New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “As co-chair of the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council, we know the evidence is clear that reducing childhood poverty will result in improved physical and mental health for families and lead to significantly improved educational and employment outcomes for children. Governor Hochul’s expansion of the Child Tax Credit represents a significant step forward in achieving our goal of reducing child poverty in New York State. For families who are finding it challenging to live and raise a family in our state, increasing the credit to $1,000 or $500 per child will provide a much-needed boost to their household budgets. This historic announcement underscores Governor Hochul’s commitment to confronting the economic challenges facing New Yorkers and is another welcomed example of the Governor’s commitment to taking concrete actions to support families throughout our state.”

New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Amanda Hiller said, “The Empire State Child Credit is a proven accountable way to deliver vital support to New York families. By expanding this refundable tax credit, Governor Hochul will help lift even more children out of poverty.”

NYSUT President Melinda Person said, “In a time when most working families are fighting to make ends meet, expanding the Empire State Tax Credit is one way to combat the scourge of childhood poverty and give our children the opportunity to reach their full potential, both in and out of the classroom.”

Robin Hood CEO Richard R. Buery Jr said, “Thrown headfirst into an affordability crisis, families across New York State are struggling to manage the rising costs of housing, child care, and food. This has caused widespread and growing hardship. Twenty percent of New York’s children live below the federal poverty line, among the highest in the country, and the numbers are worse from children of color. But we can do better. And with today’s expansion of the Empire State Child Credit, Governor Hochul once again has stepped up as the champion that low-income and middle-class New Yorkers need. This proposal triples the State’s tax credit for infants and toddlers and nearly doubles it for older children. This means more money in the pockets of more families, including the lowest-income families in the State, who will no longer be excluded based on unfair income requirements. I applaud Governor Hochul for making this substantial down-payment toward the goal of cutting child poverty in half by 2032, and for putting money back in the pockets of the hard-working families of our State, who need financial support now more than ever.”

Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy President and CEO Kate Breslin said, “Through the Child Poverty Reduction Act, Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature have committed to cutting child poverty in half by 2031. Governor Hochul's proposal to improve New York’s child tax credit by making the full credit available to children in very low-income families and increasing the value of the credit, is a welcome step toward New York’s child poverty reduction goals and has the potential to make a meaningful difference for hundreds of thousands of families across the State. Allowing child poverty to exist is a policy choice, as is investing in child poverty solutions. We applaud Governor Hochul for making a policy choice that will begin to reduce child poverty and uplift other New York families struggling to make ends meet.”

Today's announcement builds off of Governor Hochul’s first 2025 State of the State proposal to send Inflation Refund checks of up to $500 that will deliver benefits to about 15 million New Yorkers statewide. This new Inflation Refund would help address the impacts of inflation on the cost of everyday goods in the years following the COVID pandemic.