In 2025, New York State significantly expanded the state’s child tax credit, tripling the credit amount for children under four, nearly doubling the credit amount for children four and up, and changing the structure so that children in the lowest income families get the maximum credit amount. This is approximately an $800 million investment, annually, in New York’s low- and middle-income families, with a special focus on the youngest and poorest. Of note, New York’s child tax credit already includes immigrant families who file with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) rather than a Social Security Number (SSN). The expanded child tax credit is estimated to reach 2.75 million children in 1.6 million families, reducing child poverty in New York State by 8.2 percent.
The final 2025-26 NYS budget included full funding for universal free school meals for all New York schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. This historic expansion reflects a $340 million investment in school meals and means that 2.7 million New York students will have access to free breakfast and lunch every school day.
The State’s state operating fund investment in Child Care Assistance (CCAP) continued to grow in the 2025-26 final NYS budget – by an additional $400 million building on the significant increase in state operating fund spending on CCAP in the last six years. New York’s total investment in child care assistance has nearly tripled since 2020; the state’s general fund investment is more than six times greater in SFY 2026 than in SFY 2020. In SFY 2026, New York’s total investment in child care assistance (state and federal funds) will be $2.2 billion, with $1.41 billion appropriated from the state general fund. In SFY 2020, in comparison, New York’s total investment in CCAP was $832 million, with the state’s general fund appropriation totaling $183 million. The $400 million could allow for approximately 25,000 New York children to continue to receive, or newly receive child care assistance. To put that number in context, as of January 2025, by January 2025, 150,749 New York children were receiving child care assistance.
During the 2025 NYS Legislative Session one of advocates’ long-time child welfare priorities, the Anti-Harassment bill, passed the NYS Legislature. This bill requires callers to the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Neglect to leave their contact information before the report is sent to counties for investigation. Currently, callers are not required to leave their information, which has resulted in certain bad actors taking advantage of this weakness in the system to harass thousands of families.
In 2025, the state delivered increased funding for public schools across the state. The state also made some changes to the funding formula that better reflect the changing student demographics in various school districts. This win will ensure the continuity of programs in light of the potential federal cuts to public schools. This win also took the pressure off school districts to make difficult choices among their early learning programs and others funded with school aid.
Advocates also had some defensive success in 2025. In the middle of 2025-26 NYS budget negotiations, data began to emerge showing that counties around the state—starting with New York City—were running out of child care assistance funds. It became clear the extent of the shortfall was significant, and the impacts, if no new funds were invested, could be catastrophic. Advocates worked closely with the city and ran a well-coordinated and muscular campaign—securing significant earned media—held press events with lawmakers from all over the state; and a speakout with parents and providers. Advocates ultimately secured $400 million additional dollars, a remarkable win considering how late in the budget process they learned about the extent of the shortfall.
