Family

More low-income families in New York City can enroll in a prenatal and early childhood program that connects them with registered nurses at home.

With so many alarming actions coming almost every day from our government, it’s easy to lose sight of the potential impact of any single act. But the Trump Administration’s drastic and unprecedented effort to freeze roughly $10 billion in funding for families’ child care and other essential needs in five states led by Democratic governors is a fundamental threat to every person’s access to public services and assistance — from help paying for child care to bridge repairs — that are funded in whole or in part by the federal government.

This column reflects lessons learned building a prevention model alongside families — lessons we believe are replicable far beyond our community. The first time a grandmother told us she was afraid to ask for help, it was not because she did not need it.

Much attention was given to the executive order on foster care issued by President Trump on Nov. 13, which he signed surrounded by First Lady Melania, Vice President JD Vance, several cabinet secretaries, and scores of invited guests. 

It would be hard to find a more popular strategy for supporting at-risk parents than home visiting — a series of voluntary (in-home) sessions with the family that focus on parenting, child development and other family-identified goals.

Concern is growing among both lawmakers and advocates that the pause in SNAP benefits will lead to widespread hunger and hardship. 

With the federal government shutdown barrelling toward a Nov. 1 “fiscal cliff,” state, local and tribal leaders are issuing urgent warnings that millions of families will soon be unable to meet basic needs.

This column relates accounts of family engagement by a nonprofit working to keep families together while avoiding child welfare involvement. The names of the family members have been changed to provide anonymity.

Five children were left waiting at a day care late on Friday night, May 9, 2025, in Cobb County, Georgia. Their parents, Marcus and Danielle, had both been arrested within the same week for driving with suspended licenses.