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Assembly hearing spotlights reforms to New York's State Central Register
Summary
Assembly committee hearing examined how the Statewide Central Register (SCR) screens reports of child abuse and maltreatment. OCFS and ACS described operations and data; advocates and impacted parents urged confidential reporting, stronger screening tools, and limits on prenatal-based reports.
Chair Andy Hevesy opened the Assembly Committee on Children and Families hearing by asking officials to treat the session as information sharing, not an adversarial inquiry. He introduced OCFS Commissioner Damia Harris Madden and Deputy Commissioner Gail Geohegan Pratt, who described the SCR as the "front door" that receives calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Office of Children and Family Services told the committee the SCR received more than 300,000 calls in 2023 and that specialists undergo a multi‑stage training regimen — six weeks of classroom work followed by supervised live calls and a 12‑month probationary period. Commissioner Harris Madden said supervisory review and a dedicated quality‑assurance team monitor screening decisions and that OCFS has implemented the OCFS HEARS help line to divert callers to…
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