Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council Will Convene to Cut Child Poverty in Half in New York State Over the Next Decade
Approximately One in Five Children Were Estimated to Live in Poverty in New York in 2021
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council which will develop a plan to cut child poverty in half over the next decade. Authorized via the Child Poverty Reduction Act, the diverse panel will begin developing this plan during its first meeting in Albany on Thursday, October 13.
"Alleviating poverty for all New Yorkers - especially our youngest - is a key priority for my administration," Governor Hochul said. "This talented and diverse group of policy experts, service providers, advocates, and community members will examine both proven strategies and new approaches to further this goal and address the broad and systemic inequities that perpetuate cycles of poverty in communities throughout New York State."
The council is charged with developing evidence-based recommendations for reducing child poverty in New York State by 50 percent over the next ten years. As part of this effort, the council will conduct comprehensive data analyses, create a timeline with annual benchmarks, determine effective metrics for measuring the state's progress reducing child poverty, and issue reports.
The council is co-chaired by Jihoon Kim, Governor Hochul's Deputy Secretary for Human Services and Mental Hygiene, and Daniel W. Tietz, Commissioner of the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
Deputy Secretary to the Governor for Human Services and Mental Hygiene Jihoon Kim said, "I am grateful to Governor Hochul for appointing me as co-chair of the Council. This administration is committed to taking concrete steps to alleviate the economic, mental and emotional stress experienced by far too many New Yorkers, especially our children. The Council will focus on building consensus toward broad-based policy solutions that can help disadvantaged communities, including communities of color, escape poverty and achieve economic security."
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said, "It is an honor to serve as co-chair of the Council and I am excited to begin the critical work of creating a blueprint that we can use to cut child poverty in half over the next decade. The work of the Council is intended to empower some of our most marginalized and vulnerable fellow New Yorkers and improve the quality of life for those most in need."
The council's statutory membership includes:
- State Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Sheila J. Poole
- State Department of Taxation and Finance Deputy Commissioner of Processing and Taxpayer Services Kristin Dence
- State Council on Children and Families Deputy Director and Counsel Elana Marton
- Former Children's Defense Fund Director of Health and Economic Justice Policy Ben Anderson
- Robin Hood Foundation CEO Richard Buery
- Community Member Candace Cabral
- Community Member Pamela Walcott
- Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council member Shelly Callahan
- Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council member Kathy Connerton
- Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy President & CEO Kate Breslin
- Westchester Children's Association Executive Director Allison Lake
- The Children's Agenda Director of Policy Peter Nabozny
- The Education Trust Executive Director Dia Bryant
- New York City Human Resources Administration Administrator Lisa Fitzpatrick
- Erie County Department of Social Services Commissioner Marie Cannon
Hundreds of thousands of children are living in poverty throughout New York State in 2021, according to U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This represents more than 15 percent or nearly one in five children throughout the state.
The New York State Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council will conduct its first meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m., in Meeting Room 6 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. The meeting is open to the public and may also be viewed online, along with materials the Council will discuss, which will be available at this link the day before the meeting: otda.ny.gov/news/meetings/.