As New York City continues to face unprecedented challenges with the continued spread of COVID-19, the health and well-being of all New Yorkers remain forefront in our minds. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global public health crisis that presents risks and consequences for all New Yorkers. But this crisis is not solely a threat to individual health – its ramifications will be felt by children, families, communities, and the entire city for months and years to come.

While many of us feel helpless right now, we must take a closer look at what we can do to ensure New York City has the tools in place to respond to increased and emerging needs so that children, families and communities don’t just survive but recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the coming weeks, CCC will examine data from our online database, data.cccnewyork.org to help us identify these policy opportunities.

Critically we know that while the COVID-19 virus doesn’t discriminate, it is disproportionately impacting communities of color and immigrant-led households. This crisis has revealed in stark terms the poverty, overcrowded housing, poor health, and lack of health insurance coverage experienced in many communities, placing individuals and families at greater risk. It has made clear that social distancing and remote work are privileges largely not afforded to low income New Yorkers and these New Yorkers also struggle to purchase a week’s worth of food. At a time when people are being asked to not leave their homes, children and families lack internet access, impeding remote learning and preventing access to needed services and supports as well as basic health and safety information. In short, the risks that existed before the crisis are exacerbated now, jeopardizing health, housing, education, and safety; triggering student learning loss, declining mental health, increased hunger and homelessness, as well as potential child welfare involvement and domestic violence, among others.

Through short briefs, blogs, and fact sheets we hope to speak to opportunities to:

• – Bridge the Digital Divide
• – Prevent Homelessness
• – Combat Food Insecurity
• – Get New Yorkers Back to Work
• – Address Trauma
• – Improve Education Outcomes

We hope you find the information shared through this effort helpful and that you join us in thinking through what data must be examined and policy opportunities explored. We are hopeful that this work might inform advocacy across coalitions, our engagement of the media, as well as federal stimulus, state and city budget and legislative priorities. Our ultimate goal is to better ensure that all children and families are healthy, housed, educated and safe.

Please stay tuned to updates from CCC on e-mail and social media. In the meantime, we hope our existing data resources will be helpful to you in understanding child and family well-being across New York City.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Be safe and well.

Visit data.cccnewyork.org for more information on internet access and hundreds of additional indicators on child and family well-being in New York City.

To stay abreast on the challenges children and families in NYC face during the COVID-19 crisis, sign up for CCC’s E-Action Network and read our other blogs on this subject.