Register to attend Schuyler Center’s budget overview webinar on 5/8.
In Governor Hochul’s State of the State address, she outlined a New York Dream that is accessible to everyone. For children and families who are experiencing poverty, this year’s state budget cracks open the door to that dream just a little wider.
This year’s budget is a story of partial solutions in place of bold and transformative policy. Through the unified power of child poverty fighters and the tenacity of legislative champions, this year’s state budget includes an expansion of the Empire State Child Tax Credit to include babies and toddlers under age four. This means that the child tax credit will reach an additional 600,000 to 900,000 children statewide. We celebrate this expansion; it has been a very long time coming!
For real poverty fighting impact, we will continue to advocate to 1.) remove the child tax credit’s phase-in that limits the credit amount provided to the lowest income families, and 2.) increase the credit amount from the current maximum of just $330 per year and build in a mechanism to keep up with rising costs. [Schuyler Center Statement on Child Tax Credit Expansion in the NYS Budget]
We’re encouraged that this year’s State budget includes a historic update to the child welfare housing subsidy. Starting next year, the child welfare housing subsidy will increase from $300 a month to $725 a month, a long overdue update to a subsidy that has not been increased since it was established in 1988. This subsidy is a lifeline to families involved in the system and youth aging out of foster care, seeking a life of safety and independence. [Child and Family Advocates’ Statement on the 2023-24 New York State Budget: Historic update to the child welfare housing subsidy]
The budget also includes notable investments in child care. These are measures that will make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families, including expanding access to child care by extending eligibility for assistance to pay for child care to families earning up to 85% of the state median income ($93,258 for a family of four), capping copays, an online application, and the elimination of some administrative barriers that prevent families from receiving the help they need. The budget also contains a small pilot program to help the families of children who are currently excluded from child care assistance due to their immigration status. [Empire State Campaign for Childcare Response to 23-24 Budget]
While each of these actions represents progress, we still have a long way to go. The door to the New York dream should be wide open for every New Yorker, regardless of zip code or income or race. Schuyler Center will continue advocating for the bold policy solutions that New York’s children and families need, especially those experiencing poverty, inequity, and systemic racism. [Schuyler Center End of Session Policy Priorities 2023]
Register to attend Schuyler Center’s budget overview webinar on 5/8.
Additional 2023-24 Budget Statements:
- Schuyler Center Statement on Child Tax Credit Expansion in the NYS Budget
- Child and Family Advocates’ Statement on the 2023-24 New York State Budget: Historic update to the child welfare housing subsidy
- Empire State Campaign for Child Care Response to 23-24 Budget
Recent Comments