The Children’s Agenda recommends that the County develop a new policy to level the playing field between private-pay and subsidized families’ access to child care by changing its absence policy, while also establishing certain safeguards to ensure public funds are being spent wisely.
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.
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.
Imagine two families who live a half an hour southwest of Rochester, NY. Jessica and Christopher Smith live with their two young children in the Village of Caledonia, in the northwest corner of Livingston County, while Jessica’s sister Ashley and her husband Joshua Miller are less than 2 miles away with their two young children in Mumford, part of the Town of Wheatland in Monroe County. All four parents are in their late twenties, graduates of Caledonia-Mumford High School, and have decided to live in that community to be close to one another and near friends and family. Each family has 1 and 3 year old children, and when their kids reach school-age, they’ll attend Caledonia-Mumford schools, just like their parents.
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
The Children’s Agenda advocates for effective policies and drives evidenced-based solutions for the health, education and success of children. We are especially committed to children who are vulnerable because of poverty, racism, health disparities and trauma.
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