Health
Every child and family should have access to quality, affordable, responsive health care – when and where they need it.
From high needs urban communities to underserved rural communities, New Yorkers suffer because of unfair differences in the care options available for physical, mental, and behavioral health issues:
- Black women are 5 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than White women, and Black infants 2 times more likely to die in their first year of life than White infants. That’s why The Children’s Agenda advocates for investments in maternal and child health to eliminate disparities and promote health.
- Because 85% of brain development occurs before children start school, all young children must receive comprehensive screenings for vision, hearing, motor skills, language, and social-emotional development. That’s why The Children’s Agenda advocates for community-based, comprehensive developmental screenings, timely access to Early Intervention, sustained availability of Preschool Special Education, and school-based health and mental health centers.
- Pediatricians and other primary care providers are never treating only the child. They are also treating the family members and others who care for that child. That’s why The Children’s Agenda advocates for two-generation approaches to health care, placing behavioral health specialists in pediatric and primary care practices to address the needs of adults and young children, together.
Read the Latest from The Children's Agenda
Our Medicaid Advocacy
Our letter in support of continuous Medicaid coverage from birth to age 6 (July 2024)
Joint letter calling for continuous Medicaid coverage from birth to age 6 submitted by American Academy for Pediatrics, Medicaid Matters, New York Legal Assistance Group, Schuyler Center for Analysis & Advocacy, and The Children’s Agenda (February 2024)
Our testimony on why the 1115 Medicaid waiver must address maternal and child health in a more comprehensive and robust way (May 2022)
A letter from 59 organizations across New York submitted as part of the 1115 Medicaid waiver process calling for maternal and child health to be a priority (May 2022)
Position statement on the proposed 2023 New York State Medicaid Waiver (April 2022)
