The Rochester City School District (RCSD) Board of Education has approved a shift of as many as 500 PreK slots from existing neighborhood providers into two district-run schools starting next school year by a
5-2 vote. We applaud Commissioners LeBron and Elliott for opposing the plan and standing up for a more cautious and thoughtful approach. Now it is critically important to maximize potential benefits to
children and families and minimize any potential harm.

RCSD should immediately establish a Board-Staff-Community Task Force to develop a comprehensive Pre-K and early elementary enrollment plan.

Child care across the state and nation suffers from an extraordinary lack of public resources. Greater investments from local, state, and federal partners are needed to stabilize our community’s child care system, allow child care workers to earn a living wage, and ensure children receive the care and support they need to thrive. The purpose of this report is to inform leaders in Rochester, Monroe County, and New York State about the growing shortage of regulated care for young children, and to identify policies that can strengthen this crucial support for families.

Child care across the state and nation suffers from an extraordinary lack of public resources. Greater investments from local, state, and federal partners are needed to stabilize our community’s child care system, allow child care workers to earn a living wage, and ensure children receive the care and support they need to thrive. The purpose of this report is to inform leaders in Rochester, Monroe County, and New York State about the growing shortage of regulated care for young children, and to identify policies that can strengthen this crucial support for families.

Make history in 2019. Put the State’s money in the early years, where it matters most.

New York can’t afford to leave generations of children behind!

State leaders must keep the promise of pre-k for all and increase investment in child care.

No single entity or organization can create the change necessary to improve outcomes for all children, cradle-to-career. Yet, improvement is possible when communities employ a “collective impact” approach to agree on shared goals; use evidenced-based approaches or best practices to improve; and measure success, together.

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 2014 Report Card grades progress on 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 2014 Report Card supports collective action aimed at improving outcomes for Rochester’s children.

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 recognizes that the Governor is responsible for developing a budget that is both fiscally and socially responsible and this is no easy task. To say that economic times are tight for State government is an understatement. It is especially in these tight times, though that we must continue to invest in prevention.

Preventing abuse, learning problems, and youth crime and delinquency is a proven way to benefit the economy and strengthen families, better ensuring that the children of New York State grow up to be healthy, productive citizens.

In the 2012–‐2103 budget, Governor Cuomo has made some choices that will benefit New York State’s children, but some important areas have been missed.