Several New York communities could benefit from new state funding if a key plan advances. The Child and Family Well-Being Fund is a proposed $30 million, five-year pilot program, which would provide money to 10 neighborhoods statewide with the most Child Protective Services calls.
Data show low-income families are disproportionately reported to Child Protective Services for neglect or deprivation of necessities and most separated families cannot afford everyday essentials.
Sofie Fashana, senior policy associate for the Children’s Defense Fund-New York, explained why the areas need additional state funding.
“As much as the government says they’re giving money, there’s disinvestment in these communities, so families are often targeted by the child welfare and the policing system due to systems in poverty. And so, it’s not reaching these families that we’re talking about,” Fashana explained.
If adopted, she hopes the program becomes permanent since it can benefit families by helping them afford food and clothing for kids. While the fund has received positive community and grassroots feedback, the bill to approve it has not passed in the last three legislative sessions. Backers are keeping their spirits up for next session.
Beyond helping families afford necessities, the pilot program’s funding could also bolster the neighborhoods it focuses on, including health programs for families who cannot afford medical care or workforce training.
Georgina Gooden, community policymaking coordinator for the NYC Family Policy Project, said communities want investments to help build a neighborhood’s social fabric.
“Families have said if they had an after-school program where they could take their kids, maybe, outside, they can learn how plants grow, learning how to plant,” Gooden pointed out.
Advocates said the effort is one part of a larger plan to advance the state’s goal of reducing child poverty by 50% in a decade.
Jeannette Bocanegra, executive director of the advocacy group Justice for Families, said the longevity of the pilot would help the state understand the benefits of making the fund a long-term fixture.
“It has to be a five-year investment, and I see the 10 communities that are being highlighted for this pilot that we’re going to document, and we’re going to demonstrate that the investment that we made was truly an investment to see the growth of young people and families,” Bocanegra emphasized.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.