The Child Poverty Reduction Act, S.2755C/A.1160C, has been delivered to Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk, and today we are urging the Governor to sign this crucial bill into law.
Support for the Child Poverty Reduction Act is widespread and bipartisan. It swept through the Legislature with near-unanimous support from upstate and downstate, rural, urban, and suburban legislators and constituents, as well as having bipartisan co-sponsorship.
Last week, dozens of child advocacy, child care, health, child welfare, and poverty fighting organizations co-signed a letter asking Governor Hochul to sign the bill.
The Child Poverty Reduction Act provides New York with the tools needed to reduce child poverty. It makes a public commitment to cutting child poverty in half in ten years; requires an annual public report of the effects of budget proposals on child poverty and regular reporting on progress; and establishes the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council to develop a plan to achieve the goal.
For too long, New York has allowed hundreds of thousands of children to endure the hardships of poverty—in times of recession, and in times of plenty: New York entered the pandemic with more than 700,000 children living in poverty, representing 18% of all New York children, with that percentage a full 10 points higher for Black children, and 7 for Latino children. It’s time to do better.
We know that Governor Hochul is a partner in prioritizing New York’s children and families as the state not only recovers from the impact of the pandemic, but takes a deep look at its priorities and commits to doing better in the areas where the promise of opportunity has not been fulfilled.
It cannot wait any longer: the time is now for New York State to commit to a brighter future for all of our children. Signing the Child Poverty Reduction Act into law makes that commitment.
Recent Comments