Press Release
CSS Joins Anti-Poverty Rally That Brings Hundreds to the State Capitol
Over 150 advocates from across New York State, including parents, legislators, educators, health care providers, youth leaders, labor unions, faith leaders and more gathered at the State Capitol today for an anti-poverty rally, with a focus on child poverty reduction. Today’s rally is taking place as the New York State Senate and State Assembly finalize their respective budget proposals.
New York children are more likely to live in poverty than in 32 other states, with 18 percent (nearly one in five) experiencing poverty in 2023. Led by the New York Can End Child Poverty campaign, the group’s aim is to ensure that the State follows through on their goal of reducing child poverty by 50 percent by 2032.
The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) has been an active member in the campaign to reduce child poverty by advocating for expanded tax credits, increased cash assistance amounts, and improved housing security. The campaign is urging Governor Hochul and state lawmakers to include the recommendations of the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council in the final state budget.
“As an organization dedicated to improving lives of low-income New Yorkers for more than 175 years, we are proud to stand tall beside our partners in this fight to reduce child-poverty,” said David R. Jones, President and CEO of CSS. “At a time when many families are working hard just to make ends meet, New York State must be a leader in uplifting families and making New York the best place to raise a family. Reducing child poverty in New York should not just be a goal to meet, it should be an imperative for all of us.”
“It is critical that New York state legislature supports its families and their children at this crucial moment in time,” said Debipriya Chatterjee, Senior Economist at CSS. “With federal policies poised to increase inequality, worsen inflation, disrupt the economy and cut funding for basic needs like food, healthcare, and school meals, the State needs to step up and pass legislation to reduce the adverse impact of these cuts on child poverty.”
Background: New York’s Commitment to New York’s Children
In 2021/2022, the New York State Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, the Child Poverty Reduction Act, committing the State to reduce child poverty by 50 percent over 11 years, with attention to racial equity. The law had nearly unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate and Assembly.
When Governor Hochul signed the Act into law, New York became a leader in creating a measurable goal toward ending child poverty. New York’s leaders made it clear that our state will no longer tolerate having two in five children experiencing severe economic hardship.
Among other provisions, the Act established the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) chaired by the Executive Chamber (Office of the Governor) and the Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). Appointed Council members include NYS agency leaders, advocates, impacted community members, heads of county social services departments, and others working to end and mitigate child poverty in New York State.
At the end of 2024, CPRAC released its recommendations for reducing New York’s child poverty rate by 50 percent. 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.