New York ‘Birth Grant’ Bill Would Pay New Parents With Medicaid Funds
A proposal from state Senator Andrew Gounardes would send some new parents $1,800 in the third trimester of pregnancy.
A proposal from state Senator Andrew Gounardes would send some new parents $1,800 in the third trimester of pregnancy.
At New York Focus, our central mission is to help readers better understand how New York really works. If you think this article succeeded, please consider supporting our mission and making more stories like this one possible.
New York is an incongruous state. We’re home to fabulous wealth — if the state were a country, it would have the tenth largest economy in the world — but also the highest rate of wealth inequality. We’re among the most diverse – but also the most segregated. We passed the nation’s most ambitious climate law — but haven’t been meeting its deadlines and continue to subsidize industries hastening the climate crisis.
As New York’s only statewide nonprofit news publication, our journalism exists to help you make sense of these contradictions. Our work scrutinizes how power works in the state, unpacks who’s really calling the shots, and reveals how obscure decisions shape ordinary New Yorkers’ lives.
In the last two decades, the number of local news outlets in New York have been nearly slashed in half, allowing elected officials and powerful individuals to increasingly operate in the dark — with the average New Yorker none the wiser.
We’re on a mission to change that. Our work has already shown what can happen when those with power know that someone is watching, with stories that have prompted policy changes and spurred legislation. We have ambitious plans for the rest of the year and beyond, including tackling new beats and more hard-hitting stories — but we need your help to make them a reality.
If you’re able, please consider supporting our journalism with a one-time gift or a monthly gift. We can't do this work without you.
Thank you,
Our reporting spurred the disclosure of millions in spending and illuminated the networks behind the Bronx political machine.
Trump is poised to ramp up deportation activity in northern states like New York, which has few statewide policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Trump picked up some votes in New York this year. But Democrats lost far more.
A review of Trump’s first term, along with his campaign promises and details found within Project 2025, indicate what’s to come in New York.
Offshore wind is crucial to the state’s plans for cleaning up its electric grid, and construction is already behind schedule. The incoming president could slow it down a whole lot more.
Here’s a simple explanation of a complicated and archaic formula — and why the state is updating it.
Suozzi’s unreported financial interest in a promising healthcare startup highlights blurred lines between politics and profit.
New financial disclosures show when Mujica began consulting for the Greater New York Hospital Association.
New rules from the Biden administration require water utilities to replace all lead pipes. That could cost New York $2.5 billion or more, kicking off a fight over who pays.