NYC-WTC_000195490

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document r

Programmatic Review

Protective Services for Children

Protective Services for Children investigates allegation? of child abuse and neglect and is responsible for monitoring children and families until it is determined whether the children may remain safely in their homes, or must be placed in foster care. The Executive Budget projects that ACS will investigate an average of approximately il ■ 53,165 reports of Child abuse or neglect in 2001. The number of reports is expected to remain level in 2002.

J: In order to improve outcomes for children and families, protective Services has implemented 72-Hour Child Safety Conferences to bring together caseworkers, parents, relatives and service providers to ensure that service and placement decisions are fully informed by everyone involved in the child’s life. ACS has also implemented 3O'day Family Permanency Conferences to monitor the progress of children and families, with the goal of expediting permanency for children. \ ' i' '■ ■ ■ ! ‘ ' f

By the end of 2001 ACS will have moved its central child protective and placement units into the new Children’s Center on the Bellevue campus. Emergency Children’s Services, Pre-placement, Placement and Evaluation and the Teen Center will all be located in a state-of-the art, child friendly setting that'was designed to minimize disruption and trauma for children entering the child welfare system. / ' \ Preventive Servicesfor Children and Families 1

Preventive services assist families in crisis or at risk of foster care placement. The Agency provides a variety of both direct and contracted preventive services designed to prevent foster care placement or reduce the time that children spend in foster care. The Agency provides intensive services through its direct Family Preservation i Program to an average of 246 families per month. In addition, 9,153 general preventive and Family Rehabilitation Program (FRP) slots are provided through contracted providers. In 2002, the number of preventive slots is I anticipated to increase to 11,090, including 1,150 FRP slots, which provide intensive services for families with J; substance abuse issues. Services also include contracts with community-based agencies to provide homemaking services and the housing subsidy program, which provides time-limited rental assistance to families and youth

r leaving foster care.

ACS works collaboratively with other City agencies, including the Department Of Probation, Department of Mental Health, Health and Hospital Corporation, Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the j New York City Housing Authority to address the broad range of issues facing families receiving preventive services. ACS has also initiated the Family Violence Prevention Program to provide preventive service agencies J with on-going training and education in assessing and serving families with domestic violence issues.

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