosa tells us more.

A new report shows Monroe County is spending millions of dollars each year on unfounded calls to CPS. Community agencies in our area say those resources could be better spent elsewhere.

Of the 6,768 Child Protective Services investigations in Monroe County in 2024, 76% were unfounded with no abuse or neglect, according to a report published by HOPE585 and The Children's Agenda. "That is real economic loss, pulling directly from families who are already living in the margins," said Ashley Cross,…

When a teacher, health care professional, or social worker believes that a child is being abused or neglected, they are legally obligated to report the matter to Child Protective Services (CPS), potentially facing legal penalties if they don’t. But the report from Hope 585 and The Children’s Agenda, another nonprofit…

For Isabel Rosa, having health coverage is a matter of life and death. She has a heart condition that requires her to visit a doctor every three months. The medication she takes costs her thousands each month. “I don’t know what I’m going to have to do to make sure…

Rochester City Council Vice President LaShay Harris, released a comprehensive report detailing the current state of childhood poverty in the city of Rochester. Compiled in collaboration with City Council’s People, Parks, and Public Works Committee and The Children’s Agenda, the report highlights troubling statistics and offers actionable recommendations to address…

Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Friday that she wants free breakfast and lunch for every student in every school district in New York. This means not just free meals in the city of Rochester, but free meals in school districts like Pittsford, Brighton, and Penfield as well. Jason DeLooze, a…

New York State is looking to cover school meals for students, according to a new initiative. This proposed program is part of Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State, which will ensure that over 2.7 million public school students will receive free breakfasts and lunches at school.

Hope 585, a nonprofit that works with kids and families, is planning to host a town hall next week to hear directly from people about their interactions with Child Protective Services.

Stable, safe housing is critical for kids' mental, physical and social well-being. National studies have found that frequent moves and the inherited stress of not knowing how long you'll stay in your home or school hit children hard. Instability and poor housing conditions can increase kids' likelihood of developing anything…

More than 200 education, farm, union and anti-hunger groups have sent a letter to the governor urging her to include universal free meals in her next state budget.

The SAFE (Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation) for Kids Act bans personalized social media feeds for anyone under 18 unless they get verified parental approval.

Institutions, organizations and advocacy groups have been working to provide care and resources for teen mental health.

“What we will see is more children who aren’t ready for kindergarten, more health issues for children and families, more food insecurity. We’ll be seeing more housing instability, and seeing a lot more mental health problems as a result of all of this.”

Access to nutritious food is vital. Free school meals will be available in Greece Central School District starting this fall.

Toyin said the new telehealth services meant she could stay at work while her son was seen by a doctor. He felt well enough to return to class.

New school-based health centers plus telemedicine will expand access to health care for Rochester city school children.

New numbers support the much widely recognized need for mental health services for young people across the country and the state.

A parents' poll shows 40% say their children have struggled with emotional or mental health since returning to school in-person.

The Children’s Agenda is calling for robust solutions to what they say is a mental health crisis among children and teens – including improving access to care in schools.

In the midst of an ongoing mental health crisis nationwide, The Children’s Agenda, a locally based nonprofit, has released a new poll taking a deep dive on parents’ concerns surrounding youth mental health.

People across the country are searching for ways to support many of America’s children and young adults, who say they’re facing stress, anxiety, and depression. Remote school, shuttered activities, and family job losses during the pandemic often changed their lives – and their sense of well-being. 

Close to 300 children are now waiting for early intervention services: help with things like speech and motor skills.

Local educators and children’s advocates are calling for policy changes to prevent future mass school shootings.

Children of any background or socioeconomic status can be a victim of child abuse. However, pediatrician Jeff Kaczorowski says he sees poverty be a huge stressor for families.

The state-wide mask mandate is still in effect amid an ongoing legal battle, but even if it were lifted, a local medical expert says schools should still require masks indoors.

School officials in Rochester, New York voted on Tuesday to station police officers outside the city’s 11 high schools when students arrive and leave their campuses each day.

Now, with previously cooped-up kids back in classrooms, the number of campus fights and disruptions has grown, putting pressure on local school board officials to reestablish police presence. In recent weeks, police and private security officers have been posted outside high schools at the beginning and end of the school…

As Rochester schools see incidents of violence, children's advocates are calling for the school system to push forward, and not turn back by bringing police back into schools. Children's Agenda Educational Policy Director Eamonn Scanlon said disturbances involving students frequently pick up this time of year and, after the disruption…

Days after leaders from four Rochester City School unions asked the district to address growing security concerns – including an incident when someone fired a gun outside All City High -- residents spoke out at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting.

Earlier this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that $21 million in federal funding will be available to bolster the state's mental health workforce. This led The Children's Agenda and "Partners in Community BIPOC PEEEEEK" to start a discussion on how these funds can be best serve children in Rochester.

The child-care industry is down more than 126,000 workers. That's according to the Washington Post. Staff members are leaving the industry for higher-paying jobs and better benefits. This has economic impacts -- with fewer workers, fewer children can be cared for, and more parents must leave the workforce to stay…

Parents in the Rochester City School District marched to the central office Thursday night asking the district to invest in mental health. They said children in this city are being impacted mentally, socially and emotionally by the violence around them and that it’s affecting their behavior at home and at school.

