Raising New York
Raising New York is a cross-sector, statewide coalition of parent, early childhood, education, civil rights, business, and health organizations dedicated to advocating for policies and system changes that will benefit families of infants and toddlers.
We work to improve access to high-quality early education, poverty-reduction programs, and infant and maternal health services for families of color and those from low-income households.
Our Equity-Centered Approach
Raising New York’s intent is to zero in on policies that have the most impact on children and families, particularly those of color and from low-income households. We launched Raising New York in 2019 with a data-driven lens on how leaders and agencies can advance equitable early childhood systems for infants and toddlers in New York State.
Our early childhood education research, policy, and advocacy work focuses on:
- Increasing economic stability for families;
- Securing equitable access to health and developmental care for families; and
- Building an early care and education system that works for all families.
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
Poll: New York's Child Care Crisis
Sen. Gounardes’ Working Families Tax Credit Included in Senate & Assembly Budget Proposals
Report: Strengthening the Intersect Between Home Visiting and Child Care Programs
Commentary: Sign this legislation to protect children and support New York’s families
Data Snapshot
Raising New York Coalition members
More Resources
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.
Call to Action: Governor Hochul Must Sign Critical Child Care Bills
The Governor’s immediate signature on these bills is essential for ensuring that New York’s youngest and most vulnerable residents receive the care and education they urgently need. The proposed child care legislation marks a transformative shift towards a more equitable system.
EdTrust-New York statement on FY 2025 state budget
The Enacted Budget marks a crucial milestone with New York’s first investment in literacy instruction aligned to the science of reading, alongside the introduction of a Universal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion policy. These measures, aimed at fostering student success and accessibility, reflect a commitment to addressing historic disparities in education.
Child tax credits help. The Working Families Tax Credit can do even more.
Read more from Amy Lee Funes, a NYC parent, on how the Working Families Tax Credit is one way that New York State can show a commitment to young children and their families.
Preliminary Budget Hearing Testimony: Child Care in NYC
New York City cannot create an equitable, comprehensive system of care without including explicit strategies that center the unique needs of infants, toddlers, and support the most marginalized of families. We offer the following recommendations to ensure that a high-quality early childhood care and education system is accessible and affordable for all families.
New model projects cost to provide access to high-quality child care for all New Yorkers
The cost model, developed by Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies (P5FS) and exclusively tailored for New York State, projects that New York would need to invest roughly $20 billion into making high-quality child care available to all children from birth to five-years-old, with providers earning a living wage.