Childrens Agenda

We advocate for policies that support the well-being of children and build equitable systems in the areas of Early Childhood: universal, affordable child care and timely, equitable access to developmental services, Education: full and equitable funding for schools and promotion of positive school climates, Child Poverty: reduce child poverty in New York by half by 2032, and Health and Safety: Strengthen preventive services and promote maternal and child health.(Continued on Schedule O)Our community has many programs to help children, one by one or year by year. But few efforts actually change the system for all children. That's where The Children's Agenda comes in.We work closely with youth, families and community partners to put their voices and experiences at the center of public policies. This approach has yielded many victories for children, including Early Childhood: 135,000+ New York children and 2,700 Monroe County 3-5 year olds have quicker and better access to Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education; Monroe County child care assistance now covers almost half of 0-12 year olds, Education: 25,000+ Rochester City School District students have more support through a revised student code of conduct and implementation of restorative practices in schools; 5,392 students with disabilities and 3,805 multi-lingual learners in RCSD have more student and family supports, Child Poverty: New York has committed to cutting child poverty in half by 2032; New York workers have 12 weeks of job-protected, paid leave, and Health and Mental Health: Home visitation services in Monroe County have been expanded to cover approximately 75% of newborns and their families; Raise the Age legislation enacted to keep children out of the adult criminal justice system.