NEW YORK – Today, Citizen’s Committee for Children of New York (CCC) Executive Director Jennifer March issued the following statement on the Fiscal Year 2024 New York State Budget:

“Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) is relieved the Fiscal Year 2024 New York State Budget dedicates funding to a number of programs that will provide critical support to children and families at a time they need it most; however, we are profoundly disappointed that the drawn out budget process negatively impacted many deeply important proposals that are essential to economic recovery and improving child and family well-being in New York.

We applaud state leaders for committing to enhance the Empire State Child Credit, expanding eligibility to children under four years old. We are pleased that the budget retains important child care proposals initially included in Governor Hochul’s executive budget. The budget also takes steps to increase the minimum wage and index it to inflation and commits funding for universal school meals as well as the child welfare housing subsidy.

Unfortunately, the budget falls far short in several areas. It fails to expand immigrant access to the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit and children’s access to Early Intervention services. The budget also fails to commit sufficient funding to reduce waitlists and increase access to children’s behavioral health services, sadly rolls back key aspects of bail reform, and comes up dramatically short on housing by failing to enact and fully fund the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP), despite thousands of families being on the brink of eviction.

As the budget is enacted and we look toward the end of the legislative session, we urge state leaders to prioritize passing legislation that centers on meeting the needs of New York’s children and families.”

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About CCC

Citizen’s Committee for Children of New York (CCC) educates and mobilizes New Yorkers to make the city a better place for children. CCC’s advocacy combines public policy research and data analysis with citizen action. 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.