Healthy.

Every child deserves a healthy start to life and access to the primary and behavioral health care and services they need to support their development.

The infant mortality rate is three times greater for Black babies compared to white babies in NYC.

32,993

NYC children under 3 received Early Intervention services in 2018. 1 out of 6 Black children referred to Early Intervention services never receive an evaluation.

35%

of high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. These rates are twice as high for lesbian, gay, or bisexual students compared to their heterosexual peers.

A child’s physical, mental and emotional health is critical to their well-being, but access to high-quality health care in New York City is far from universal or equitable. To ensure a healthy future for every child, we advocate for all families to have access to high-quality, culturally competent, community-based health and behavioral health services that support children’s growth and development from infancy into young adulthood.

CCC advocates to:

Ensure all children have access to comprehensive health care services, including by protecting and expanding Medicaid and CHIP for children and their families and ensuring compliance with state and federal mental health parity laws.
Invest in high-quality, equitable health care before, during, and after pregnancy to help ensure positive health outcomes for parents and infants.
Strengthen New York’s public health policies that protect children against environmental hazards like lead poisoning and ensure all children receive necessary vaccinations and preventive care.
Ensure every infant and toddler with a developmental delay or disability has access to the Early Intervention services they need.
Provide high-quality, culturally competent behavioral health services in schools, clinics, and communities so all children have timely access to the behavioral supports they need.
Support policies that increase equitable access to healthy, affordable food and alleviate hunger among children and families in New York.