The City of Rochester should aim to be the best community to raise a family, regardless of race, economic status, or background. Right now the City of Rochester is gathering feedback on its 2034 Comprehensive Plan, which is the blueprint for how the city government will manage development and spend its resources over the next 15 years. This long-term vision for the City of Rochester will determine how we support children and families for generations to come.

The Children’s Agenda applauds the city of Rochester’s draft 2034 Comprehensive Plan for many of its goals to promote equity and prosperity going forward. Though many goals and strategies in the plan would benefit children and families, children are not mentioned in the vision statement nor is there a section dedicated to their unique needs.

The Children’s Agenda believes children are central to the future success of our city. We are submitting the following comments on the plan to put a greater focus on the needs of children and families in our community.

Some of our recommendations include:
– Strengthening the early childhood workforce through better wages and professional development;
– Training all city staff that interact with youth in restorative practices and trauma-informed approaches to create a foundation for relationship building and social emotional learning;
– Increasing affordable housing for families with children;
– Developing a Youth Master Plan as a goal in the 2034 Comprehensive Plan.

To make your support of our recommendations known, click here.