The head of the city’s child welfare agency called on state officials Thursday to withdraw $170 million in cuts, warning that could hurt foster kids.
Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner David Hansell said Gov. Cuomo proposed “some drastic cuts” in his new budget to ACS child welfare programs and assistance the agency offers to juveniles accused of crimes.
He said the cuts could have a serious trickle-down effect on 16 recommendations made by a new task force to bolster services for foster kids.
The Interagency Foster Care Task Force was created in 2016 after a series of high-profile child deaths.
Abbey Fashouer, a spokesperson for the governor, responded: “The state will boost funding for the city this year by $1 billion total and if the city wanted to give money to incompetent ACS from this increase they should say it. The state funds 62 percent of the city’s child welfare services and will continue a record level of support with $320 million next year. The city should stop with the political pandering and while we’re talking about money, the mayor should fund the $400 million for the MTA that 6 million straphangers are demanding to fix the subway.”