A statewide program that provides therapeutic and support services for infants and toddlers with development disabilities is struggling to keep up. Advocates for those early intervention services say children are spending months or longer on waitlists and that's an indication of systemic problems, including workforce shortages. A pending study facilitated…

Which expense is most difficult for your family to afford? That question was raised during a recent public hearing hosted by New York State's Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council. The goal was to hear from the public about the financial challenges they face, while also examining the council's anti-poverty efforts. What's working?…

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…

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…

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…

Families in rural areas of New York say it is increasingly difficult to find child care. According to a report from the Children's Agenda, seven rural counties in Western New York shows can be characterized as child care deserts, where there are more than three children under the age of…

Advocates in New York State are celebrating an announcement today by Governor Kathy Hochul. Her administration is investing in statewide universal pre-K and additional programs to help families.

The Greece Central School District is facing a growing need for support services for students with disabilities. Some of the youngest students who qualified for early intervention as infants or toddlers did not end up receiving those services and are entering prekindergarten at a deficit, said Stacey Brindisi, executive director…

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…

The way that universal prekindergarten in New York state is funded is flawed and unsustainable, according to a recent report from three organizations. The Alliance for Quality Education, The Public Policy Education Fund, and the Children's Agenda all say the funding model needs an overhaul. “Attending pre–K has huge short-…

New York State is being sued for failing to fully support early intervention services for children. The lawsuit is new, but the issue is not. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers has been saying for years that the state is falling short in this area.

What do local child advocates and parents think the Rochester City School District should prioritize in its budget? The district will hold a hearing on the proposed budget on Tuesday. This hour, we sit down with Eamonn Scanlon, director of community impact for The Children's Agenda, to discuss the nonprofit's…

Qutisha Britt is finding it harder to support herself and her daughter as the cost of living continues to go up. She said inflation has made shopping for healthier meals more difficult, clothes are more expensive now, and rent in safer neighborhoods is simply unaffordable. “I know what my child…

According to data from the 2022 census, more than one in five New Yorkers under the age of 18 are living in poverty. New York State's child poverty rate is the fourth highest in the U.S. What would it take to change that? The Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council has…

By almost any measure, New York State's early intervention (EI) service model is in crisis. According to the Children's Agenda, providers are being severely underpaid, which is contributing to a shortage — and as a result, wait times are so long that some kids are aging out before ever receiving…

Advocates for early childhood services are calling for an overhaul of how New York state funds early intervention ahead of Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address next week. Early intervention programs include speech therapy, physical therapy and other support services for children from birth to three years old,…

A new law gives New York counties the option to treat families as "presumptively eligible" when they file applications for child care assistance. It's intended to eliminate delays between when families apply and when they are deemed eligible and can receive the benefits.

During a public hearing on the budget last week, a representative from The Children's Agenda, which advocates for children and families, called on the county to address staffing levels at the Department of Human Services.

Monroe County families approved to receive state childcare subsidies shouldn’t have to reapply every year for what already is an underutilized program, advocates say. The program currently limits eligibility to one year before families have to reapply. But New York state has given counties the option to extend that eligibility…

The Children’s Agenda published a new report on Thursday that aims to give New York state officials recommendations on how to make it easier to enroll in public assistance programs like WIC, SNAP, and Medicare.

The presidential campaign has included discussions on family, on having children, on who has kids and who doesn't, and why.

Grassroots advocates and state lawmakers are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign bills meant to make childcare more accessible for more families.

The Rochester City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on funding for six organizations which will test out “innovative food models” for a period of 30 months. In late 2023, the Children’s Agenda released a report based on a survey of Monroe County parents. The report said that 82% of…

70 parents, advocates and providers from across New York went to Albany to urge state officials to increase rates for the Early Intervention program by 11%.

Why does the United States have more poverty than any other advanced democracy? Author Matthew Desmond has answers. Hear from local leaders.

All child care programs are required to provide reasonable accommodations, but only a handful have services for children with special needs.

What is the state of education in Rochester? How can the community help Rochester’s children thrive?

Parents across Monroe County are struggling to afford food, housing, mental health care, and enrichment opportunities for their children, according to poll results released Wednesday by The Children’s Agenda.

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

A coalition of state legislators is calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to raise reimbursement rates for the therapists and teachers providing services to children with developmental delays through the state’s Early Intervention program.

Over the past two academic years, nearly 40 percent of students in the Rochester City School District experienced some kind of housing or school instability.

Housing instability hurts children's education. A new report calls for policies to limit the harm housing instability causes to children.

Research shows work requirements tend to reduce the population receiving assistance, while having little effect on the employment rate.

Childcare deserts are problems in many parts of the country. A recent dispute between a school district and a childcare provider has highlighted the issue in our area.

We sit down with Assemblymember Josh Jensen to discuss New York’s 2023-2024 budget.

We sit down with Assemblymember Jen Lunsford to discuss New York’s 2023-2024 budget.

The Rochester City School Board approved the 2023-2024 school year budget at over $1 billion.

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.

A national assessment shows average test scores for elementary students across the country are down, but New York state schools saw an even steeper decline.

Activists from around the state, including about two dozen Rochesterians, rallied in Albany to call for more state funding for child care.

A group of local pastors and community leaders gathered on West Broad Street early Sunday morning outside the city school district central office building as part of activities for Children’s Interfaith Weekend.

The Children’s Agenda is calling for an end to school suspensions for students Pre-K to Grade 3. 84% of Monroe County parents support solutions not suspensions.

The Children’s Agenda is calling for an end to school suspensions for students Pre-K to Grade 3. 84% of Monroe County parents support solutions not suspensions.

More than 3,500 child care programs closed in New York state, leaving thousands of kids unable to access the care they need.

As families in New York state are facing widespread shortages in childcare, The Children’s Agenda calls for greater support from the state.

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

Child care access is expanding across New York state, thanks to funding in the latest budget that was passed earlier this month.

Parents and advocates say the recently adopted New York state budget does not deliver on early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities.

The Children’s Agenda says mental health is a top concern for parents in Monroe County. The organization released findings from a survey.