Child Welfare in
New York State
A Closer Look at the Status Quo
When incidents of severe child maltreatment come to light, the public understandably calls for more accountability and action to prevent another heartbreaking tragedy. However, what many people may not realize is that the majority of reports received by child welfare authorities do not reflect the horrific acts of physical abuse and shocking fatalities that capture media headlines.
Media attention can heighten fears of children ‘falling through the cracks,’ however, it is equally important to address the dangers of placing children into a system plagued by bureaucratic shortcomings, safety issues, and poor outcomes. Over-reporting, often seen as protective, also carries hidden harms that must not be ignored. Striking a careful balance is crucial to addressing abuse effectively while avoiding unintended consequences that have a lasting detrimental effect on children and their families.1
85% of CPS investigations nationally were related to suspected neglect and not abuse.2
According to case data, most allegations of child mistreatment are actually about perceived “neglect” involving families facing poverty-related challenges, such as housing instability, food insecurity, or a lack of childcare.
While ensuring child safety must remain a top priority for New York, current policies and practices waste valuable taxpayer dollars on unnecessary investigations that often punish rather than strengthen families.
Approximately every 3 minutes, a family in NYS experiences a CPS investigation.3
In the aftermath of high-profile cases, reports to the New York Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR, also known as “the hotline”) typically surge, leading to excessive surveillance and separation of families across the state that does more harm than good.
Despite this reality, the government continues to deploy Child Protective Services (CPS) at a disturbing rate. Since 2000, New York has reduced the rate of foster care admissions by 60%.4 However, during this same period, the influx of calls to the SCR has held steady.5 This discrepancy is primarily due to the high percentage of reported child abuse and neglect allegations that were ultimately deemed unsubstantiated.
The NYS hotline received 143,836 reports of suspected. child abuse or neglect in 2024.6
In 2024, 3 out of 4 CPS investigations were deemed unfounded, with no credible evidence to substantiate allegations of child maltreatment.7
93,061 New York families were ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, but not before they endured a lengthy and deeply distressing process.8
New York State spent an estimated $325 million investigating unfounded child maltreatment reports in 2024.9
The Hidden Harm to Children and Families
You are using a trauma to sort of rectify a traumatic situation, which just is not helpful.10
182,678 children in NYS were subject to these invasive interventions in 2024.11
It is crucial to understand the challenges and consequences of approaches that fail to support child well-being by preserving family integrity. CPS interactions often infringe on parental rights and exert tremendous pressure on families to cooperate with the fear of child removal looming over every investigation, whether credible or unsubstantiated.
Families under investigation are subject to inspections of their homes and their bodies, demands for medical and school records, and intrusive interviews with their neighbors, doctors, and teachers that can damage their reputation, all while holding their breath not knowing if their children may be taken.
For parents, that knock on the door is their worst fear. Investigators may want to help but they hold the power to remove children on the spot, and they are required to use intrusive and alarming tactics… For months, children and their parents are kept waiting, not knowing what will happen next. Exacting a lasting emotional toll on families, and costing taxpayers billions annually, this is an expensive and counterproductive way to address family needs.12
The trauma that my son experienced in the foster system is something I will never forget, and the pain of being separated from my child is a wound that still affects me to this day. We as a family were torn apart by a system that saw us as nothing more than a case to be managed, not as a parent.
When interventions disrupt families and lead to system involvement, children are more likely to suffer lifelong stigma and setbacks that compromise their mental health, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, and overall stability. Those who spend time in foster care are especially vulnerable, often enduring profound emotional and psychological trauma from family separation and potential abuse while in the system.
While the dominant narrative is that children in the foster system are “unwanted,” the truth is that their parents often fight for years to bring them home—battling immense grief along the way.
Flooding the Hotline
Our conversations with mandated reporters reveal that they often report ‘just in case,’ fearing professional or legal consequences if they don’t… They assume that the SCR is going to filter out inappropriate reports, but that doesn’t always happen.
In 2024, 73% of reports received by the SCR were from mandated reporters; many of these cases do not meet New York State’s standards for further review and investigation.13
New York’s ambiguous mandated reporting laws contribute to the high volume of hotline calls and needless harassment of innocent families.
Professionals, such as doctors, teachers, school officials, childcare providers, and others, are legally required to report any suspicion of child abuse and neglect to CPS. Known as “mandated reporters,” these individuals face potential civil and criminal penalties for failing to fulfill this obligation.
Current law encourages immediate escalation of reports to the SCR, which can expose the child to a highly stressful process even in situations that don’t pose a serious threat. Mandated reporters often work within systems that enforce zero-tolerance policies, demanding they file reports that are sometimes based on questionable risk factors, such as school absenteeism, a child’s behavior, concerns about unstable housing, and intimate partner conflicts that do not meet the threshold for child abuse or neglect.
Another troubling issue that inundates the hotline is the prevalence of false accusations made by former domestic partners and other disgruntled individuals who repeatedly file anonymous reports with malicious intent.
Abuse, Neglect, or Something Else?
Longstanding systemic inequities have resulted in the overrepresentation of Black children and families in the child welfare system. We also acknowledge that children living in poverty are more likely to come to the attention of CPS, and that poverty disproportionately impacts children of color.14
The influence of poverty and racial bias in child welfare interactions is undeniable.
