Alyson Silkowski is a senior policy advisor for the New Practice Lab. Before joining New America, Silkowski was Assistant Secretary for Human Services and Mental Hygiene and Assistant Policy Director to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul. In these roles, she advised the Governor on a range of policy matters and managed the operations of state agencies charged with delivering billions of dollars in cash and food assistance, overseeing homeless services, and improving the state’s response to gender-based violence.
During her tenure with New York State, Silkowski played a lead role in the design and implementation of initiatives aimed at better meeting the needs of economically vulnerable households, including the launches of Summer EBT and a new flexible financial assistance program for survivors of domestic violence. She also conceived of New York's prenatal leave benefit, which provides additional paid time off during pregnancy for prenatal care. Silkowski was proud to serve as Co-Chair of the New York State Child Care Availability Task Force, marshaling reforms that boosted pay for providers and increased access to publicly funded child care statewide.
Silkowski also brings several years of local government experience. As Policy Director in the New York City Comptroller's Office, she conducted original research and co-led the campaign that won local funding to make subsidized child care available to NYC children regardless of immigration status.
Silkowski spent the earlier part of her career in the nonprofit sector, with policy roles at national organizations including the Ms. Foundation for Women and Jumpstart for Young Children. She holds an MSc in gender, policy, and inequalities from the London School of Economics and lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.