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ACS highlights staffing gains but council presses on foster care funding and rising juvenile detention population
Summary
ACS told the Council it has reduced average child protection specialist caseloads and boosted preventive services and foster care supports, but council members said the FY26 executive plan does not meet requests for additional foster care baseline funding and pressed ACS on a 22% rise in juvenile detention population year‑over‑year.
Administration for Children's Services officials told the Council that ACS has reduced front‑line child protective case loads and added preventive supports, even as lawmakers pressed the agency to do more to address foster care funding and a recent increase in juvenile detention admissions.
Commissioner Jess Danhauser said ACS has focused on hiring frontline staff and training: "We have seen case loads drop from an average of 9.9 in April 2022 to just 7.7 in April 25," he said, noting the national recommended standard of 12 cases. He described enhancements to training, extended on‑the‑job learning, and the creation of family enrichment centers and a prevention support line intended to help families before child welfare…
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