(ALBANY, NEW YORK) – New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Union and a coalition of child, family and community stakeholders have announced their combined push to confront the root causes and harsh effects of poverty that impact hundreds of thousands of children across New York State.

Nearly one in five New York children live in poverty, a rate that exceeds the national average and overall poverty rates in both the State and country.

In New York, a State with a GDP of over $2 trillion and home to 135 billionaires and 340,000 millionaires, this is unacceptable, Coalition Members said.

More than 700,000 children enter their classrooms - every day, with the burdens of homelessness, unaddressed health concerns, lack of basic hygiene products, and the stigma and stress surrounding a life of poverty, the Coalition said.

If children are worried about survival, they will be unable to learn, Officials added.

However, the Coalition says childhood poverty isn't inevitable - instead it is the result of local, State and Federal policy choices.

The One-in-Five Coalition is supporting a slate of initial measures to tackle this crisis on multiple fronts and support the futures children in New York State deserve, including: The Working Families Tax Credit (S277A Gounardes/ A4022-A Hevesi); Mothers and Lasting Change (S4578 Ramos/A 6197-A Clark); S1875 Brouk/A4408 Reyes, which supports Medicaid services for students through school-based health centers; S7747 Brouk/A8146 Gonzalez–Rojas, which ensures children who are eligible for public health insurance continue to receive coverage until age of six; Affordable housing; Universal school meals; and $100 million in categorical funding to potentially double the number of community schools in New York. 

NYSUT President Melinda Person said during a news conference held in Albany: “A child’s capacity for creativity and growth - even the ability to experience the joy of learning - is blocked by the effects of poverty.  If we really want to address deeply rooted issues that are affecting our students' ability to learn and demonstrate their learning, and if we really want every student to live up to their natural potential, we need to stop ignoring New York’s child poverty problem and use the enormous amount of resources in our State to address it.”

To Directly Access This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: NYSUT and partners launch One-in-Five campaign to combat cycle of childhood poverty

Photo Courtesy Of NYSUT’s Website.