September 2026 E-Newsletter Looking at Chronic Absenteeism in Monroe County The Children’s Agenda has just released a new report: Beyond Attendance Awareness: Chronic Absenteeism in…

As New York moves toward universal prekindergarten for 4-year-olds, the debate over what comes next is increasingly turning to 3K and how the state can…

June 2, 2026 E-Newsletter Significant Wins, Others Left Behind: Our Statement on the NYS 2026-27 Enacted Budget The Children’s Agenda is grateful for the groundbreaking…

April 2026 E-Newsletter Rochester City School District’s Budget Must Support Students’ Mental Health As longtime advocates for improving educational outcomes for Rochester students, The Children’s…

Community members gathered at Rochester City Hall to protest proposed budget cuts to student support services within the Rochester City School District ahead of a…

Education advocates are pushing for more state funding for 3-year-old prekindergarten programs in Rochester and across New York. Local advocates hosted a press conference Wednesday…

NEW YORK — New York City lawmakers and advocates are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to boost funding for child care vouchers to shrink a…

Spring 2026 E-Newsletter State Budget Watch State policymakers have proposed transformative investments in children and families this year, and we have high hopes that the…

Last week, the state legislature officially backed Governor Kathy Hochul’s plan to offer every 4-year-old in New York a free pre-K seat within the next…

February 2026 It’s Time for Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) The research is clear: Attending Pre-Kindergarten leads to short- and long-term improvements in children’s academic and behavioral…

The Children’s Agenda Senior Policy Analyst Shannon Mullin discusses the limited access to pre-kindergarten outside of New York City and considers what has been proposed…

January 2026 With the Governor’s budget book in hand and the Legislature in session, our team is focused on building support for historic progress this…

Our Response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State Address In her 2026 State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed bold…

Governor Kathy Hochul is making child care a priority in the upcoming state budget. It comes with new proposals to expand pre-K programs and assist…

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…

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 way that universal prekindergarten in New York state is funded is flawed and unsustainable, according to a recent report from three organizations. The Alliance…

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

State lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul honed in on the backlog of early intervention needs in this year’s budget, but not much progress has been…

As the summer winds down, many of our youngest learners are starting school for the first time in a universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) class. Four-year-olds in…

We need to make sure all stages of education are foundationally and qualitatively strong in order for our children to thrive. Hear from Ira Brunson,…

Preview – September 2022 E-News September 2022 Members of the Very Invested Parents (VIPs) group along with Parent Advocacy Coordinator Carmen Torres At The Children’s…

Amanda Wilbert and Stacia Paganelli from Step by Step Pediatric Therapy Services join this week’s episode of Raising Rochester to discuss Monroe County’s shortage of…

  August 2022 As New York’s children head back to school, each and every one of us has the responsibility to ensure every child receives…

  July 2022 The Children’s Agenda is unique in that we advocate at the local, state and national levels. National policies have profound impacts for…

Rachel Bonsignore is this week’s guest on the Raising Rochester podcast. Rachel is the Executive Director of Liftoff Western NY, an initiative to ensure all…

  Budgets are value statements. We cannot reduce them to only dollars and cents or spreadsheets and graphs. They require choices and when we choose…

  March 2022 Listening to Parents This month The Children’s Agenda released findings from our first-of-its kind poll of Monroe County parents. The poll is…

This month Kelly M. is being spotlighted for her strong will and dedication to advocacy. Kelly has two children who have received Early Intervention (EI)…

Preview – Valuing ALL of Our Children … And Much More in the February Edition of TCA’s E-News February 2022 Valuing ALL of Our Children…

Tina Carney is this week’s Raising Rochester guest. Tina is a committed parent advocate in Rochester and Monroe County. Tina shares her personal experience as…

January 2022 Bold Action for Children New York children had many policy wins last year. So what’s next? A lot! In 2022, The Children’s Agenda,…

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul last week signed legislation to increase funding for Early Intervention services for young children with developmental delays and also pledged…

Some students with disabilities may see a boost in support this coming year as Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a package of bills into law on…

Preview – Our Wish List … And Much More in the December Edition of TCA’s E-News December 2021 2022 Wish List from The Children’s Agenda…

Preview – Building Back for Kids … And Much More in the November Edition of TCA’s E-News November 2021 Building Back for Children On November…

Preview – Focusing on Children’s Mental Health … And Much More in the October Edition of TCA’s E-News October 2021 State of Emergency for America’s…

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello called for new legislation that would increase early intervention resources in New York for children and students during an address…

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello is calling for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to make sure kids in New York with special needs can get…

Preview – Early Intervention Month Continues … And Much More in the September Edition of TCA’s E-News September 2021 Early Intervention (EI) Month Continues A…

Monroe County has dedicated September as Early Intervention (EI) Awareness Month.

Preview – September is Early Intervention Month … And Much More in the August Edition of TCA’s E-News August 2021 Coming in September – Early…

Monroe County has dedicated September as Early Intervention (EI) Awareness Month. The County will be collaborating with community organizations, providers, and parents to plan a…

The first episode of Raising Rochester is a conversation with Kim Dooher. Kim is a parent of four, including Vivian, a remarkable 5 year old…

Together, we made progress for kids in the state legislature! Four bills we prioritized and advocated for via visits with legislators and their staff, sharing…

Preview – The American Rescue Plan and Children … And Much More in the March Edition of TCA’s E-News March 2021 What The American Rescue…

The New York State budget process has reached the final negotiation stage, with the April 1st deadline fast approaching.

February 2021 Federal COVID Relief – What it Means for Children House & Senate to Take Action on “Once In A Lifetime” Legislation in Coming…

  Sea Change for Children     By Larry Marx, CEO, The Children’s Agenda Looking up from last year’s nadir of crises (the pandemic, economic…

During the week of February 22nd, the Kids Can’t Wait Campaign will be holding Virtual Advocacy Days. We invite you to raise your voice, from…