About ACS

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes safety and well-being of New York City’s children and families by providing child welfare, juvenile justice, and early care and education services.

In child welfare, ACS contracts with private nonprofit organizations to support and stabilize families at risk of a crisis through preventive services, and provides foster care services for children not able to safely remain at home.

Each year, the agency’s Division of Child Protection conducts more than 55,000 investigations of suspected child abuse or neglect.

In juvenile justice, ACS manages and funds services including detention and placement, intensive community-based alternatives for youth, and support services for families.

In early care and education, ACS coordinates and funds programs and vouchers for close to 100,000 children eligible for subsidized care.

Our Five Key Commitments:

• No child we come into contact with will be left to struggle alone with abuse or neglect.
• No family who needs and wants help to keep their children safe will be left without the help it needs.
• Every child we come into contact with will get the help she/he needs to be healthy and achieve her/his full educational and developmental potential.
• No child in our care will leave us without a caring, committed, permanent family.
• Every team member at Children's Services and each of our partner agencies can expect guidance, respect and emotional support to achieve our goal. Every child, family, community member and foster parent we come into contact with will be treated with concern and respect.

Over the past eight years, the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) has implemented a wide range of initiatives and reforms that have helped strengthen New York City’s child welfare, juvenile justice and early education systems. All of our work has been grounded in the belief that the best way to keep children safe is to ensure their families have the resources and supports that they need to thrive.

8 Years of Progress 2014 - 2021 (PDF)