Statement on Governor Hochul’s 2023-24 Executive Budget Proposal: Modest Investments in Child and Family Well-Being, Bold Action is Needed - We are both heartened by many of the investments in

Right now, those earning low-incomes, Black, brown and immigrant New Yorkers, and families with children, continue to be among those hardest impacted by the pandemic and its after-effects, and are struggling to meet the high costs of necessities due to rising inflation. [...] We are disappointed that there are no proposals in the Executive Budget to strengthen and expand these credits, which means that New York babies and toddlers under the age of four will continue to be excluded from the State’s child tax credit, along with the lowest-income families, at a time when child poverty, racial inequity, and household costs are high. [...] The proposed funding in the Governor’s budget is far from what is needed to support and rebuild the child care workforce. [...] Child Welfare: Modest Investments, Inadequate COLA Adjustment for Workforce The NYS child welfare system must be transformed to better serve families and children by investing in family strengthening, prevention of system-involvement, reducing institutional placements, and transparency and accountability of the system. [...] We will be studying the details of the proposed budget in the coming days and will be working together with the Governor and the Legislature to ensure that 2023 is the year NYS meaningfully invests in child and family well-being.