Kate Breslin, President and CEO of the Schuyler Center for Analysis & Advocacy, released the following statement in response to Governor Hochul’s announcement today proposing to improve the Child Tax Credit by making the full credit available to children in very low-income families and increasing the value of the credit.
Through the Child Poverty Reduction Act, Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature have committed to cutting child poverty in half by 2031. Last month, the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) presented the Governor and Legislative Leadership with comprehensive recommendations outlining key steps to achieve this critical goal.
“Governor Hochul’s plan to increase the Child Tax Credit is a welcome first step in reaching New York’s child poverty reduction goals and has the potential to make a meaningful difference for families across the state. By providing additional financial support, this increase can help lift children out of poverty and give hundreds of thousands of families the resources they need to succeed.
“Tax credits are among the most powerful poverty-fighting tools, and Schuyler Center has long advocated for expanding and strengthening New York State’s tax credits for families with children. A way to transfer cash directly to families, a child tax credit designed with intention can drastically reduce child poverty and provide meaningful assistance. Governor Hochul’s proposal to make the Empire State Child Credit more inclusive and meaningful will make a difference for New York’s children.
“Allowing child poverty to exist is a policy choice, as is investing in child poverty solutions. We applaud Governor Hochul for making a policy choice that will begin to reduce child poverty and uplift other New York families struggling to make ends meet.
“This proposal brings New York closer to implementing the recommendations of the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council, which include a robust child tax credit alongside housing and nutritional supports.
“The New York Can End Child Poverty campaign, composed of advocates, parents, educators, pediatricians, youth, faith leaders, and others, believes that New York can end child poverty and make New York the best place to raise a family.”
Child Tax Credit Resources:
- Strong Refundable Tax Credits to End Child Poverty – newly-published one-pager
- Lift up New York’s families by increasing the state child tax credit, commentary by Kate Breslin
- Child Tax Credit research by the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University
Background: CPRAC Recommendations Provide a Roadmap for the Path Forward
On December 18, 2024, the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) voted on and passed its recommendations to help New York State achieve the historic goal of cutting child poverty by 50% by 2031.
CPRAC’s recommendations to Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature are built on proven strategies to combat child poverty, including:
- Expanding refundable child tax credits to provide direct and sustained economic support for families.
- Establishing a statewide rental assistance program to ensure stable and affordable housing.
- Increasing public assistance benefits to meet families’ basic needs and indexing them to inflation.
- Reintroducing state food assistance programs to fill gaps in federal SNAP coverage for children.
About Schuyler Center
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy is a statewide, nonprofit, policy analysis and advocacy organization working to shape New York State policies to improve health, welfare and human services for all New Yorkers, especially children and families experiencing poverty. Schuyler Center has been a leader in advocating for robust, permanent, and inclusive Child Tax Credit expansions as a tool to uplift New York’s children and families experiencing poverty.
For more than 150 years, Schuyler Center has led advocacy rooted in compassion, evidence, and the belief that government should work for the greater good. Schuyler Center’s work acknowledges the historic racism woven throughout shared systems, and advocates for public policies that seek to address inequities while improving health, welfare, and human services for all New Yorkers.
Schuyler Center achieves its goals through creative and detailed policy analysis, coalition-building, and advocacy with elected officials, agency executives, policymakers, and stakeholders. Learn more at scaany.org.
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