While Governor Andrew Cuomo rolled out the final installment of his State of the State address, the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (SCAA) rolled out its own policy overview called “The State of New York’s Children."

SCAA is an advocacy organization working to shape policies to improve health, welfare, and human services.

The group’s “State of New York’s Children” briefing focused on the long-lasting effects poverty can have on children.

“As we all know, COVID-19 has and continues to have heartbreaking effects on the people of New York,” said Kate Breslin, the Schuyler Center’s president and CEO. “It has been particularly devastating for children, 36,000 of whom no longer have parents or grandparents to care for them."

According to the data, 1.5 million households either sometimes or often do not have enough food.

And there’s more.

“New Yorkers of color and immigrants have borne the brunt of the pandemic, disproportionately falling gravely ill and dying from the virus,” Breslin added.

Pediatrician Dr. Omolara Uwemedimo, CEO and founder of “Strong Children Wellness,” underscored those points on Capital Tonight, explaining that there are direct connections between child poverty and both short and long-term health effects.

“When we address poverty in children we address our economy, we address healthcare and we address our population for years to come,” explained Dr. Uwemedimo.

To address the problem, the Schuyler Center is supporting legislation called “The Child Poverty Reduction Act” (S.9012/A.11063) which aims to cut child poverty in half by 2030.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry Bronson, would commit the state to take action on child poverty over the next ten years.  It would create an advisory body to generate policy proposals, and require the Budget Division to assess budget and policy decisions with regard to their impact on child poverty and inequity.