ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — The New York State Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council held a public hearing in Albany on Tuesday night to get feedback about how the high costs of housing, food, and childcare keep families trapped in poverty. It was part of a series of public feedback sessions, and CPRAC leadership says they’ll use what they learn to inform their strategies for reducing child poverty.
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In the video above, Sister Betsy Van Dusen, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, talked about the importance of a stronger social safety net for parents in preventing child poverty.
The council’s mission is recommending policies that cut the state’s child poverty rate by 50% over 10 years, and they’re halfway to that 2032 deadline. Barbara Guinn—CPRAC co-chair and Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance—listed their primary recommendations to achieve that goal: increasing the Empire State Child Credit, creating a housing voucher program, doubling the basic allowance for public assistance, and establishing a state-funded food benefit for non-citizens who are ineligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
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Guinn asked attendees for a show of hands about their expenses, identifying housing, child care, food, utilities, transportation, and taxes. Asking attendees to rank them on feedback sheets, she said, “One of our goals is to use a tax system to help get money back to people who really need it.”
Guinn said another goal is making assistance programs more accessible by eliminating complicated paperwork and confusing language. She also celebrated the state budget for funding fraud-resistant SNAP cards in early 2027.
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“We hope to see a day when our policymakers consider the impacts of every single decision on children and families in New York State,” said Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy President/CEO Kate Breslin. “Not just say, ‘You got childcare this year, so you’re good.’”…