In October 2023, The Children’s Agenda, Rochester Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative, Ibero American Action League, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, Spiritus Christi, and the End Child Poverty Now Campaign collaborated to organize a community town hall on child poverty in Rochester, New York. A diverse group of community members gathered to share their experiences living in and working to overcome poverty – each emphasizing the complex and often daunting work required to access programs intended to support under-resourced children and families.

As each participant shared their story, a common thread became apparent: no matter which public resource was highlighted, the experience for each speaker was defined by the systemic barriers that blocked their ability to provide for themselves and their families in a time of need. These barriers included lack of knowledge about how and where to access programs and time burdens associated with getting to the right place to secure resources. Beyond simple and necessary administrative solutions, the participants spoke to deeper concerns about barriers that have long prevented families from receiving public assistance and accumulating resources that would prevent future generations from experiencing poverty. They emphasized that programs intended to support families often perpetuate the cycle of generational poverty through mechanisms such as income cliffs.

This report highlights key issues elevated by participants during the Town Hall: the challenges of stretching limited resources across many needs, housing, child care, benefit cliffs, and building public knowledge of existing resources. In the discussion of each issue, we highlight solutions recommended by participants with firsthand experience and corresponding evidence-based policy recommendations that center a whole child, whole family approach. The participants articulated plainly that children live and thrive in families and communities, and that their well-being is inextricably tied to the well-being of their caregivers, their families, and their communities.