March’s Leadership Resulted in Historic Budget and Policy Victories for Children and Families Across New York State and New York City

Legacy Includes Playing a Key Role in Establishing Universal PreK, Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility, Expanding Access to Affordable Housing for Homeless Families, Strengthening Behavioral Health Services & Bolstering Social Safety Net for NY Families

NEW YORK, NY – The Citizens’ Committee for Children (CCC) announced today that Executive Director Jennifer March will step down from her role after 17 years at the helm of CCC and 23 years total with the organization. As one of the longest-serving executive directors in CCC’s history, she has spearheaded historic victories for children, youth, and families throughout New York City and statewide. While the Board of Trustees begins an executive search for a successor, March will continue in her role until the new leadership takes over at the start of 2025.

During March’s tenure, she navigated the organization through two turbulent periods, starting with the 2008 fiscal crisis and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. She successfully restructured and expanded staff to strengthen research, civic engagement, and advocacy and leverage CCC’s expertise to inform government decision-making at the state and local level.

As a result, the organization has evolved to meet the changing needs of New York children,  families and communities. Monumental policy and budgetary successes span every aspect of public life for New Yorkers, including major advances in early care and education, behavioral health services, affordable housing, tax policy, criminal justice and more.

Key successes include:

• Leading the charge in reforming New York State’s personal income tax structure to protect the social safety net at the height of the Great Recession, strengthening asset accumulation central to economic mobility by deepening New York City’s Earned Income Tax Credit, increasing the state’s minimum wage, expanding access to the Empire State Child Credit, and informing the local development of universal savings accounts, NYC Kids Rise.
• Securing hundreds of millions for early childhood education and youth services, to establish universal Pre-K for New York City 4-year-olds and universal afterschool programs for middle school students. Achieving early-stage progress to close the wage gap between early educators in community-based programs and their peers in New York City public schools.
• Moving the State’s criminal justice system closer to justice by raising the age of criminal responsibility, bringing New York in line with 48 other states; as well as closing harmful state juvenile placement facilities, serving youth in placement close to home, establishing statutory alternatives to incarceration and detention, and raising the age of juvenile delinquency.
• Establishing mandates in affordable housing to better meet the needs of homeless families, and expanding access to rent subsidies to prevent families from entering the shelter system as well as expedite their exits from shelter to permanent housing.
• Leading cross-sector partnership to significantly increase workforce investments and improve timely access to behavioral health care for children and youth.

Critical to these successes, CCC’s signature report, Keeping Track of New York City’s Children and online database, have become primary resources for nonprofit, government, and philanthropic leaders, and for New Yorkers who want to understand the needs of children, families, and communities. CCC’s participatory research and inclusive civic engagement and advocacy campaigns also ensure community members inform policy and budgetary solutions and participate in calls to action to combat inequity and improve wellbeing.

“Leading CCC has been the most meaningful professional experience of my life. It has been a privilege to work alongside a talented, dedicated CCC team, non-profit, philanthropic and government partners, and with members of CCC’s Board and Advocacy Council all of whom deeply care about the future of New York State and New York City and children, families, and communities. I am committed to ensuring a smooth leadership transition, confident that the organization is stronger than it has ever been. I look forward to welcoming new leadership and seeing CCC begin its next chapter on a solid foundation built over decades of work,” said Jennifer March, executive director at Citizens’ Committee for Children.

“Jennifer has dedicated her professional life’s work to the mission of CCC. Her leadership has resulted in a strong and impactful organization that works tirelessly and collaboratively to uproot systemic inequality and ensure all children are healthy, housed, educated and safe. On behalf of the entire board, we are deeply grateful for her service to this organization and her unwavering commitment to New York City’s children, families, and communities. We wish her well in all future endeavors,” said Jane Blair Oberle, Citizens’ Committee for Children board chair.

“As Chair of the NYS Assembly Children and Families Committee, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Jennifer March and the Citizens’ Committee for Children team over many years on a wide range of shared priorities and I’m incredibly grateful for her partnership. Jennifer’s knowledge, experience, and dedication are beyond compare. I thank her for all of her hard work on behalf of New York’s children and families and look forward to continued collaboration with CCC,” said Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi.

“For decades, Jennifer has stood boldly as a dedicated advocate for children and youth, tirelessly championing policy reforms aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of communities grappling with socioeconomic and systemic challenges. Under her leadership, CCC has made great strides in building a brighter future for New York families,” said Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)

“The New York Community Trust is proud to have supported the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York. Jennifer and her formidable team stood for reform whether it was making Pre-K access universal, raising the age of criminal responsibility, bringing NYC youth in placement close to home, or improving timely access to behavioral health care, while also ensuring those rights and access remain protected today and in the future. Along the way, CCC trained the next generation of youth advocates who will create a more equitable region for all for decades to come,”  Roderick Jenkins, Program Director, Promising Futures, The New York Community Trust.   

“From its one-of-a-kind database to community-based research and inclusive and coalition-driven advocacy, CCC has demonstrated time and again that there is truly strength in numbers. Under Jennifer’s leadership, it has been remarkable to see the organization grow in size and impact over the past 17 years and play a crucial role in achieving state and local budget and legislative reforms that improve the well-being of New York’s children, families and communities,” Linda Gibbs, principal at Bloomberg Associates and former Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services for New York City.

Prior to becoming Executive Director, March spent 15 years in the public sector, including holding senior positions in the Finance Division of the New York City Council and overseeing research and advocacy at CCC as the agency’s Associate Executive Director.

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About CCC: Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) educates and mobilizes New Yorkers to make the city a better place for all children. CCC’s advocacy combines public policy research and data analysis with civic engagement. CCC casts light on the issues, educates the public, engages allies and identifies and promotes practical solutions to ensure that every New York City child is healthy, housed, educated and safe. For more information about CCC, visit www.cccnewyork.org.