The Cost of Raising a Family in NYC
Events
December 3, 2026
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Keeping Track 2026: Child Well-Being Across NYC
A Three-Part Webinar Series
In East Harlem, 46% of children live in poverty; meanwhile, the child poverty rate in East New York is 24%. Citywide averages hide community-level differences like these, and so do the policies they inform. What do the data tell us about the experiences of children and families across New York City—and what can we learn by looking more closely at individual communities?
Join Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) for a three-part webinar series drawing on findings from our 2026 databook, Keeping Track of New York City’s Children. CCC expert staff will walk through what the data show on child care access, economic and housing security, and youth well-being.
Each session will highlight important trends and demonstrate how to find data for your community on the redesigned Keeping Track data platform. For policymakers, advocates, service providers, and anyone working on behalf of New York City’s children and families.
Webinars in this series include:
November 19, 1:00 PM EST | Building Toward Universal: A Seamless Continuum of Care
December 3, 12:00 PM EST | The Cost of Raising a Family in NYC (Economic & Housing Security)
December 10, 1:00 PM EST | Supporting Youth Well-Being Across NYC (Behavioral Health, Education & Housing)
All webinars in this series will be scheduled to run for 75 minutes.
RSVP Below
Part Two
The Cost of Raising a Family in NYC
Economic Security, Housing Affordability & Income Supports
Presented by: Rimsha Khan | Senior Research Specialist, Data Systems at Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
CCC shares data from Keeping Track of New York City’s Children on how rising costs are straining families’ ability to make ends meet, and what that means for children. Educational attainment has risen over the past decade, but those gains haven’t translated into broad economic security. Earnings for the top fifth of New Yorkers grew nearly 20% while the bottom fifth saw no growth, and median income for families with children has not kept pace with rising food, housing, and utility costs. Child poverty remains stubbornly high – 24% based on the federal poverty measure and closer to 29% by more comprehensive measures.
Housing costs are often the main source of financial strain. In a city where 70% of residents rent, rentals above $2,000 a month have nearly tripled over the past decade, and 8 in 10 households in poverty spend half or more of their income on rent. The number of families with children in DHS shelters has been increasing since Fiscal Year 2022, and evictions now exceed pre-pandemic levels. Across every economic and housing security measure, Black and Latine families bear a disproportionate burden.
The session covers what the trends show, where pressures are greatest, and what that means for policy advocacy. A live demonstration of the redesigned Keeping Track data platform will show participants how to find these community-level data indicators.
Following the demonstration, join CCC and Samuel Stein, Housing Policy Analyst at the Community Service Society of New York, for a conversation on New York City’s housing affordability crisis, the growing economic pressures facing families, and the policy solutions needed to advance housing stability and economic security for all New Yorkers.
