On December 18th, 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul’s Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) of which WCA’s Executive Director, Allison Lake, is a member, released its recommendations for the state to cut child poverty in half over the next decade. These recommendations include policies which the CPRAC urge the Governor to include in the FY 2026 state budget, including:

  1. Increasing New York’s child tax credit, known as the Empire State Child Credit, to a maximum of $1,500 per child each year, up from $330; and, expanding eligibility.
  2. Creating a state-wide housing voucher program.
  3. Increasing public assistance benefits, which have not been adjusted for inflation in more than a decade.
  4. Ensuring food assistance benefits are accessible to all families who need them.

Allison Lake was also quoted in a Times Union article on the CPRAC recommendations, which is available to read here.

The CPRAC recommendations can be read in full at this link.