Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
More Children In NY State Have Lost Parents Due To COVID-19 Than The 9/11 Attacks
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 30, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Mark Lennihan/AP/Shutterstock
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 30, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Researchers have determined that 4,200 children in New York state had a parent or caregiver die of coronavirus between March and July of this year, a staggering toll that surpasses the number of children who lost parents during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
According to an estimate by New York magazine, 3,051 children suffered the loss of a parent on 9/11.
The study released Wednesday by the United Hospital Fund and Boston Consulting Group examined the impact of the pandemic on children in New York State and found severe and lasting damage: about 23 percent of those who lost a parent are at risk of entering the foster care system or the care of a relative, and 50 percent are at risk of falling into poverty.
“This pandemic is like nothing we’ve ever seen before," said Suzanne Brundage, Director of UHF’s Children’s Health Initiative and a co-author of the report, in a press release. “Losing a parent or caregiver during childhood raises a child’s risk of developing a range of poor outcomes over their lifetime, including poorer mental and physical health.”
The pandemic's disproportionate impact on Black and Latino communities was also displayed in the analysis. Black and Hispanic children experienced the death of a parent or caregiver at twice the rate of Asian and white children. 57% of parental deaths occurred in three New York City boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Reflecting the areas that were hardest hit by the virus, Brooklyn and Queens had the highest number of children suffer the death of a parent: nearly 1,800 children combined in those boroughs lost a parent to COVID-19.
The study included both probable and confirmed deaths. In New York City, both of those figures add up to nearly 24,000 fatalities.
Various news outlets, including The City and the New York Times, have reported on the struggle of children and families to pick up the pieces in the wake of a parent's death, while grappling with grief and uncertainty.
“Your physical home is gone, your emotional home is gone. Then, you’re going to be put with someone you’ve never known in your life,” said Karen J. Freedman, the founder and executive director of Lawyers for Children, told the Times. “That is a terrifying process for any child.”
But the damage exacted by COVID-19 on children goes beyond parental deaths. The second half of the report looked at the broader impact of the virus due to the economic instability experienced by many families. It found that more than 1 million children statewide have had at least one parent lose a job since the beginning of the crisis. Of those, about 325,000 are now living in or near poverty.
The authors concluded that over the next year, an estimated $800 million in the form of housing, food, health insurance, and remote learning investments will be necessary to "support the basic needs of children affected by the pandemic."
Tagged
COVID-19
coronavirus
report
children
research
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .