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Supported Families. Thriving Children. A Stronger New York.

Reducing Child Poverty in New York State through the Empire State Child Credit 

Although New York was among the first states in the nation to offer a child tax credit, it has quickly fallen behind as other states have instituted more generous credits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

In our latest report, the Raising NY coalition analyzes the Empire State Child Credit, compares it to other state models, and provides recommendations on how New York can ensure the ESCC effectively reaches all eligible families to tackle our state’s child poverty problem.  

Read the report
Read the Press Release

How were federal and state relief grants distributed to sustain child care in New York State during the pandemic?

A cornerstone of Raising NY’s work is to ensure that our systems collect complete, transparent, and disaggregated data to inform and guide our work to improve long-term outcomes for all infants and toddlers across New York State. To that end, we worked with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to review data related to the distribution of federal and state relief to child care providers during the pandemic.

The analysis explores how child care providers utilized this relief funding and sheds new light on which providers were able to access the money, how it was spent, and how New York can improve its systems to ensure that future funding streams are equitably distributed.

Read the Report
Read the Press Release

Supporting Children and Families in Accessing
Federal Tax Benefits in the Recent American Rescue Plan

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) includes important changes to tax credits that support families with infants and toddlers, and have the potential to significantly reduce child poverty and provide critical support to New York families when they need it most. We must ensure all New York families – including those not accustomed to filing taxes because they do not owe taxes – file the appropriate tax documents– even if they do not owe federal income tax. The resource below from spring 2021 offers employers and direct service organizations critical information they can share with employees, partners, and community groups about who qualifies for the tax credits, how much the tax credit is for, and how families can work to ensure they receive their monthly credit payments in a timely manner.
ARPA Tax Credits Resource
ARPA Tax Credits Resource (Spanish)

The Coronavirus Crisis: The Ongoing Toll on Families with Infants and Toddlers

Nearly a year into the pandemic, the coronavirus crisis continues to be incredibly disruptive for New York families with infants and toddlers, with more than four in five (83%) parents reporting higher levels of stress than usual and almost nine in ten (85%) worried that their child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development will suffer because of the crisis.

2021 Read the Poll Memo
2021 Read the Press Release
2021 See the Data
2020 Read the Poll Memo
2020 See the Data
2020 Read the Press Release

Child Care Tax Credits from The Education Trust—New York on Vimeo.

The Coronavirus Crisis: The Ongoing Toll on Families with Infants and Toddlers

Nearly a year into the pandemic, the coronavirus crisis continues to be incredibly disruptive for New York families with infants and toddlers, with more than four in five (83%) parents reporting higher levels of stress than usual and almost nine in ten (85%) worried that their child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development will suffer because of the crisis.

2021 Read the Poll Memo
2021 Read the Press Release
2021 See the Data
2020 Read the Poll Memo
2020 See the Data
2020 Read the Press Release

The Economic Impact of Inadequate Access to Affordable Quality Child Care for Infants and Toddlers

The results of our statewide survey of business leaders on the urgent need for child care investment as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Read the Poll Memo
Read the Press Release

Reopening Child Care

As New York moves forward with its strategy to re–open, the Raising NY coalition is calling on state leaders to develop and implement a comprehensive and inclusive plan to offer affordable, safe, high-quality child care during this period, rebuilding the child care system so that it is stronger and more equitable than before the pandemic.
Read the Policy Brief
Read the Press Release

Addressing New York’s Child Care Crisis

At a moment when its survival is essential to the state’s economic reopening and recovery, New York’s child care system is facing an unprecedented crisis.
Read the Policy Brief
Read the Press Release

Watch the Raising NY Press Conference

Parents of infants and toddlers across New York State are experiencing intense financial insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic, with one in three (34%) indicating in our statewide poll that they are skipping or reducing meals and one in ten (11%) saying they are skipping or reducing meals for their children. Watch the press conference to learn more.