Child Poverty Reduction
Many parents of young children lack access to state and federal programs designed to promote economic stability for New Yorkers and reduce child poverty.
Our Equity-Centered Approach
Investments in families’ economic security are critical measures to furthering equity statewide for Black, Latinx, and Native American families, families from low-income backgrounds, and immigrant families. We advocate for poverty-reduction policies that will provide economic stability for families, such as improving access to child care subsidies, food, and housing benefits, an expanded Empire State Child Tax Credit, and more. Our team also collaborates with the NY Can End Child Poverty coalition and the Governor’s Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council, which is charged with finding solutions to cut child poverty in half in New York State by 2032.
Latest Resource
Report: From Barriers to Opportunity: Confronting New York’s Systemic Barriers to Early Childhood and Poverty-Reduction Programs
Far too many New York families do not benefit from local, state, and federal support they need to raise healthy and thriving children due to systemic barriers standing in their way. These hurdles are especially steep for Black and Latinx families, immigrants, and other historically marginalized groups.
Across child care and public benefit programs, we found striking similarities in terms of the barriers that were most pernicious in limiting families’ access to resources, such as lack of information; difficulty applying for and securing benefits; and program-specific limitations.
Featured Reports and Resources Over the Years
Parent Voice: Child Tax Credits Help, Working Families Credit Can Do More
Sen. Gounardes’ Working Families Tax Credit Included in Senate & Assembly Budget Proposals
Testimony for the Public Hearing on Public Benefits (2024)
Early Childhood Policy & Advocacy Lab
Data Snapshot
Nearly
Black, Latinx, and Native American children experience poverty in New York State.
Children in
other states are less likely to experience poverty than those in New York.
More Resources
Parent Leaders Sound the Alarm on NYC’s Pending Child Care Assistance Crisis
State leaders are calling on parents to share how losing child care would impact their families. Personal stories are essential in helping them understand the harm that any interruption in care could cause. Parents whose children are not currently in child care can still weigh in on how funding cuts would undermine recent investments in child care access and educator wages.
EdTrust-New York Responds to One House Budget Bills with Support and a Call for Increased Investment in Education Equity
EdTrust-New York believes the state has not invested enough in an equitable, student-centered education system, despite some positive developments in the recently released One House Budget Bill.
EdTrust-New York Responds to NY Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2025 State of the State Address
EdTrust-New York calls for stronger commitments to educational equity and looks forward to collaborating with the Governor and Legislature to ensure the inclusion of the following proposals in the final 2025 State Budget.
A Letter from the Executive Director: The Power of You
A new year is upon us, and while many of us feel uncertain about the future, we know that when the education community comes together to solve problems, we create change.
Gov. Hochul Must Act on Child Poverty Reduction Council Recommendations
We urge Governor Hochul to adopt these recommendations to ensure New York State stays true to the goal of reducing child poverty and shows a long-term commitment to young children and their families.
New York Fails to Seize Critical Opportunity to Support Vulnerable Families with Child Care Bill Vetoes
This past week, while Governor Hochul toured New York to discuss affordability, she vetoed two bills that could have made child care more accessible for our most vulnerable families.