Latest news with #Citizens'CommitteeforChildrenofNewYork
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposed federal cuts to Medicaid, SNAP in N.Y. could have significant impacts on children
Proposed federal cuts to Medicaid and food assistance could result in more New York children losing insurance coverage or facing hunger, according to child advocates. In New York City, about 1.8 million people receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or 'SNAP' — including 560,000 children, according to figures compiled by the comptroller's office. Medicaid enrollment for residents from birth to age 20 is about 1.2 million. 'This budget hurts millions of people fighting to remain in this increasingly unaffordable city,' Comptroller Brad Lander said in a statement. 'Draconian figures like [President] Trump have tried to gut our social safety net before, but hardworking New Yorkers and their families will remember every time they visit a hospital or go to bed hungry.' House Republicans are looking to push through a package of tax breaks and spending cuts to advance Trump's agenda, including a multibillion-dollar cash infusion for immigration enforcement and the military. The plan has faced pushback from Democrats and GOP hard-liners who insisted on deeper cuts. As of Friday, the latest iteration could cut Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars, including by new work requirements focused on non-disabled adults without dependents. States, such as New York, that use their own funds to give insurance to undocumented immigrants could also be penalized. Supporters of the measures say they would help root out waste and fraud. 'I will never cast a vote that takes Medicaid away from eligible recipients who rely on this vital program, such as seniors, children, the intellectually and developmentally disabled, single mothers and families facing tough times,' Rep. Mike Lawler (R-Westchester) wrote in a recent op-ed in Lohud. 'Rather, my commitment has always been to strengthen these programs by cracking down on scam artists exploiting them at taxpayer expense.' But child advocates warned of the ripple effects. 'Simply put, the impact of these proposals would be enormous for a lot of children and families throughout out New York,' said Raysa Rodriguez, executive director of Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, which released an online tool to help parents learn about the potential impact of Medicaid and SNAP cuts to their congressional district. The look-up function also lets families know if their representative voted for the budget resolution that called for the cuts. Rodriguez noted that Medicaid goes toward health care coverage for families that are income-eligible, but it is also a mechanism for supporting public services — from school health clinics to special education — that are financed in different shapes and forms through Medicaid funding. Sweeping changes could also impact what resources the state has on hand for other policies that support children and families. 'Part of the concern is changes of this magnitude and size would result in a bigger, more significant burden on the state, and could have an impact on the type and scope of services provided [and] how we determine eligibility,' Rodriguez said. 'This level of decimation of funding would really limit the ability of New York state to respond to the needs of families and children. It's not hypothetical.' Lander's analysis also found more than half of babies delivered in New York City each year are born to parents covered by Medicaid. The package would also cut federal spending on SNAP, largely by shifting substantial new costs to states for the first time and increasing work requirements for parents of children as young as 7 years old. Child hunger advocates also warn against cuts to future SNAP benefits that do not take effect immediately — but could limit the ability of food assistance to keep pace with the rising costs of groceries. 'We know when kids have regular access to meals, they thrive. They have higher attendance rates; they do better in school. They struggle less with chronic health issues like asthma,' said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York. If federal cuts undo years of progress made in fighting child hunger, Sabella added: 'I'm terrified about what that would mean to families.' After the House passes a bill, it faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where a majority of Republicans need to agree to the identical to avoid a filibuster under a complicated legislative process known as reconciliation. 'I want every member of the New York State Congressional Delegation, especially our Republican members that have a powerful voice right now, to remember we shouldn't be playing politics with people's ability to put food on the table,' Sabella said. With News Wire Services
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How much should the Empire State Child Credit offer families?
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — New data reaffirms that families continue to struggle financially, with Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature under pressure to address rising child poverty statewide. The Rockefeller Institute of Government and the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York want the state to boost the Empire State Child Credit from current levels. Hochul outlined a plan in early January to raise the child tax credit from $330 per child to up to $1,000 per child until age 4, and $500 until age 16. Meant to cover 2.75 million children in 1.6 million households, the credit would pay out once a year, offering a refundable benefit even for families who owe nothing in taxes. If included as is in the state budget, it would adjust for income, with the full benefit available for households earning up to $110,000. More Local News An analysis from the Rockefeller Institute of Government's Chief Economist, Leigh Wedenoja, broke down the plan, comparing Hochul's expanded credit proposal to the temporary federal expansion that paid monthly checks under the American Rescue Plan. The research showed that child tax credits pull millions out of poverty, helping families save up for emergencies or big purchases. While the once-a-year payment may not be as helpful with regular expenses like rent or groceries, Wedenoja acknowledged, it would create a forced saving mechanism. That means New Yorkers could use a lump-sum from a tax credit for a down payment on a home or a reliable car. But Wedenoja also made the case for the credits having more value than just a tax refund. She pointed to research showing the knock-on effects of expanding child tax credits: improved prenatal outcomes, test scores, and employment numbers for single moms who reinvest in local economies. Wedenoja explained that the Empire State Child Credit follows recommendations from the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council, which formed in 2021 under the Child Poverty Reduction Act. But she said the state plan differs from earlier methods by setting a fixed amount per child instead of connecting to federal numbers, bringing New York in line with many other states that set their own credit values as necessary. The Rockefeller Institute analysis supported expanding the credit, but did not push for more than what Hochul had proposed. But advocates, including the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York (CCC), argue that boosting the credit further—and improving rental assistance, food support, and early care—would do more to meet families' basic needs every day or every month. A separate report released on March 18 by the CCC—backed by the New York Can End Child Poverty Coalition—advocated for a larger credit of $1,500 per child. Their report, available to read at the bottom of this story, factored in 18 well-being metrics covering economic security, housing, health, education, and youth. It showed gaps in early education and persistent health challenges that impact child development. The CCC report also determined that about 731,000 kids live below the poverty line in New York, with one in five facing poverty in 20 out of 62 counties. In counties where family incomes average between $46,000 and $75,000, most parents work for low wages while struggling with high costs. A family with two incomes needs about $138,000 a year to cover expenses, but the average family's annual income in New York is about $97,000. Many financial hardships come from long-standing social problems, according to the CCC report, but it's not an isolated issue. They found that over 20% of renter households in 50 of New York's 62 counties spend at least half their income on rent. Regionally, urban areas with dense populations have bleaker rents and higher poverty rates, while less populated rural areas have fewer job prospects and less access to social services. New York lawmakers also included new and improved tax credits in their budget proposals. Both the Rockefeller Institute and CCC want lawmakers to consider broader measures and targeted investment to address the rising cost of living and persistent inequality through targeted investments. More Local News Advocates, including groups such as the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy and the Children's Agenda, argued that expanded child tax credits form just a single, vital part of a larger effort to eradicate child poverty. They said that state leaders working on the Fiscal Year 2026 budget should not only increase tax credits to at least $1,500 per child, but also expand public assistance, health services, and affordable housing and education. 'New York's unacceptably high rate of child poverty is the result of policy choices—not personal failures. As this report shows, among the most pressing challenges families face is the cost of meeting basic needs, including access to affordable, quality child care,' said Children's Agenda CEO Larry Marx. 'While our elected representatives in Albany now debate the state budget, one of the most important ways to reduce child poverty statewide and make New York affordable for all families is to supplement families' incomes with expanded tax credits. That tool has been proven effective, and children's needs can't wait for action; they are the definition of now.' Take a look at the CCC report below: 2025_03_CFWB2025_Report_842f37Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