Implicit bias contributes to unfair scrutiny of families based on their socioeconomic status and/or racial identity. Mandated reporters often interpret signs of poverty as evidence of intentional neglect or inadequate parenting.
Furthermore, many reporters mistakenly assume a referral to CPS is the best way to connect low-income families to the resources they need. Unfortunately, this misguided strategy triggers a harmful response that destabilizes families for no good reason, as the majority of reported cases turn out to be unfounded.
50% of Black children in America will experience a CPS investigation by age 18.15
Black, Latine, and Native American children in New York are 2x as likely than White children to be reported to CPS.16
Economically-insecure children are indicated for maltreatment 3-9x more than economically-secure children.17
Legal definitions of child maltreatment, neglect, and symptoms of poverty are intertwined, leaving families at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder particularly susceptible to biased child safety assessments. Mandated reporters and CPS workers often deny these parents the same presumption of innocence typically afforded to more affluent families, regardless of racial identity.
Nearly 1 in 5 New York children live in poverty.18
The direct connection between economic hardship and child welfare involvement highlights the need for New York to expand resources that support thriving children and families across the state.
Based on their firsthand experiences, many affected families believe that the current child welfare system criminalizes poverty and causes undue trauma rather than providing concrete support to help them overcome financial and other stressors in their lives. Several research studies detail how policies aimed at improving economic conditions offer cost-effective solutions that aim to address potential child safety issues while keeping families intact.19
A Call for Change
Professionals, neighbors, family members, have a moral obligation to make sure that the children are safe. There are a variety of ways to do that. And we need to continue to invest in communities. Some of that can be through existing systems… but much of that should have nothing to do with us as a system. It really should be communities that are deciding what is in the best interest of their communities to keep children safe.20
It’s time to reexamine and reimagine our approach to child and family well-being.
Public perceptions, vague legal definitions, and flawed policies perpetuate an overreliance on costly and unwarranted child welfare responses that have caused significant harm to New York families. Fear often compels mandated reporters to quickly alert the authorities, instead of exploring less invasive approaches to resolving potential family issues.
A shift in the culture and strategy for keeping children safe is especially urgent, given the extensive research documenting the long-term trauma caused by adverse childhood experiences. In recent years, child welfare agencies have expanded their prevention and family support services to reduce the need for foster system placements. However, many parents fear accessing government-run and contracted programs because they are staffed by mandated reporters and other system actors.
Families are more likely to seek and benefit from direct assistance, community-based aid from trusted providers, and peer support networks that don’t carry the risks of lengthy CPS investigations or possible loss of child custody.
Children belong with their families.
Investigations and child removals should be reserved for situations where there is an imminent danger to the child. In such cases, system leaders should make every effort to maintain family connections and reunite the children as expeditiously as possible. Increasingly, child welfare leaders at the county, state, and federal levels recognize the importance of carefully considering system alternatives, curbing overreporting, minimizing distress, and preserving family integrity.
To effectively replace an ineffective status quo, we must first acknowledge the negative system impacts that deeply affect families and communities. It’s time to reimagine pathways to achieving child and family wellness by developing culturally responsive community-based solutions that center on healing and connectedness.
We need the child welfare system to understand that families need to stay together. We need them to work with the families and give them the resources to help families get the help they need.
Delve Deeper
Learn more with these featured articles and reports.
The State of New York’s Children: Data Book 2025
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
Children Do Best with their Famillies
The Hill
May 2025
Child Welfare Reckons With the Harm of Investigations
The Imprint
February 2025
Narrowing the Front Door to NYC’s Child Welfare System
Report and Community Recommendations
December 2022
Surveillance Won’t Resolve Unaddressed Poverty
The Imprint
March 2025
Podcast: Investigating Families, with Kelley Fong
The Imprint Weekly
April 2025
NYC Child Welfare Agency Warrantless Searches Lawsuit
ProPublica
November 2013
Overreporting and Investigation in the New York City Child Welfare System: A Child’s Perspective
Columbia Journal of Race Law
May 2025
Sources
- https://imprintnews.org/opinion/surveillance-wont-resolve-unaddressed-poverty/259103
- https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2022.pdf
- Calculated using total # of investigations divided by total minutes in a year (525,600, non-leap year).
- https://www.nyskwic.org
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/maps/aggregate/2023/CPS-Reports-Received-by-District-1995-2023.xlsx
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/maps/counties/New%20York%20State.pdf
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/maps/counties/New%20York%20State.pdf
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/maps/counties/New%20York%20State.pdf
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/maps/counties/New%20York%20State.pdf
- https://nystateassembly.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=nystateassembly_01194d91bca309c45119fc8fc6c428c4.pdf&view=1
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/cfsr/data.php
- https://imprintnews.org/opinion/child-welfare-reckons-with-the-harm-of-investigations/258536
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/maps/counties/New%20York%20State.pdf
- https://nystateassembly.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=nystateassembly_01194d91bca309c45119fc8fc6c428c4.pdf&view=1
- https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303545?role=tab
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/reports/sppd/dmr/Disparity-Rate-Packet-2024-Dashboard.xlsx
- https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/reports/pdf/nys-children-in-need.pdf
- https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/reports/pdf/nys-children-in-need.pdf
- “Research Summary: The Role of Economic Setbacks and Hardships in Child Welfare Involvement” • NYC Family Policy Project
- https://nystateassembly.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=nystateassembly_01194d91bca309c45119fc8fc6c428c4.pdf&view=1