All children and families in New York—no matter their income, race, immigration status, or the community in which they live—should have access to nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and cultural traditions, fortifying them to lead healthy, active lives.
The Challenge
Too many New York families struggle to put food on the table. In 2023, roughly 1 in 5 New York children (19%) experienced food insecurity—meaning they sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat.1 Experiencing hunger as a child can have lasting impacts, including an increased risk of obesity and developmental and mental health challenges.2 The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)— the nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program—was subject to federal funding cuts and administrative changes beginning at the end of 2025. The changes are expected to cause more New Yorkers, including children, to endure hunger.
What We Know
Child hunger in New York is common and widespread
Lack of access to adequate food affects children across the state, in urban, rural, and suburban communities. Some counties face disproportionate rates of food insecurity—particularly Bronx and Kings counties, which have some of the highest populations of Black and Latino residents. Across the state, food insecurity occurs disproportionately along racial lines: 26% of Hispanic New Yorkers, 25% of Black New Yorkers, and 9% of white New Yorkers reported food insecurity.3
SNAP benefits are being reduced or eliminated for many.
In New York, SNAP provides nearly 3 million people— about 1 in 7 New Yorkers—with nutritional assistance, totaling $7.35 billion in benefits in 2024. More than 52% of SNAP participants are in families with children.4 Despite a large body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of SNAP in increasing food security and improving health outcomes, the federal government recently imposed federal funding cuts and policy changes expected to cause hundreds of thousands of New York families to experience a reduction or elimination of their benefits.
A growing number of immigrant families are barred from SNAP.
Federal law has long excluded many immigrant families from participating in SNAP due to their immigration status, including roughly 64,600 New York families with children in 2024 who were income-eligible but excluded from SNAP due to their immigration status.6 With the passage of the July 2025 federal tax and budget reconciliation bill—H.R. 1—an additional 41,000 lawfully present refugees, asylees, and other immigrant New Yorkers are expected to be newly excluded from SNAP.
Demand for WIC consistently outpaces funding.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federal program designed to ensure expecting parents, infants, and young children have access to sufficient food and other supports. WIC has been shown to improve health outcomes and alleviate food insecurity at critical moments in a child’s development.10 While a growing percentage of eligible residents are enrolled in WIC, nearly 40% of eligible New Yorkers are still not participating due to a lack of awareness, administrative barriers, and limited funded capacity.11
To increase participation, New York strategically implemented a federal waiver that allows participants to attend WIC appointments virtually, including regular health and nutrition check-ins, dramatically improving accessibility. However, due in part to the success of this approach, many WIC sites across the state now operate beyond their funded capacity. This leaves local programs struggling to meet demand, see clients in a timely manner, and retain necessary staff
State Policy Solutions
Invest state funds to make food benefits available to all income-eligible residents regardless of immigration status or ability to meet work reporting requirements.
Provide resources to transition SNAP benefits to a secure chip card to prevent the theft of SNAP benefits.
Engage in outreach and support to ensure young people formerly in foster care and others newly subject to SNAP work reporting requirements can meet them.
Increase state funding for WIC to help local programs serve more children and families.
Address the underlying causes of food insecurity among New York’s children by undertaking systemic changes that put more money in families’ pockets, such as raising the minimum wage, strengthening the state child tax credit, and implementing universal child care
Schuyler Center’s annual State of New York’s Children Data Bookprovides a data snapshot of the wellbeing 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.
On January 13, Schuyler Center’s policy team presented the latest data and policy recommendations around child and family wellbeing in New York State.
New York children, over 18%, experienced poverty in 2023
%
of New York children experienced food insecurity in 2023
%
of 2024 reports to CPS were deemed unfounded (93,061)
children received child care assistance in September 2025, a 25% increase from the year prior
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.
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:
$3,149 per month for an infant and a 4-year-old in a child care center ($37,782 per year)
$1,368/month for an infant in family- based child care ($16,415 per year)
$2,217/month for two school-age children in family-based afterschool care ($26,598 per year)
The average wage for a child care worker in New York $37,675/annual / $18.11/hour.
Family child care educators, a workforce that is 94% women and largely people of color, earn less than 96% of occupations statewide.
According to the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, approximately 168,600 children received child care assistance in September 2025. 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.
Medicaid and Child Health Plus cover 44% of all NYS children and nearly 80% of children in poverty.
Over 143,000 New York families were subjected to CPS investigations in 2024.
75.9%(93,061) of reports filed with the Statewide Central Register in 2024 were unfounded.
