Committee on Children and Youth meeting
February 26, 2026, 1:00 PM
The committee held an oversight hearing on racial disparities in New York City's child welfare system and heard three bills: Int 0449-2026 and Int 0466-2026, on child protective services reporting and administration, and Int 0424-2026, which would require the health commissioner to establish and operate a related pilot program.
What was discussed
- Chair Stevens opens the hearing on racial disparities in child welfare and honors the departing ACS Commissioner Council Member Althea V. Stevens opened the Committee on Children and Youth's oversight hearing examining racial disparities in the child welfare system, thanking departing ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser for his service. She noted that Black and Latinx families are more likely to be reported
- The Commission on Racial Equity testifies on child-welfare disparities Linda Tigani, Chair and Executive Director of the Commission on Racial Equity (CORE), testified on racial disparities in the child welfare system and, questioned by Chair Stevens, said CORE is conducting further inquiry and would look at the roles of other city agencies beyond ACS, recommending an
- ACS Commissioner Dannhauser testifies on reforms to reduce racial disparities Jess Dannhauser, Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services, testified alongside First Deputy Commissioner Winette Saunders, Deputy Commissioner Ina Mendez, and Equity Strategies Executive Director Elvita Dominique, acknowledging that disparities persist and describing the agency's
- Do ACS decision points still show racial disparities, and what oversight governs removals? Pressed by Chair Stevens, Commissioner Jess Dannhauser and First Deputy Commissioner Winette Saunders said ACS reviews decision-making continuously, provided race-by-borough breakdowns of State Central Registry intakes, and pointed to child safety conferences as oversight before emergency removals.
- How does ACS support kinship placements and family reunification? Council Member Rita C. Joseph and Chair Stevens pressed on kinship placement and the length of time to reunification, and Deputy Commissioner Ina Mendez and Commissioner Dannhauser described how ACS identifies kin when children enter care, the two-step reunification support process, and the 16
- Are prevention programs like school-based services and CARES reducing reports in high-report neighborhoods? Chair Stevens asked whether ACS's school-based program in 50 schools and its CARES alternative-response track are reducing reports, and Commissioner Dannhauser said the schools were selected by poverty rates and rates of calls to ACS, that it is too early to measure decreases, and that CARES aims to
- Would the Family Miranda disclosure bills change how ACS investigators treat parents? On Intro 449 and Intro 466, Commissioner Dannhauser told Chair Stevens that ACS's current practice already moves toward informing parents of their rights and that the agency is weighing how a verbal-disclosure requirement would work in practice. He reported that 12,383 parents in investigations had
- Will ACS expand mental-health services for children returned home under Intro 424? Discussing Intro 424, which would have DOHMH run a mental-health pilot for children returned home after removal, Deputy Commissioner Ina Mendez described the existing Soul Care public-private pilot and said ACS intends to continue and likely expand it, potentially as a budget need this year, and
- Advocates and impacted parents back Family Miranda Rights and warn of family-policing harms Family-defense advocates and directly impacted parents urged the Council to advance the bills and confront racial disparities. Joyce McMillan (Narrowing the Front Door) and Nora McCarthy (NYC Family Policy Project) pressed for Family Miranda-style rights; impacted parent Fanta-Marie Johnson and
Agenda
4 items
- Int 0449-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring child protective specialists to provide certain information to parents and other persons legally responsible for the care of children who are the subject of reports of child abuse or maltreatment Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0466-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the administration for children’s services to provide a multilingual disclosure form to parents or guardians during a child protective investigation Hearing Held by Committee
- T2026-0997 Oversight - Examining Racial Disparities in New York City’s Child Welfare System. Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0424-2026 A Local Law in relation to requiring the commissioner of health and mental hygiene to establish and operate a pilot program providing free mental health services to children who have been returned to their home following a removal, and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration Hearing Held by Committee