印记 | New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed significant new benefits for millions of the state’s low-income families with children, including a historic boost of the child tax credit, universal free school meals, a boost to subsidized child care and payments for pregnant and new moms.

Hochul’s proposals for investing more heavily in the working poor include committing taxpayer funds to free breakfasts and lunches for all school children, regardless of family income. In New York, that would cover more than 2.76 million kids and save parents and caregivers the time and expense of packing food each morning in the rush to school.

Although praising Hochul’s efforts overall, Kim Sweet, executive director of Advocates for Children of New York, said free school meals weren’t enough. She warned of lacking resources for New York City’s record-high numbers of homeless students.

Sweet criticized New York’s current formula for calculating how much state education funding school districts need, arguing that schools serving low-income students need additional resources beyond school meals for all.

“With more than 146,000 students in NYC schools experiencing homelessness last year, it is time for the State to add a weight to the Foundation Aid formula for students who are homeless and students in foster care to help schools address the unique barriers they face,” Sweet said in a statement.