During the 2026 New York State Legislative Session, Schuyler Center will prioritize policies and investments that improve health, wellbeing, and economic security of New York’s families, children, and communities, with a focus on New Yorkers who are working hard to make ends meet. While New York has made a statutory commitment to cut child poverty in half by 2032, the rate of children experiencing poverty across New York State remains high, with over 18% of all New York children experiencing poverty. Further, recent and pending federal actions have eliminated or weakened services that New York families rely on in times of need. This means it is more important than ever for New York leaders to act boldly and with urgency to advance policies and investments proven to reduce child poverty, strengthen families, and set up New York children to thrive.
(View the details on policies that will achieve each goalhere.)
Goal 1: Family Economic Security — Effectively implement and expand existing policies and adopt new approaches to reduce child poverty and racial inequity statewide
Goal 2: Child Care — Take substantial strides toward achieving statewide universal child care.
Goal 3: Children’s Health — Expand and increase investment in child and family health.
Goal 4: Child Welfare — Transform child welfare by supporting families and communities.
Schuyler Center is continuing to monitor the impact that federal changes will have on children and families across New York State.
With the recent passing of the HR.1 bill, our efforts remain steadfast to ensure that New York’s families can access resources and are protected in these challenging times.
This series of virtual and in-person policy discussions kicked off in June 2023, and examines the intersections of child poverty reduction and other policy areas, including health, early childhood policy, and immigration. Panelists have included policy experts, pediatricians, parent advocates, NYS agency leaders, youth partners, and others invested in ending child poverty in New York State.
Centering Children in the New York State Budget– January 2024 webinar
January 12, 2024 at noon
As Albany gears up for the 2024 New York State legislative session, this insider conversation looks at what we expect (and hope!) to see in this year’s state budget and the investments needed to make New York State a place where families can afford to live, grow, and thrive.
In this webinar, Schuyler Center’s Kate Breslin and Dede Hill discuss budget priorities for New York’s children and families, answer questions, and share resources as we kick off 2024.
The Power of Guaranteed Income Programs– December 2023 webinar
There are several guaranteed income pilot programs across the state and country. These programs provide a basic income to participants, with no work requirement. During this webinar, panelists discussed lessons learned from these pilot programs, the experience as a participant, and how this type of policy can combat child poverty. View the webinar recording.
Panelists:
Steph Silkowski, Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives, The Bridge Project
Children in Immigrant Families – October 2023 webinar
For children in immigrant families, there can be many barriers to services that support well-being. This discussion with immigration and policy experts examined how New York can best support all children, why those investments matter, and opportunities to support the newest New Yorkers. View the webinar recording.
Panelists:
Lillie Hinkle, Associate Policy Analyst, National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, Migration Policy Institute
Early Childhood Foundations – September 2023, in-person event
This discussion with early childhood experts focused on the intersections of early childhood development and the experience of poverty, as well as the policy interventions that have proven to be effective for families. Held in Albany at The Bull Moose Club, the event brought together advocates, policymakers, community leaders, and state agency leadership. View the recording here.
The discussion was moderated by David Lombardo, host of The Capitol Pressroom, with panelists:
For families experiencing poverty, there are many barriers to consistent, quality health care. This discussion with leading child health and policy experts focused on how New York supports health for all children, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations for action that addresses health goals within child poverty reduction efforts. View the recording here.
Panelists:
Dr. Benard Dreyer, Pediatrician, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center
Progress Update on the Child Poverty Reduction Act – June 2023 webinar
The first in our discussion series included the co-chair and members of the NYS Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council. The conversation focused on the work the Council has done so far, goals for the coming months, and what lies ahead in pursuit of the Child Poverty Reduction Act goal to reduce the State’s child poverty rate by 50% by 2033. View the recording here.
Panelists:
Advisory Council co-chair Daniel Tietz, Commissioner of the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance;
Alyson Tarek, Assistant Secretary for Human Services and Mental Hygiene, NYS Executive Chamber; and
Advisory Council member Candace Cabral, Parent Advocate.
Schuyler Center’sNext Look is an initial and targeted assessment of how the New York Senate and Assembly 2023-24 One-House Budget proposals would address some of the issues most critical to the health and well-being of low-income families and children, and all New Yorkers living on the margins. Chief among these issues is child and family poverty. View Next Look.
Highlighted in the assessment are State budget actions that hold real opportunity to concretely improve the lives of New York children, families, and marginalized New Yorkers. Schuyler Center’s team is continuing to analyze these proposals more closely and is working with our partners to ensure that the enacted NYS budget seizes these opportunities to set up all New Yorkers to thrive.
Next Look includes Budget proposals in the areas of Child Welfare; Refundable Tax Credits (excerpted below); Minimum Wage; Housing Voucher Program; Universal School Meals; Public Assistance; Child Care; Pre-K, Afterschool, and Home Visiting; Public Health, Health Coverage, Access and Care.
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