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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Introduction and overview of ACS's mission and progress
0:08:24
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76 sec
Commissioner Jess Dannhauser provides an introduction to the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) and its mission to protect children and support families. He highlights the agency's focus on hiring frontline staff, reducing caseloads, and expanding support for families and youth in various programs.
- ACS has seen improvements in child safety, reduction in foster care numbers, and better outcomes for youth in care.
- The agency provides free college tuition, dedicated coaches, and trauma-based care training for foster parents.
- ACS aims to give young people tools for success and independence.
Jess Dannhauser
0:08:24
Our North Star is what is focused on what is best for youth for children, youth, and families.
0:08:30
We listen to national and local experts, we use data to guide us, and we learn from the firsthand experience of families and young people.
0:08:37
Since I've been commissioner we have focused on hiring more frontline staff including child protective specialists, youth development specialists in detention, and family court attorneys.
0:08:46
We have reduced case loads for child protective specialists, expanded supports for families and young people in foster care and throughout the juvenile justice system, and launched our new quality assurance initiatives that help us to continually assess and improve our work.
0:09:00
We're seeing results.
0:09:02
Children are safer.
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There are fewer children in foster care.
0:09:05
There are fewer children maltreated after we have intervened.
0:09:08
More youth in our care are succeeding in school, work and housing stability, and more parents are accessing supports to help their families thrive.
0:09:16
We provide free college tuition to hundreds of young people in foster care, dedicated one on one coaches for thousands of teens and young adults in foster care and the justice system, and training in trauma based care for all of our foster parents.
0:09:29
We're giving young people the tools they need to be successful and independent New Yorkers.
0:09:34
Our executive budget for fiscal year twenty twenty six builds upon our progress.
0:09:38
So I'm gonna first share some of that important work with you.