Qutisha Britt is finding it harder to support herself and her daughter as the cost of living continues to go up.
She said inflation has made shopping for healthier meals more difficult, clothes are more expensive now, and rent in safer neighborhoods is simply unaffordable.
“I know what my child needs most, and having the money to afford healthier meals and a better place to live is the easier way to provide for her,” Britt said.
After hearing from moms like Britt, Rochester City Council Vice President LaShay Harris worked with The Children’s Agenda to draft the Rochester City Council People, Parks and Public Works Committee 2025 child poverty report.
“This report was not intended to be all new information. It was intended to catalog what is happening currently and advise on what can happen next,” said City Council President Miguel Melendez.
The document also includes 13 recommendations authored by Harris. They range from workforce development, affordable housing and childcare, safer neighborhoods, and access to quality health care and nutritious meals.
“All investments in our children are investments in the city of Rochester’s future,” Melendez said.
The City Council's People, Parks, and Public Works committee is expected to consider adopting the report during its April meeting. Harris is the chair of that committee.
“We should invest in neighborhoods and listen to the residents,” she said. “And the more of that we do the more progress we'll make. "
The report will also be used in efforts to get lawmakers to support the working families tax credit in the state budget. The credit would provide families with up to $1,600 per child annually, and a guaranteed minimum of $100 per child.
Eamonn Scanlon, director of community impact for the Children’s Agenda, an advocacy group, said it is projected to cut child poverty by nearly 17% in New York.
“As the cost of groceries, child care and rent continue to grow, it is time for New York to act boldly,” Scanlon said. “We can cut child poverty in our community, and the entire state, if we are willing to adopt transformational policies.”
