"Every young child in our community deserves safe, nurturing, and reliable child care. Parents in our community should never be forced to leave the workforce because they cannot afford child care or cannot find a trusted provider near their home or work. Rochester’s economy will flourish when our children, families,…

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…

A group of New York lawmakers and child care advocates are pushing to prioritize better pay for the child care workforce in this year’s state spending plan to complement the significant investments Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed in her executive budget. Hochul’s plan includes funding for 2-care and more money for…

Hundreds of parents, providers and advocates are heading to the state capitol in Albany on Tuesday to rally for universal child care. They're calling on the state legislature to enact universal child care this year. They say Hochul's proposal in the state budget is a win they've been working toward…

Advocates with the Empire State Campaign for Child Care, who have long lobbied the state to set out on a realistic path to a universal system seized on the energy and attention, unveiled on Monday a proposal for initiating next steps that they hope Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers…

New York’s funding for pre-K education is not keeping up with inflation, according to a new report.

While childhood poverty is creating a number of issues in communities across New York state, work is being done to stop it at its source. "I’d argue it's one of the most significant challenges facing New York state as a whole and certainly families in New York state. About 1…

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…

Several groups, including representatives from VOCAL-NY, are advocating for people who rely on assistance in paying for their groceries, demanding the Trump administration reverse the cuts to SNAP and restore the Household Food Security report, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture stopped the survey which tracks food insecurity. “We stand…

"But the danger is that these things don't follow through. So we want to make sure that these things actually get implemented and that they're in the final budget book. We're happy that there's funding for restorative practices and the restorative team. We're happy that there is this rollout that's…

New York’s child care assistance program, the primary way the state provides child care assistance, has been thrown a life preserver in the form of a $400 million infusion that forced Gov. Kathy Hochul to dial back one of her signature budget proposals — inflation rebate checks for many New…

The Child Care Assistance Program is the primary way the state provides families with child care subsidies is in trouble, and there is hope that the state budget will provide a lifeline.

As state budget negations resume Tuesday, advocates are hoping for more funding for the state Early Intervention Program. It provides services like physical and occupational therapy and speech pathology to children up to the age of 3 who need a little extra support. The Children’s Agenda is leading a campaign…

A new report hopes to give the city of Rochester tools to prevent childhood poverty. Members of Rochester City Council presented the findings on Tuesday. The report was a collaboration with the Children’s Agenda. It outlines key causes of childhood poverty in the city and presents 13 possible solutions. These…

While immigration concerns and reproductive rights are among the top issues on voters' minds as they head to the polls, experts say the outcome of the election could have a significant impact on child care policy when the current federal tax credit expires next year.

There's a new effort in Rochester to combat child poverty. A series of hearings is being held on Nov. 5 and 12 with local childhood advocacy leaders. City officials say families need more help to meet basic needs like food, housing and after-school activities.

As Gov. Kathy Hochul works her way through the pile of bills that were passed this session, she’ll be deciding whether or not to sign three pieces of legislation that hope to chip away at issues with child care in New York.

New York can grow the number of childcare slots and eliminate daycare deserts across much of upstate New York.

"No child is born destined to live in poverty, and the fact that nearly one of every two children in Rochester do – along with so many others in New York State – is a failure of public policy."

“No child was born destined to be in poverty. We have choices that we can make, like state tax credits that can be expanded that would fit families out of poverty."

The Empire State Campaign for Child Care say the final state budget must invest $1 billion to increase wages for the child care workforce

High school students in New York may soon see changes to their graduation requirements.

The council is also confronted with the scope of New York’s varying demographics, and appointee Pete Nabozny, Director of Policy for The Children’s Agenda in Rochester, says it’s crucial to have representatives from various regions.

As state lawmakers discuss how to reduce child poverty, the city of Rochester will soon open applications for a new grant to bolster savings accounts for kids to help strengthen economic opportunities for young New Yorkers.

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

New York needs to expand and strengthen its child tax credit to cut child poverty.

The Children’s Agenda reports only about half of the children who qualify for Early Intervention are receiving services in a timely manner.

In place of passing Regents exams, students can demonstrate they have learned skills they can use in college and careers.

The Empire State Campaign for Child Care say the final state budget must invest $1 billion to increase wages for the child care workforce

Gov. Kathy Hochul's vision to address the state's child care crisis continues to differ from several lawmakers as they prepare to begin this session's budget negotiations.

There is a call to the Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to increase funding for early intervention efforts that could help infants and toddlers.

One local group is offering up alternatives to suspending kids from school and calling for changes in the state.

New York’s Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is still in the process of distributing federal money to child care providers.

New York’s Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is still in the process of distributing federal money to child care providers.

After the Rochester City School District released a revised budget plan last week, some are calling for more transparency from district leaders.

Monroe County families are in crisis, according to a recent poll conducted by The Children’s Agenda.

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 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.

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.

A Rochester non-profit, dedicated to speaking for some of Monroe County's most vulnerable residents, went before the legislature Thursday evening to present a "report card" on how it believes the county's 2020 budget will serve the children who live there.

The Greater Rochester Community of Churches Faith in Action Network is celebrating 100 years of bringing together Rochesterians from different faith traditions. 

Advocates are demanding Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo to keep her promise to thousands of children in the county in need of Pre-school Special Education Services.

School 17 is an example of the progress the district has made in reducing suspensions and violence, and improving student performance in some of Rochester's most embattled schools.