The Children’s Agenda is deeply concerned that school closures are disproportionately harming our most vulnerable children. We believe schools need to reopen safely as soon as possible, but are concerned the politicization of the issue, and the lack of sufficient resources and clear guidelines for schools, is putting reopening—and children’s wellbeing—in jeopardy.

The purpose of the analysis is to determine whether current reimbursement rates are sufficient to attract a large enough workforce to meet the needs of children exhibiting developmental concerns.

The following ideas were derived from HWLC strategy briefs..

– Community Members advocate for a tax on sugary beverages in Rochester
– Food Pantries and emergency meal programs adopt healthy donation standards
– Child Care settings support all new parents’ decisions to breastfeed
– Restaurants and food courts only provide water or low-fat milk on children’s menus
– Schools eliminate sugary drink offerings at all school-related activities and events
– Child care and early education settings provide children with two to three occasions to play outdoors daily
– Ensure that water be available in public places, recreation areas, and schools in Rochester

There’s no doubt that many of us enjoy the affordable housing prices, social and cultural offerings, educational opportunities, and growing technology industry in our community. But these benefits belie the preventable problems that many children and families living in Greater Rochester face, especially in light of a weak national economy.

But what if we could do better? What if we could eradicate child abuse? What
if all parents who needed a safe, quality child care setting for their child could
afford it? What if our most vulnerable youth spent less time on the streets and
more time learning?