“The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects for children across New York City and State, as well as their families, like the loss of a loved one, economic distress, food insecurity, and the shutdown of school buildings, switch to remote learning, and lack of in-person social connections.

During the first five months of the pandemic, an estimated 4,200 of 4 million children in the state lost a parent or caregiver to coronavirus, a rate of more than one out of every 1,000, according to a report by the United Hospital Fund and Boston Consulting Group released at the end of September. Over half of those children live in the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Queens.

The report found Black and Hispanic children were disproportionately impacted, with one of every 600 Black children and one of every 700 Hispanic children losing a parent or caregiver, compared to one of every 1,400 Asian children and one of every 1,500 white children.”