Citizens' Committee for Children of New York

06/22/2026

Incarcerating young people doesn't make communities safer — investing in them does.

Research shows that alternatives to incarceration and reentry programs reduce recidivism and crime.

For every dollar invested in ATI programs, studies estimate $3.46 to $5.54 in returns — plus reduced criminal justice costs and better
community health outcomes. (Source: NY ATI Re-entry Coalition)

New York City's young people have said clearly: community safety means access to holistic support, not further criminalization.

Urge city leaders to fully invest in alternatives to incarceration for youth now: https://cccnewyork.org/campaigns/tell-city-leaders-to-invest-in-supports-for-justice-involved-youth/

Tell City Leaders: Invest in Supports for Justice-Involved Youth Young people in New York have made clear that their vision of community safety requires access to holistic support – not further criminalization. Investing in alternatives to incarceration (ATI) programs and supports for youth create...

06/18/2026

to June 4 when housing advocates and NYC families gathered on the steps of City Hall to call for funding and implementation of the CityFHEPS expansion now (featuring Kadisha Davis from the Family Homelessness Coalition Family Action Board!)

CityFHEPS rental vouchers are a powerful tool helping families secure stable homes and exit shelter.

As housing insecurity continues to impact children and families, expanding voucher access is key to increasing housing access.

The facts?

There are more than 33,600 children across the city’s shelter system.

52% of people in DHS family shelters are children.

The average DHS length of shelter stay was 372 days for families with children.

29% of NYC renters spend at least half of their income towards rent.

Nearly 17,400 residential evictions occurred in 2025, exceeding 2019 levels.

City leaders must implement the CityFHEPS expansion now!

06/18/2026

1 in 4 New York City children do not have enough food to eat and federal SNAP cuts are driving more families to food pantries than ever.

Hunger is rising across the city, but the City Budget can fund a proven lifeline for children and families.

Community Food Connection (CFC) is a city program that supports more than 700 food pantries and soup kitchens across the city.

The city must invest $100 million to meet this rising demand.

Urge city leaders to increase CFC funding now: https://bit.ly/CFCTA27

NYC Can Fight Hunger with Increased Community Food Connection Investments! Anti-hunger programs reduce the prevalence of child poverty and contribute to better health, education, and community outcomes across a child’s life. These programs are more important than ever as costs continue to rise, an...

06/17/2026

New York’s $268.5 billion FY27 Enacted Budget includes important investments in child care, early education, and food security, including expanded funding for 3-K and Pre-K, over $3 billion for child care assistance, and continued support for universal school meals.

The budget also advances protections for immigrant communities, preserves the Raise the Age law, and makes historic investments in educational equity for students experiencing homelessness, in foster care, and learning English.

Significant gaps remain. The budget falls short of addressing child care waitlists, provides no relief for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers losing health coverage, and misses key opportunities to invest in children’s behavioral health and youth justice programs.

Our latest scorecard indicates which CCC priorities:

🟢 were achieved in the budget
🟡 saw partial progress in the budget
🔴 failed to pass in the budget

View the scorecard:

The $268.5 billion State FY27 Enacted Budget takes crucial steps towards expanding child care access for New York families. The budget includes funding to expand 3-K and Pre-K across the state, as well as funding for 2-K services in New York City. The budget also funds three Community Cares pilot pr...

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

1 in 4 New York City children cannot access the behavioral health services they need.

The FY2027 budget must include:

✅ Restored and increased Council Mental Health Initiative funding — including $6.85 million for Court-Involved Youth Mental Health and $6 million for the NYC 988 Crisis Intervention Hotline, plus a 3% cost-of-living increase for all other initiatives

✅ $11 million in school-based mental health programs — the Mental Health Continuum and Restorative Justice practices, both funded for one year only and now at risk

✅ $3.75 million for school-based mental health clinics to expand on-site services and crisis support during the school day

Tell your elected leaders to fund children's mental health now: https://bit.ly/CMHNYC27

Support Children’s Mental Health in the City Budget One in four New York City children cannot access the behavioral health services they need. The FY2027 budget is an opportunity to change that. Urge your elected leaders to: Restore and increase Council Mental Health Initiative funding — includi...

06/17/2026

Universal child care isn't universal if it excludes children with disabilities.

Last school year, nearly 32,000 New York City preschoolers had an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

But 45% did not receive at least one mandated service.

Drawing on new findings from CCC's 2026 Keeping Track of New York City's Children data book, CCC Executive Director Raysa S. Rodriguez and The Inspired Community Project CEO Jill Moses examine the barriers families face and the steps needed to build a child care system that works for every child.

Read the full op-ed in City Limits:
https://citylimits.org/opinion-universal-child-care-isnt-universal-if-it-excludes-children-with-disabilities/

"Families of young children with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities...are being turned away from program after program. Not because providers don't want to serve them, but because the system makes it financially unsustainable to do

06/15/2026

Early Intervention can be life-changing for young children with developmental delays, but too many NYC families cannot access needed services because of provider shortages, administrative hurdles, and barriers to accessing care.

Join CCC and a network of Early Childhood Collaboratives on July 14 for Supported from the Start: A Citywide Forum on Early Intervention & Early Childhood Development. The forum will bring together public leaders, service providers, parents, advocates, and philanthropic partners to explore how EI can better support the early childhood continuum.

Together, we will examine what is needed to strengthen coordination, reduce disparities in access, and build a more equitable, integrated, and family-centered early childhood system.

🗓️ Tuesday, July 14, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
📍 The Legal Aid Society Training & Advocacy Center

Presented by: Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Children's Aid, United for Brownsville, Upper Manhattan Early Childhood Connect (UMECC), Staten Island Alliance for North Shore Children & Families

Sponsored by: The Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation

Space is limited, register now: https://cccnewyork.org/events/ccc-early-intervention-event/

Early Intervention (EI) provides crucial evaluations and services to young children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. As New York City continues to expand universal childcare options for families, it has never been more important to understand how EI and other developmen...

06/15/2026