FEATURED NEWS

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

The Children’s Agenda, a local youth advocacy group, says there is a growing shortage of available child care in New York and the rest of the nation.

A new report from The Children’s Agenda said the city is in the midst of a childcare crisis. According to the report, Rochester has approximately 9,000 kids under the age of 2 at any given time, but just under 1,000 child care slots.

Advocates for children are calling the lack of childcare in Monroe County a crisis. The problem is especially acute for newborns to age three. According to a newly released report by the Children's Agenda, there are only three slots for every 10 babies and toddlers who need care in Monroe…

A new report from The Children’s Agenda finds a deficiency in care for infants in toddlers across Monroe County, particularly in the City of Rochester.

E-News Archive

Many people will say that New York State is an expensive place to live, and a new study on the cost of child care supports that statement. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average cost of child care for an infant in New York is $15,394 per year. That…

The Rochester Board of Education approved laying off 109 teachers, as well as other district staff, in a split vote late Thursday night that moved spectators to tears.

"ROC The Future" is looking to provide custom-built libraries for students in grades K-3 at Rochester Schools 19 and 39. The first is Monday, Dec. 9th at Barnes & Noble Pittsford, 4 - 8 pm. Another will follow on Friday, Dec. 20th at Barnes & Noble in Greece, 4 -…

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 chants of “Let teachers teach” and “Education is a right, that’s why we have to fight,” echoed clearly down West Broad Street early Thursday evening. They came from a rally organized by the Rochester Teacher’s Association and were meant to send a message: stop the proposed layoffs of Rochester…

E-News Archive

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

Graduation rates are up, parents are more engaged and supportive, third grade English Language Arts proficiency has improved and college financial aid applications are on the rise. But Rochester still lags the rest of the state and nation in many other areas in terms of childhood outcomes.

Roc the Future released its "State of Our Children" report card Thursday morning. Group members say there have been gains and small changes in all areas affecting children.

A growing body of research shows that tax credits targeted to low-income families lead to better lifetime outcomes for poor children. The Children’s Agenda has long been supportive of both state and federal efforts to improve these types of tax credits. Pete Nabozny, Director of Policy, The Children's Agenda, explains…

There are key moments in a child’s development that act as the foundation for all future learning, behavior and health. Stress during this short window of time could lead to negative outcomes including developmental delays and even adult heart disease. What makes this moment in a child’s life so critical?

What is the so-called “school-to-prison pipeline”? Local organizations are planning a town hall event to educate the community about their concerns. It starts with school discipline, suspension levels, and expulsion.

E-News Archive

More than three-quarters of the brain develops in early childhood, before kids even get to preschool or kindergarten. That means that giving children every opportunity to learn, grow and develop from age zero is fundamental. And that’s why the Children’s Agenda Inc. was established some 15 years ago.

This is the second of a series of blog posts regarding the current RSCD budget situation. The Rochester City School District (RCSD) is currently looking for ways to save $30.1 million this year to make up for overspending in the 2018-2019 budget. In The Children’s Agenda’s first blog post we…

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.

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

The Children's Agenda hosted a candidates forum Wednesday night.

The Greater Rochester Community of Churches is marking its 100th anniversary with an event that showcases faith and arts this weekend. The County Executive and County Legislator Candidate Forum will be held October 16 at the Schottland Family YMCA starting at 7 p.m.

The Children's Agenda will host a forum for county executive and County Legislature candidates at the new Schottland Family YMCA, 2200 Jefferson Road in Pittsford, from 7 to 9 p.m. Candidates will be asked to discuss child care, child abuse and neglect, programs for pre-school children, and other services for…

As the Nov. 5 general election draws near, local Hispanics are being encouraged to get out and exercise their right to vote.

Election Day is just over three weeks away. Voters have a wide range of issues that they prioritize. Guest talk about children in need in our community and funding for early intervention services and preschool special education services. The conversation comes in advance of an upcoming candidate forum hosted by The Children's…

An upcoming forum is looking to have county executive and county legislator candidates answer questions about county services for children and families. The County Executive and County Legislator Candidate Forum will be held October 16 at the Schottland Family YMCA starting at 7 p.m.

The second floor of the New York State Capitol is bustling as the governor works on his budget proposal, due in January.

Auditors from the state Comptroller’s Office have begun scrutinizing the Rochester City School District’s 2018-19 budget to figure out how the district spent an estimated $30 million it didn’t have – an endeavor the state predicts could take six months to a year to conclude.

Former superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams intended to push district finances to breaking point and force the state to increase funding as the crisis developed in plain sight over two budget seasons

Progressives and conservatives can agree that self-sufficiency is a worthy goal of social policy. That’s why policy wonks of all stripes support the Earned Income Tax Credit.

A couple weeks ago, the Rochester City School District (RCSD) reported to the City of Rochester and the Board of Regents that they had overspent their budget by a significant amount. This raised many alarms about the fiscal health of the district, and concerns about what cuts will be made…

Our Education and Policy Analyst, Eamonn Scanlon, examines the how an announced RCSD budget deficit may have come about and calls for transparency in future budget discussions.

A new report says the percentage of children living in areas of concentrated poverty has dropped in 29 states, but here in New York the numbers remain unchanged.

The current budget gap in the Rochester City School District is about $30 million, Superintendent Terry Dade said Thursday, less than originally feared but still a fearsome hole to fill.

Local, state and federal officials are now looking into how Rochester City School District officials overspent past their nearly one billion dollar budget. Sources tell News10NBC that the reported deficit for the 2018-19 school year is between $40 million and $50 million. 

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

Tuesday. community members rallied against proposed cuts to SNAP benefits.

President Donald Trump wants to make major changes to SNAP, the federal food stamp program that thousands of local families rely on to feed themselves and their children. 

Proud to join Congressman Joe Morelle, Julia Tedesco from Foodlink, Jerome Underwood from RMAPI and many other community leaders calling upon President Trump to rescind proposed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) changes. As TCA’s Larry Marx said, " Every parent knows that hunger, meal uncertainty & inadequate nutrition deeply harms…

ROC The Future is giving big recommendations for parents. They urge parents to take a step back, take a breath and get your mind ready for back to school. It’s the first step to be in the right mindset according to the initiative. 

Our policy director, Pete Nabozny, discusses the impact of possible Trump administration changes to the SNAP benefit program. The result, according to the administration, will be the removal of more than three million people from the program.

Women of color make significantly less than white, non-Latino men over the course of their careers

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…

In New York State, black women earn 65 cents for every dollar a non-Hispanic white male makes doing similar work. A local group is trying to change that.

A new statewide coalition that launched Thursday, Raising New York, seeks to tackle the social, emotional, economic and educational inequities among the state's youngest residents.