Unfortunately, when it comes to childhood poverty, the Bronx and Rochester, N.Y., have a lot in common.
In the Bronx, 50 percent of children live below the poverty line; in Rochester, it’s a staggering 55 percent. This statistic is shameful and one that urgently needs to be addressed.
The record level of poverty, homelessness and hunger has not only persisted but also grown. It’s time for a real solution. For our children, education is key to addressing poverty. A quality education can transform a child’s life because education truly is the great equalizer.
But we propose more. We believe our commitment to our children must start before birth. It should begin with nurses and family outreach specialists making home visits to expectant mothers. Support must then extend to families who need access to quality, affordable child care so parents can work knowing that their children are being well-cared for.
Pre-kindergarten is also vitally important. Pre-K is the first step in a child’s education and can give them the tools to succeed early. Children who attend pre-K are more likely to graduate from high school, raise a family and buy a home. They are also less likely to use drugs or land in prison.
These early childhood programs are hugely successful. We are fortunate that both New York City and Rochester now have pre-K for every 4-year-old, but New York made a promise to provide full-day pre-K to every child in the state, and we have yet to fulfill that promise. We must expand pre-K to all 3-year-olds as well as 4-year-olds to give our kids a head start on their education.
For children living in poverty, these early childhood and education programs are especially important. Too often, these children come to school hungry, try to learn with a lack of sleep and quite often face additional societal burdens such as violence. The trauma these children absorb as a result is a significant barrier to learning. For them, school is a haven. There, they are served nutritional meals, both breakfast and lunch. They are also supplied with warmth and much-needed encouragement. School provides stability from the turmoil poverty spawns.
A quality education through college, overflowing with options in academics, the arts, athletics and extracurricular activities, is also essential. All these opportunities open up the world of exploration to a child, allowing their minds to develop and grow.
We can make the schools even better by creating an environment that not only serves the children of the Bronx and Rochester but also serves our entire state. We need to invest in our schools by providing children and their families with everything from academic support to health and social services. We can and must create a vibrant hub where children and families receive invaluable support and are given the education and resources to succeed.
Our children are our future. We need to invest in our children and schools to ensure that every child can graduate from high school with a fighting chance of pursuing their dreams. It starts with the state fulfilling the terms of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement by fully funding schools. The funding is available. The state currently has a reoccurring surplus of $2.7 billion. Moreover, to help pave the path for our children’s educational success, the 1 percent could pay just 1 percent more. This incremental increase would add another $2.4 billion to the state’s funds that could be used for our children.
Also, we must close the carried interest loophole—a benefit for wealthy hedge fund managers that precludes them from paying taxes on income. Closing this loophole and having wealthy members of the community pay their fair share could bring in up to $6 billion in additional revenue for the state.
The wealthiest New Yorkers can make the difference to countless children across the state. Their small contribution to our state tax dollars could make the hopes and dreams of children in poverty come true. Surely, this plan is one on which all New Yorkers, both upstate and downstate, from the Bronx to Rochester, can agree.