New York State has drafted a proposal that will be submitted to the US Department of Health and Human Services, requesting flexibility in how it uses Medicaid funds. Known as a “Medicaid waiver,” the proposal includes a request for $13.52 billion to be used over five years. The intent is to design innovative ways of using Medicaid funds that will promote health equity and address health disparities. Despite the fact this waiver is focused on equity, the investments in the current proposal are not aligned with the needs of the poorest and most diverse population of New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid: children.

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.

Child maltreatment is a common problem with devastating and long-lasting consequences. The current status of child welfare in Monroe County is particularly worrisome due to the high rate of children living in poverty, the high rate of children born to unwed mothers, and the low high school graduation rates in addition to a current shortage of CPS workers.

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

This report card tracks key measures of well-being for children and youth in the City of Rochester, from cradle to career.

Although the ROC the Future collaborative is tracking more than forty measures, the report card provides “grades” for the selected milestones on the cradle to college/career pathway. The indicators were selected by the ROC the Future collaborative action network members, networks made up of volunteer professionals and community members with expertise and experience in areas like school readiness, extended learning, and college preparation. Like all of ROC the Future, the Report Card supports collective action aimed at improving outcomes for Rochester’s children.

Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget for FY2013–‐14 includes initiatives that will benefit New
York’s children as well as funding cuts that raise serious concern. We applaud the Governor’s allocations for child care subsidies, pre–‐kindergarten, extended learning and Pay for Success contracts. We strongly object to reductions in the Nurse Family Partnership program and Runaway and Homeless Youth services.

The Children’s Agenda is pleased to present this Executive Summary of our analysis of the proposed 2013 Monroe County budget, our 11th-annual such review. Our analysis looks at all sections of the budget where expenditures affect the health and well-being of children in Monroe County and identifies those areas in which County resources are serving children well and those in which additional resources, financial or otherwise, are needed. This document provides a brief overview of our main findings.

The Children’s Agenda’s analysis of the proposed City of Rochester budget, our fifth-annual such review, shows that City leaders have tried to hold the line on spending for kids, particularly in a difficult economic climate. City administrators made tough but informed choices; the situation for children’s programs could be much worse.