Governor Kathy Hochul signs child poverty bill

New York – In order to cut child poverty in New York State in half within the next ten years, the Child Poverty Reduction Act was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul.

The law establishes the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council, which will develop a strategic plan and make an annual public report of the effects of budget proposals on child poverty.

At this time, nearly 900,000 children statewide, or one in five, come from a family struggling to meet basic needs. In Rochester, it’s nearly every other child.

According to advocates, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made the problem even worse.

I grew up in a family of 12 children in a rural town outside of Binghamton,” said Assemblymember Harry Bronson, one of the bill’s sponsors. “My mom and dad both worked full-time jobs and worked the family farm to provide for us. So I know what it is like to deal with poverty. Whether in a rural or urban community, we know the detrimental effects living in poverty can have. Fortunately, we also know we can take action today to ensure New York children do not continue to suffer from the physical, educational, and social impacts of poverty.”

With strong bipartisan support, the bill passed both houses of the state Legislature back in June.