The Children's Agenda

06/12/2026

Investments in universal child care reduce poverty, and this great report from our friends at Robin Hood and Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University demonstrates how important it is that we use every tool available to lift families out of poverty.

New data reveals the scope of child care hardship among NYC parents, with 21% reporting affordability concerns and disproportionate impacts on low-income families.

06/11/2026

Thank you Fox Rochester WUHF for having Policy Director Pete Nabozny on to talk about what the child care pilot will mean for families here in Monroe County in the near future!

High childcare costs have afflicted Americans for years, so New York State is introducing new funding for childcare.

06/10/2026

👏👏👏 Congratulations to Mayor Malik Evans and the City of Rochester, NY Office of Financial Empowerment on the launch of the R-Future Fund Children's Savings Account!

Children who are city residents, enrolled in Kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year, or who will be enrolled in the fall, are eligible to participate in the R-Future Fund pilot. Each child will receive a $20 seed deposit into a savings account, with an additional $20 for children living in the city’s poorest zip codes: 14605, 14608, 14611, and 14621. Participating families will also have opportunities to receive bonus deposits up to $10 each during their first year of the program by participating in activities like financial literacy events or opening a library card.

Research shows that children with savings accounts are more likely to enroll in and graduate from college, strengthen their math and reading achievement, and build lasting financial literacy. Even students who receive five hours of financial education in school demonstrate a significantly deeper understanding of saving, banking, and other positive financial behaviors.

https://www.cityofrochester.gov/news/mayor-evans-launches-r-future-fund-rochesters-first-childrens-savings-account-pilot

06/10/2026

Join us TONIGHT at the Rochester City School District Listening Session, hosted by the Office of the New York State Attorney General.
The OAG is working with community-based organizations to address challenges in the Rochester City School District with a special focus on disparities in school discipline related to children of color and children with disabilities.

When: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Where: Rochester Alliance of Communities Transforming Society (RocACTS), 121 N. Fitzhugh Street, Rochester, NY 14617

06/03/2026

Shout out to Tianna Johnson, Very Invested Parent and childcare advocate, and Wyatt Newton, Advocacy Intern, for representing The Children’s Agenda today at the Community Fair at #8 Roberto Clemente Elementary school!

06/03/2026

As the State legislature winds up its session, our team has provided a detailed assessment of how our key priority areas fared in the 2026-27 enacted budget. Overall, we're celebrating some significant wins for children and families, and yet some children and families - and the workforce caring for them - are still being left behind.

We are profoundly grateful for the partnership of parent leaders, advocates, organizational allies, and funders who make progress possible. Read the full statement on our website: https://thechildrensagenda.org/publications/tcas-statement-on-the-nys-2026-27-enacted-budget/

05/28/2026

While there's much to celebrate in the historic investments that NYS is making in child care this year, we're also looking ahead at what is still needed. Kudos to Rockefeller Institute of Government for this detailed analysis on why investments in the workforce matter.

New York’s FY 2027 budget expands Universal Pre-K and childcare access, but success will depend on growing and supporting the early care and education workforce.

05/22/2026

Diane found her voice through The Children's Agenda's Very Invested Parents program – and our supporters helped make that possible. She's testified at hearings, met with city and state officials, and shown them that families aren't just recipients of policy. They're the ones who should be shaping it.

05/15/2026

While we are glad that the Rochester City School District Administration responded to our advocacy by restoring some of the previously cut positions for social work, guidance counseling and Home/Hospital Instruction, we are deeply disappointed with the process leading up to the vote which ended up adopting budget cuts to these urgently needed programs while other programs remained untouched or were even increased. This speaks to a central concern of ours during the budget deliberations: Too often the decisions to cut certain programs were presented as a fiscal necessity rather than a choice and set of spending priorities.

Read more in this story from WXXI News
https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2026-05-15/education-leaders-advocates-weigh-in-on-rcsds-passed-budget-for-2026-27

Or our full statement here: https://thechildrensagenda.org/publications/tcas-response-to-the-rcsd-2026-27-budget-vote/

Skepticism and doubt remain after the Rochester city school board passed — by a margin of one vote — a $1.16 billion budget that many community members, staff and parents opposed.