NYC’s child services agency keeps cases secret due to state law, but investigators say it’s time for a change

[Sugar Cookie]

If their are living children the records should remain sealed.

The Big Apple’s beleaguered child service agency is able to keep its records secret from city investigators because of a state law — but a new bill would force the office to loosen its grip on the closely guarded files.

Department of Investigation officials said they have been blocked from reviewing at least a dozen child neglect or abuse cases handled by the Administration for Children’s Services since 2023 that raised “red flags,” all because state law keeps the files sealed — regardless of the consequences for battered children.

Most troubling are abuse claims deemed “unfounded” by ACS with no explanation or scrutiny.

“If one of the unfounded rulings was flawed in some way, we have no insight into that whatsoever,” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber told The Post. “We need [the state Office of Children and Family Services] to get approval, so we have to tell them what it is we want and if they ask why we want them, we have to tell them.

“That is not typically how independent oversight works,” she said. “You don’t typically want the entities that you are overseeing [to have] access into what you are investigating.”

The Post reported earlier this month that at least seven children died under the lax supervision of ACS caseworkers in the past year, with staffers encouraged to keep children in potentially abusive homes and offer troubled families services rather than launching investigations that could save young lives.

The tragic tots were as young as one month when they met horrific ends. Cases included several kids who starved to death inside homes where ACS either returned them to their parents or were allowed to remain despite allegations of mistreatment, the report found.

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NYC’s child services agency keeps cases secret due to state law, but investigators say it’s time for a change

The New York City Department of Investigation says they need more access to records from the city’s troubled child services agency.

nypost.com

 

[runninfawn]

i don't know about the states but here in canada any child that was involved with cas can ask for their own file when they become of age... i know i have a foster or 2 that when they got their files from c.a.s they actually sued c.a.s because they returned that child right back to the same situation he/she was in after having been raped when young, mother promised not to use said sitter of course but hey the next week he/she was right back to same sitter... i am not saying open the files to anyone but yes at times when the cops are called in because someone made a complaint about child abuse and the parents seems to co-operate (and children will lie as directed by parents of course) with the cops, it would be very very useful if the cops could see if c.a.s has records of previous complaints and what was done about it...

 

[cubby]

I think if the case has turned into a criminal investigation then the police should have full access to it.

 

[GoneWest]

I think if the case has turned into a criminal investigation then the police should have full access to it.

Totally agree! Keeping those cases sealed is protecting nothing but incompetence. How many times have we seen these pathetic agencies conduct “their own “ investigations? They circle the ole caravan and nothing changes. At best they may every once toss out a crumb by firing a low level lackey. Bring on the transparency.