On May 9, 2025, the New York State Legislature and Governor reached an agreement on the 2025-26 New York State Budget. Schuyler Center’s Last Look is our initial assessment of the enacted State budget and how it advances priorities that improve the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers, especially children and families living in poverty.
This year’s budget makes important new investments to help alleviate the pressing affordability challenges New York communities face due to rising costs of food, housing, child care, and everyday necessities. Among the most impactful investments is the enacted budget’s inclusion of a significant expansion of the state’s child tax credit, the Empire State Child Credit (ESCC), an expansion that is targeted to ensure the lowest income families receive the largest credit. Schuyler Center has long championed an expansion of this credit, one of the most powerful tools in reducing child poverty. This year’s budget also, for the first time, creates a universal free school meal program, and establishes the Housing Access Voucher Program as a four-year-pilot. The budget also includes additional funds for the Child Care Assistance Program, which will help to avert a severe child care assistance shortfall in New York and keep the promise of achieving universal child care in our state within sight.
While these are important steps forward, New York’s progress is partial. Among the missed opportunities: the ESCC expansion falls short of the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council recommendations, and the budget includes no investment in the child care workforce, no increase in rates for early intervention services, and no funds to expand pre-K or raise per pupil rates.
With New York communities facing the threat of massive cuts to federal safety net programs, it is more important than ever for New York to make robust, thoughtful investments in all New York families. We look forward to working with New York State lawmakers and our many community partners to ensure New York families are supported in these difficult times, and to continue to create a New York State that is the best place for a child to learn, play, grow, and thrive.
The Last Look breaks down the NYS 2025-26 to consider:
- Child Welfare Services
- Child Poverty Reduction and Affordability for Families
- Child Care
- Early Childhood Education and Well being
- Public Health, Health Coverage, Access and Care
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