On January 14, Schuyler Center’s policy team presented the latest data and policy recommendations around child and family well-being in New York State (see photos below).
Schuyler Center’s annual State of New York’s Children Data Book provides a data snapshot of the well-being of New York’s children and families and the challenges New York families are facing. Having good data is imperative to identifying the right policy solutions.
Key Data Points and Takeaways:
- In 2023, approximately 731,672 New York children, over 18%, experienced poverty, compared to 16% nationally.
- New York State ranks 40th in the nation for child poverty.
- Public school students experiencing homelessness has increased 22%, with over 138,000 students experiencing homelessness.
- The 2021 pandemic expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit dramatically and quickly cut child poverty nearly in half nationally and in New York State. When that expansion and other pandemic supports ended, child poverty rates resurged and surpassed pre-pandemic rates.
- Child care is the largest monthly bill for many families, costing an average of:
- $3,000/month for an infant and a 4-year-old in a child care center ($35,999 per year)
- $1,365/month for an infant in family- based child care ($16,383 per year)
- $2,200/month for two school-age children in family-based afterschool care ($26,634 per year)
- The average wage for a child care worker in New York $37,970/annual / $18.26/hour in May 2023.
- Family child care educators earned less than minimum wage, approximately $10.49/ hour in 2021.
- According to the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, approximately 129,000 children received child care assistance in July 2024. In contrast, there are more than one million New York children eligible for child care assistance.
- The percentage of Medicaid-Enrolled New York children who had at least one dental visit within the last year exceeded 50% just once in the last decade.
- 76% (96,641) of reports filed with the Statewide Central Register in 2023 were unfounded.
Direct Links to Data by Issue Area:
New York State’s Children – Demographics on New York’s population of children.
Child Poverty
- Taking Action on New York’s Commitment to Reduce Child Poverty
- Strong Refundable Tax Credits to End Child Poverty
Child Care
- Lowering Barriers to Assistance for a More Equitable Child Care System
- Bolstering Availability of High-Quality Child Care By Paying the Workforce a Thriving Wage
Child Welfare
Health
All sources and computations can be found here.
