Committee on Children and Youth meeting
March 16, 2026, 9:30 AM
The Committee on Children and Youth held its FY2027 preliminary budget hearing on the Administration for Children's Services and the Department of Youth and Community Development. The committee took testimony and recorded no votes.
What was discussed
- Opening and swearing in for the ACS portion of the budget hearing Chair Althea V. Stevens gaveled in the Committee on Children and Youth's FY2027 preliminary budget hearing, opening with the Administration for Children's Services panel, which committee counsel swore in before testimony.
- Interim Commissioner Melissa Hester's opening testimony for ACS Newly serving ACS Interim Commissioner Melissa Hester delivered opening testimony on the agency's FY2027 preliminary budget; Chair Stevens noted the testimony ran long but let it pass given Hester was new.
- What is ACS building at Horizon and Crossroads detention, and how is it responding to youth gun charges? Deputy Speaker Nantasha M. Williams and Chair Stevens asked about juvenile justice; Deputy Commissioner Nancy Ginsberg said the Horizon annex plan adds 48 beds and that 99% of youth in secure detention face charges in the adult system, citing increased gun charges and longer lengths of stay, while
- Should Raise the Age and the $300M at-risk youth funding be reconsidered amid state cost shifts? Chair Stevens pressed ACS on recouping Raise the Age money and state cost shifts; Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Gendell said ACS is in conversations with OMB about cost shifts, that the state share of certain costs dropped over the years, and that the city could in theory receive the separate $300
- How have foster care rate increases affected the budget, and how is ACS supporting kinship and permanency? Finance Chair Linda Lee and Chair Stevens asked about foster care; Deputy Commissioner Margaret Plentikoff said the state's higher maximum A rates required added city tax-levy investments since FY24, and Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Gendell said kinship placement remains a high priority, noting
- How is ACS connecting prevention programs to 988 and mental health services? Council Member Linda Lee emphasized prevention funding; ACS's Luisa Linares said all of the agency's programs will be listed on the 988 website and that ACS is working to link families to mental health supports.
- How will ACS clear the childcare waitlist and staff the Childcare Program Integrity Unit? Chair Stevens questioned childcare; Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Wolkimer said the Childcare Program Integrity Unit is growing from two to ten positions, that ACS could not yet project the cost to clear the voucher waitlist but would model scenarios, and that the agency is coordinating on universal
- How is ACS implementing the Chief Savings Officer and PEG savings, and what about two-for-one hiring? Chair Stevens raised savings and hiring; Deputy Commissioner Margaret Plentikoff, identified as ACS's Chief Savings Officer, cited the 1.5% FY26 savings target with the plan due that Friday, and said ACS shares the Council's concern about the now-ended two-for-one hiring policy but could not yet
- What does the additional funding and staffing cover at the ACS Children's Center? Council Member Rita C. Joseph asked about the Children's Center; First Deputy Commissioner Winette Saunders and Deputy Commissioner Gendell said the additional $0.2 million covers children residing at the Children's Center before placement with a contracted provider, and that added positions include
- How is ACS handling education and transportation for youth in detention? Council Member Rita C. Joseph asked about detention education; Deputy Commissioner Nancy Ginsberg said ACS set up a split schedule so high schoolers attend across the city, that District 79 (Passages Academy) is identifying staff to support students with IEPs, and discussed transportation gaps for
- How do childcare vouchers interact with cash assistance and work requirements? Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez asked how vouchers track with cash assistance; Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Wolkimer said ACS does not administer cash assistance, that HRA does the projections with modest month-to-month growth, that many waitlisted children are getting DOE or DYCD afterschool
- Should family and juvenile courts keep longer hours, and what preventative services exist? Council Member Simcha Felder argued that family and juvenile courts should stay open later like criminal court and stressed preventative services; Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Gendell said ACS would take the extended-hours suggestion back and pointed to the agency's preventative services and safety
- How exposed is the ACS budget to federal funding cuts? Chair Stevens asked what federal cuts would mean; Deputy Commissioner Margaret Plentikoff said ACS is projected to need about $1.39 billion in federal funding this year, and Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Wolkimer cautioned that some of that is actually state funding while noting childcare does not
- Swearing in for the DYCD portion of the budget hearing After a break, Chair Stevens reconvened for the second half of the hearing on the Department of Youth and Community Development, and committee counsel swore in the DYCD witness panel.
- Commissioner Sandra Escamilla-Davis's opening testimony for DYCD DYCD Commissioner Sandra Escamilla-Davis, recently in the role, gave opening testimony on the department's FY2027 preliminary budget before the committee's questioning.
- How exposed are DYCD programs to federal funding changes? Deputy Speaker Nantasha M. Williams asked about federal funding in the preliminary plan; DYCD's Nevita Bailey walked through the funding questions and the department's reliance on various funding streams.
- Is the COMPASS afterschool RFP on track, and how many seats and proposals are there? Chair Stevens questioned the new COMPASS afterschool procurement; Associate Commissioner Daniel Guillen and Alan Cheng said the RFP received over 1,400 proposals, that all 5,000 elementary seats are fully enrolled, that about 54 new positions were added to support them, that a racial-equity process
- What does the Summer Rising restoration fund, and will COLA and middle-school hours grow? Chair Stevens and Council Member Rita C. Joseph asked about Summer Rising; DYCD's Nevita Bailey said the Summer Rising budget is about $149 million with Friday hours restored, that the COLA increase was a technical citywide adjustment (providers seek an additional 3%), and Associate Commissioner
- Will DYCD set transparent long-term goals and a public report card? Chair Stevens pressed on transparency; Commissioner Sandra Escamilla-Davis said she had done an initial read of the report card, agreed transparent long-term goals would help attract and retain talent, and Alan Cheng noted DYCD is largely a contracting agency, with the department reassessing how it
- Are providers being paid on time, and is the COMPASS August start at risk? Chair Stevens raised provider payments and timing; DYCD's Nevita Bailey said registered contracts receive funding advances initiated before program start, could not give a number of unpaid organizations off-hand, and described COMPASS (starting in August) as the largest procurement the agency has
Agenda
1 item
- T2026-1358 New York City Council Budget and Oversight Hearings on The Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, The Preliminary Capital Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2030 and The Fiscal 2026 Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report 9:30 a.m. Administration for Children’s Services 12:00 p.m. Department of Youth and Hearing Held by Committee