In response to Gov. Hochul’s proposal this week regarding New York’s Child Tax Credit, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Executive Director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice, and Rev. West McNeill, Director of the Labor-Religion Coalition at the Kairos Center, released the following statement:
“Gov. Hochul’s proposal to increase New York’s Child Tax Credit is a significant step in the right direction to reduce child poverty, which is at crisis levels in our state. In addition to increasing the credit amount, her proposal ends the unjust and counterproductive practice of excluding the lowest income families from the full credit. We are pleased that the governor supports both raising the credit amount and expanding access to the poorest New Yorkers.
However, we are disappointed that this proposal falls far short of the recommendations released just last month by the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council and are a far cry from what is possible and needed to lift the load of poverty. CPRAC recommended that the maximum credit increase from $330 to $1500 for children 0-17, which would cut official child poverty by 23%. The governor is proposing a $1000 credit for children under 4 and $500 for ages 4-16, phased in over 2 years, which would cut official child poverty by 8%.
In the 3 years since the governor signed the Child Poverty Reduction Act, which commits New York to cutting child poverty in half by 2031, child poverty in our state has actually increased. New census data shows that Syracuse has the highest child poverty rate in the country, and Rochester and Buffalo are also in the top 10. The hard reality is that the status quo is unconscionable, and in the last two years we have moved further in the wrong direction. The Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council’s recommendations lay out a path to achieving the state’s 50% reduction goal, and they must be the standard by which we evaluate proposals like this one.
A few weeks ago, we delivered a petition signed by 35 organizations and over 1250 individuals calling on the governor to include the full recommendations in her budget proposal, and to pay for them through modest tax increases on the wealthiest corporations and individuals. That continues to be our demand, and we will be looking closely at Gov. Hochul’s upcoming State of the State and Executive Budget to see how she responds to CPRAC’s other recommendations around cash assistance benefits, housing vouchers, and nutrition assistance.”
For More Information:
Las Posadas Procession in Albany Calls on Gov. Hochul to Address Child Poverty in the NYS Budget
WATCH: Do You See What I See? Music video from Las Posadas Petition Delivery
Strong Refundable Tax Credits to End Child Poverty (Resource from the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy)
Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Committee and their policy recommendations (Resource from the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy)