As the 2026 New York State legislative session comes to a close, we are reflecting on the tenacious advocacy efforts of the Schuyler Center team and our partners. Together, our work has driven policy and investments that will build a brighter future for the youngest New Yorkers.
January
To kick off 2026, we released Schuyler Center’s annual State of New York’s Children report on January 13th. That morning, we hosted a data briefing for legislators, reporters, policymakers, and partners. Our policy team presented data across policy areas alongside policy recommendations to uplift New York’s children and families.
In early January, Governor Hochul joined Mayor Mamdani to announce a historic plan for Universal Child Care in New York State. Schuyler Center’s Vice President of Policy Dede Hill and Empire State for Child Care (ESCCC) Campaign Manager Shoshana Hershkowitz stood with Governor Hochul as she shared her proposal.
Later in January, over 400 parents, advocates, and providers braved a winter storm to attend ESCCC’s Advocacy Day. Attendees met with legislators and rallied for funding for statewide universal child care and for a permanent workforce compensation fund.
Associate Director of Policy Kari Siddiqui spoke to North Country Public Radio about New York’s child poverty rate still being one of the worst in the nation.
February
Dede Hill testified at the NYS Joint Fiscal Committees Human Services Budget Hearing on February 5, and Medicaid Matters New York Coordinator Lara Kassel testified at the Health/Medicaid Budget Hearing on February 10.
After a year of statewide convenings and workgroup discussions, Schuyler Center released Moving Oral Health Workforce Reform into Practice, a roadmap for translating policy into accessible care across New York State. This report is the follow up to the 2025 Barriers to Bridges report.
On February 14, members of the Schuyler Center policy team participated in panels at the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators Legislative Caucus weekend here in Albany. The panels addressed child care and family economic security.
March
On March 4th, members of the New York Can End Child Poverty coalition came together at the Capitol for Anti-Poverty Advocacy Day. Spearheaded by the New York Can End Child Poverty coalition, the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative, Hunger Solutions NY, The Legal Aid Society, Schuyler Center, and HousingWorks, the group included parents, legislators, educators, health care providers, labor unions, faith leaders, and more. The coalition has been leading the way in ensuring that the state follows through on their goal of reducing child poverty by 50% by 2031.
In early March, Dede Hill and Kate Breslin gave a budget presentation to the NYS Association of Small City School Districts. They shared Schuyler Center’s policy priorities, especially those impacting the children being served by schools in New York’s small cities—such as pre-k, food security, and child poverty reduction.
Schuyler Center President and CEO Kate Breslin was invited to speak alongside the Governor, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal People-Stokes, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins at Governor Hochul’s Women’s History Month reception at the Executive Mansion in Albany on March 23rd.
Ahead of the State Budget’s due date of April 1st, Schuyler Center joined the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), the Empire State Campaign for Child Care, and members of the legislative “Mom Squad” at the Capitol to call for investments in child care in the budget. This included Senator Gonzalez Rojas, Assemblymember Clark, Assemblymember Seawright, Assemblymember Souffrant-Forrest, Assemblymember Jackson, Assemblymember Barrett, Assemblymember Kelles, Assemblymmeber Chandler-Waterman, Assemblymember Hevesi, Assemblymember Raga, and Assemblymember De Los Santos.
Dede Hill and members of the Empire State Campaign for Child Care spoke to New York Focus and PoliticoPro about the need for investments for CCAP as waitlists surged statewide, as well as the risks posed by relaxing ratio requirements
Schuyler Center also joined 60+ organizations in calling for the passage of the New York for All Act to support New York’s immigrant children and families.
Following the proposed elimination of funding for the adult home resident advocacy and the EQUAL program, an op-ed calling for protections to adult-care funds authored by Kate Breslin was published in the Queens Chronicle at the end of March.
April
While state budget negotiations continued past the April 1 deadline, Schuyler Center’s advocacy for budget and legislative priorities remained steadfast.
Advocates including members of the Schuyler Center staff partook in several rallies calling for the passing of New York for All (NY4All) to protect immigrant children and families in NYS.
Dede Hill spoke to Capitol Confidential about what was missing from Governor Hochul’s proposed child care plan—specifically workforce funding and CCAP investments. Later in the month Schuyler Center supported the Empire State Campaign for Child Care’s virtual press event highlighting the need to fund both the child care workforce and the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) in this year’s state budget. Reporters were invited to hear from parents and providers representing different regions of the state.
The 2025 expansion of the Empire State Child Credit was a major win for families, and Schuyler Center was a driving force behind it. This tax season, we helped raise awareness of how families could claim the expanded credit when filing their taxes.
In April, we marked the halfway point on the Child Poverty Reduction Act’s 10-year timeline to reduce New York’s child poverty rate by 50%. Schuyler Center continues to hold the Governor and legislators accountable to this commitment and to New York’s children. We drew attention to the achievements to date and what else must be done to achieve this goal.
May
On May 11th, advocates with the ESCCC participated in events inviting New Yorkers to “Imagine a Day without Child Care”. This was an opportunity to exemplify how every part of daily life would look different without child care, and to voice support of a universal child care system that supports every family AND pays thriving wages to educators. Campaign Director Shoshana Hershkowitz joined ECE on the Move for a press conference and rally in City Hall Park in NYC and attended an event at a provider’s home hosted by The Innovative Day Care Corp in Freeport, NY.
Later in May, Schuyler Center helped launch the New York Partnership for Dental Therapy as a founding member. The Partnership is a statewide coalition of organizations committed to expanding access to oral health care by authorizing dental therapists to practice in New York State. Dental therapists are credentialed providers who bring preventive and restorative dental care to communities that have long gone without adequate access.
Following the adoption of the state budget at the end of May, Schuyler Center President and CEO Kate Breslin was invited to stand with the Governor as she signed the 2026-27 NYS Budget bills in Albany.
June
As the official New York partner for KIDS COUNT by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Schuyler Center hosted a data release event on June 9th to launch our partnership and kick off conversations around the data and what New York can do to help children and families.
In a Times Union op-ed following the release of this data, Kate Breslin highlighted that “the most devastating policy choice made in New York is the decision to allow 18% of our children, nearly one in five, to live in poverty.”
Schuyler Center President and CEO Kate Breslin also joined Susan Arbetter on Capital Tonight to discuss the data and what it means for New York.
Members of the Schuyler Center staff attended the New York State Food Summit hosted by the Alliance for a Hunger Free New York on June 16. Staff members were able to connect with New Yorkers from across the state and attend enriching presentations about food security in NYS.
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