We have made great strides since the launch of our Campaign to End Child Poverty in December 2020. This year has brought a new President, a cohort of fresh, passionate State legislators, and growing enthusiasm among partners in our campaign to cut child poverty in half in 10 years.
In February, we presented at the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislators Living our Legacy event; released a paper highlighting New York State Child Poverty Facts; and gathered more and more co-sponsors for the Child Poverty Reduction Act, S.2755-A (Ramos)/A.1160 (Bronson). At this point, the bill has 17 co-sponsors in the Assembly, 16 in the Senate, and counting!
In addition to the progress we’ve made at the state level, the American Rescue Plan—which is projected to reduce child poverty substantially, though temporarily—has been passed in the US House of Representatives and Senate. It is not perfect; the child tax credit is refundable—this is good—but it glaringly omits children who do not have a Social Security Number. For this reason, we are urging New York State policymakers to include help for these children and families in the State budget, through the Empire State Child Credit.
It is long past time to commit to ending child poverty in New York State and the nation.
While the Schuyler Center has long recognized maternal mental health as an important component of women’s health, developing comprehensive policies across multiple agencies and sectors requires continuous effort. As many as one in seven women experience some form of depression during pregnancy or within 12 months after giving birth. In 2018, New York was invited to join a national learning collaborative: Moving on Maternal Depression (MOMD), convened by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). This project advances structural changes to health systems to prioritize policies proven to strengthen maternal mental health, particularly interventions that prevent, and if that is not possible, detect and treat, maternal mental health disorders. By improving maternal mental health, the project also aims to improve and strengthen early childhood development and family economic security. The New York State Office of Mental Health leads the project, with the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy serving as project coordinator, and CLASP providing technical assistance. The MOMD project reflects the Schuyler Center’s commitment to developing data-driven, evidence-based policies to prevent maternal disorders whenever possible, and to prevent, identify, and treat maternal mental disorders throughout the state and across all of New York’s diverse communities. The project – with its diverse group of passionate and engaged stakeholders – presents a real opportunity to improve the mental health of expecting and new mothers to better enable New York mothers, babies and families to thrive.
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