Syracuse’s Childhood Poverty Crisis: Experts, Advocates, and Residents Gather to Discuss the Path Forward
“It’s the responsibility of our representatives in government to ensure that all children, regardless of background, are provided with the opportunity to flourish.” -Sean Yang
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK — Yesterday, Empire State Voices and Economic Security Project Action hosted a community forum at Syracuse’s Central Library on the ongoing childhood poverty crisis in Central New York.
The evening featured a panel discussion with Michael Marshall, Tri-Chair of the New York State Poor People’s Campaign, Deka Dancil, Assistant Director of Field Organizing for the New York Civil Liberties Union, and Gabe Gonzalez, Senior Director of Statewide Campaigns for Economic Security Project Action, moderated by Empire State Voices Organizing Director, Jay Brandon. The panel spoke about the aggravating factors that led to the current crisis, the failures and successes of previous interventions, and the legislative steps that would ensure all New York families could afford the basic necessities to set their children up for success.
From left to right: Deka Dancil, Jay Brandon, Gabe Gonzalez, and Michael Marshall. | Credit: EMPIRE STATE VOICES
For years now, Syracuse has had the unfortunate distinction of having one of the highest childhood poverty rates among large cities in the US. As of last year, nearly 46% of children in Syracuse were living below the poverty line, far outpacing the statewide rate of 13.6%. Growing up in poverty can have an incredibly harmful effect on early childhood development, leading to worse outcomes in physical and mental health, education, and career success.
“Given Syracuse’s demographics, history, and issues with hypersegregation, the issue of child poverty here is an intersectional one,” said Deka Dancil, Assistant Director of Field Organizing for the New York Civil Liberties Union. “If we believe that poor children are worthy of being provided for, then we must believe that their parents are also worthy of providing for them. Instead of blaming and discarding parents of poor children, we must address the root causes of the systems that perpetuate cycles of poverty.”
“In the Poor People’s Campaign, we believe that healthcare, housing, and education are human rights,” said Michael Marshall, Tri-Chair of the New York State Poor People’s Campaign. “These are not things that are negotiable. These are not things that should be tinkered with around the edge. These are things that should be given to members of society, particularly in a nation like ours, which has the greatest wealth in the world.”
As of last year, nearly 46% of children in Syracuse were living below the poverty line, far outpacing the statewide rate of 13.6%. | Credit: BRYCEN PACE/THE DAILY ORANGE
The evening’s conversation maintained a throughline of hope for the future as panelists focused in on one recent legislative success that helped to establish the path forward. In 2021, the Biden-Harris administration implemented an expanded Child Tax Credit as part of the American Rescue Plan, providing low-income families $3,600 for each child under age 6 and $3,000 for children ages 6-17. These expanded benefits provided a critical lifeline to struggling families, lifting 242,000 of New York’s children out of poverty and cutting the nationwide child poverty rate by 46% in just one year.
Despite the overwhelming success, Republicans in Congress refused to support efforts to make the expanded Child Tax Credit permanent, causing it to expire after just one year and leading to an unprecedented rise in child poverty nationwide. Now, over 1 million children in New York are excluded from receiving full benefits because their parents earn too little.
“It’s the responsibility of our representatives in government to ensure that all children, regardless of background, are provided with the opportunity to flourish,” said Sean Yang, NY-22 Regional Organizing Director for Empire State Voices. “The expanded Child Tax Credit was one of the most successful approaches to poverty reduction that we’ve seen in decades. It turns out, putting a bit more money in the pockets of working families allows them to cover the cost of rising expenses and leads to better outcomes for parents and children alike.”
“Too many kids are going to bed hungry because their parents don’t have enough money to pay for groceries. What’s worse is recent Census data show that since Congress let the Child Tax Credit expire in 2021, child poverty both here in New York and across the country has only increased,” said Gabe Gonzalez, Senior Director of Statewide Campaigns for Economic Security Project Action. “We can right the scales and create broader economic security for all kids by reinstating a fully refundable Child Tax Credit, which would give families the support they need to put food on the table, pay for rent, help with childcare, and meet their basic needs.”
To learn more about Empire State Voices, please reach out to press@empirestatevoices.org
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
About Economic Security Project Action
Economic Security Project Action mobilizes resources and people behind ideas that build economic power for all Americans. As an ideas advocacy organization, we legitimize our issues by supporting cutting-edge research and elevating champions, win concrete policy victories for the communities that need to see change now, and provoke the conventional wisdom to shift what’s considered possible. Our team of academics, organizers, practitioners, and culture makers disburse grants, run issue campaigns, develop creative interventions and research products to support the field and coordinate events to encourage investment and action from others.