A bill setting the goal of halving child poverty in New York within a decade has passed the Legislature and now goes to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his signature.

Schumer also addressed the extension of the Child Tax Credit, saying that the law will funnel about $7 billion to eligible families in New York. Some of them will receive $300 monthly payments from the federal government beginning in July.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer visited Rochester on Wednesday, enumerating the bounty of recent federal stimulus funding and promising even further spending in President Joe Biden's proposed $2 trillion infrastructure bill.

The American Rescue Plan also includes an additional round of direct stimulus checks that have already started going out, aid to help schools reopen, an expansion of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, new rental assistance, pension relief for thousands of retirees, and more.

When the pandemic ends, it will not be cheap for East’s staff to get students, many of whom have checked out during the school’s remote learning offerings, back up to speed. While the new American Rescue Plan funnels nearly $130 billion into K-12 nationally to deal with fallout from the…

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that the Rochester-Finger Lakes region will receive $391 million for K-12 education. The money comes from the recent COVID-19 federal stimulus package.

The recent pepper spraying of a 9-year-old girl at the hands of Rochester police is leading to a conversation about the "adultification" of Black youth.

In January 2021, a nine-year-old girl in our community was handcuffed and pepper sprayed by police. As a community that cares for children and sees their fundamental humanity, we must ask how we got to this point, where children of color are viewed as a threat, restrained and assaulted by the…

The Rochester Teachers Association has strengthened its stance against students returning to the classrooms in the Rochester City School District. Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small plans to bring thousands of students back to buildings in February. A few hundred students with special needs returned to school buildings in early January.

The Rochester City School District and ROC the Future hosted an information session with parents Wednesday night to share how they will keep students safe when they return to the classroom.

In episode 11 of Together for Change, our host Christian Motley talks with community leaders from Rochester, New York, and StriveTogether President and CEO Jennifer Blatz on how parents can lead change in their communities

The likelihood that students will return to school full time is decreasing as COVID cases increase. For many parents, the burdensome process of remote learning is beginning to take a toll.

ESL Federal Credit Union’s impact on the region extends beyond its traditional role as a lender. The credit union counts among its priorities helping the area through its community impact efforts.

The Rochester City School District is continuing to make plans to safely reopen their schools for in person learning. As of now, Superintendent Dr. Leslie Myers-Small said the district plans to have a group of students come back for in-person learning on January 4th, but there are growing concerns.

ROC the Future has released its annual "State of Our Children" report card. It tracks key measures of wellbeing of children and youth in the Rochester area.

With the election just a month away, a few local advocacy groups held a forum where candidates running for office in the state Assembly and the state Senate were able to weigh in on topics affecting families in our area.

Experts in child health and education say the pandemic will have lasting effects on children's social and emotional needs and their overall wellbeing. Effective in April 2021, the Children's Institute will be ROC the Future's new anchor entity. Representatives from the two organizations say the partnership will enable them to better focus their work…

Equity means ensuring additional supports for the students falling the farthest behind. One positive trend in reopening plans has been the prioritization of young children, students with disabilities, and English language learners, who research shows are the most in need of in-person instruction. Even so, to make up for the…

Three decades ago, a team of researchers at Duke University set off to follow a group of schoolchildren in a stretch of rural North Carolina that happened to include a small reservation. Soon after, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opened a casino and began sharing the profits, about $4,000…

The looming threat of a 20% cut in state education funding has school districts across New York anxious — but, as is often the case, it is urban districts like Rochester that stand to suffer the most.

ACT Rochester is sending out a call to action, after publishing a new report that finds that minorities in Rochester are facing huge challenges in education, housing and economics.

Students in the Rochester City School District collectively will spend less time in school buildings than any other school district in Monroe County, and nearly anywhere in New York, when classes resume this fall.

A day after Rochester City Council passed a budget which would remove armed officers from schools, local advocacy groups and activists celebrated a small win, though they immediately called on the district to put more funding behind programs that support students.

Distancing measures in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 have pushed early intervention services like Kaia’s physical therapy — required by both state and federal law for children under 3 years old — into the virtual realm.

The Greater Rochester After-School Alliance (GRASA) on Thursday will partner with the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, Healthi Kids, the Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association (GRSLA), United Way of Greater Rochester Inc. and the Children’s Agenda to host a “Lights On Afterschool” event.

KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit that works to ensure every kid and community have access to quality playspaces, has selected ROC the Future to lead a playground project here.

Congressman Joe Morelle announced two bills on the federal level that aim to ensure children are vaccinated before attending public schools.

The city has ended the public comment period for its first comprehensive plan since Bill Johnson was mayor in the 1990s.  Since Rochester 2034 was announced in the spring, people have had a lot to say about it.  The proposal will be released Sept. 9. The Planning Board will take further comment…

New York is one of the richest states in the nation, but a new report shows the state’s children are not sharing in that wealth. The 2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book ranks New York 42nd in the nation for the economic well-being of its children.

Thirteen area organizations received Community Health Award grants from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.