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Q&A
Agency responses to potential increases in vulnerable youth due to immigration policies
0:32:45
ยท
3 min
Council Member Stevens inquires about agency preparations for potential increases in vulnerable youth due to recent immigration policies. ACS and NYPD representatives discuss their strategies and adaptations.
- ACS outlines their coordinated response and comprehensive services for vulnerable children
- NYPD emphasizes the need for 'thinking outside the box' in outreach strategies, such as using MTA for information dissemination
- Agencies acknowledge the need for new approaches to reach youth who may be 'hiding' due to immigration concerns
Ina Mendez
0:32:45
Oops.
0:32:45
Sorry.
0:32:46
So thank you for your question.
0:32:49
ACS has a very coordinated response.
0:32:51
When we have any indication that a child has been abused and neglected, we have the division of child protection.
0:32:57
They do investigations and based on and while I don't, serve in that division, they have a series of protocols they follow to do an assessment to make sure children are safe.
0:33:06
Our first goal is to keep children with their families, providing additional services as if necessary.
0:33:12
And if needed, they need to come into foster care, we look for kin, and if not, we find a traditional foster care placement.
0:33:18
That being said, we continue to provide, you know, comprehensive services that are responsive to their needs in trying to keep, all children safe.
0:33:27
As we think about trafficking, we'll continue our partnership with DYCD.
0:33:31
ACS is the administrator for the safe harbor, grant for New York County.
0:33:37
So we'll continue to do those services with, you know, a heightened, awareness that the the dynamics of the city and many different things are happening currently, and we'll try to be as responsive as possible.
Althea Stevens
0:33:50
Does anybody else wanna chime into, like, how we're preparing for this moment?
Carlos Ortiz
0:33:54
I I I I think it's it's it's thinking outside the box.
0:33:59
I think it's it's looking at different ways just like, Kathleen, my, counsel, along with the mayor's office thought that MTA, which gonna millions of people are gonna see that.
0:34:08
So I think it's it's realizing that we have to be out there and getting this information to to these to these kids, and we have to go to places that they're gonna be.
0:34:17
They're they're gonna be in certain places, and we have to make sure that those are locations that the posters are up.
0:34:21
Those are locations that we're getting that that that information up.
0:34:24
And I think that's working with our partners.
0:34:27
I think figuring out amongst us, okay, where where are you located at?
0:34:29
What can we do to help you?
0:34:31
Is there something that we can put out there, information that that you need?
0:34:34
And I think it if we were all work together and I think we all realize that we're all working for the same person, I think one that's that's gonna be a huge benefit.
0:34:41
But again, like you said, you know, in the times that we're in now, we have to think outside the box.
0:34:45
You you can't keep going to the same well realizing that because of the new what's what's happening now, you have to think outside.
0:34:51
And I and I really like that the MTA, issue because that's something that millions of of kids, millions of people do travel with within the within the subway system.
Althea Stevens
0:35:02
I I just wanna just go and say, like, you know, obviously, I think ACSU guys already have, like, protocols in place, but I think we we are at a place where we need to be thinking outside the blocks.
0:35:10
Right?
0:35:11
Because you might the kids might not be coming in to go to foster care and and thinking about, you know, they might drop in the rhys center at a, drop in center and things like that just because it's scary at this moment.
0:35:23
I've had parents even today call in my office saying they are not taking their kids to school because they're scared of what's gonna happen.
0:35:30
And, again, this is something that's going to fester and allow this this to thrive because these are they're gonna be living in the shadows because they don't want intervention because they think, you know, they're at risk.
0:35:43
So I really think that this is a moment that we need to be coming together to come up with a real plan and strategy on how to get the young people who don't don't necessarily, who can, you know, have placement or things like that, but who are hiding.
0:35:55
Right?
0:35:56
And who, are not getting services and not seeking those things.
0:35:59
And so, yeah, we need do need to go to places that, we normally don't go and figure those things out.
0:36:04
And so I think it's gonna be really important.
0:36:06
And so I hope that from this hearing, we can, like, start working towards a more comprehensive plan with all the agencies here.
0:36:13
I would like to also acknowledge that we have Wernicoff, council member Joseph Caban, Ariela on Zoom, and Rivera who've also joined us.
0:36:23
This question is for ACS.
0:36:25
How does the child trafficking email, email box ensure confidentiality and responsiveness for ACF staff, contact agencies and providers reporting reporting potential trafficking cases?