Families Thrive: ACS Prevention Services Spark Hope And Healing

Today, the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) released key findings from its annual, “ACS Prevention Family Experience Survey”, showing strong satisfaction with the services.

With over 2,100 caregivers participating in the survey 93 percent said the services were helping them achieve their goals; 93 percent said they are happy with the services their family received; 91 percent said they would recommend the services to a family member and/or a friend; and 91 percent said they would go to their prevention provider for help again in the future. This high level of satisfaction is consistent with findings from prior years, dating back to the first survey in 2019.

“… get connected to a free and voluntary program today.”

“I am so pleased that the results of our annual survey show that once again families are overwhelmingly satisfied with the services and supports they are receiving from one of our community-based prevention providers, said ACS Commissioner, Jess Dannhauser. “I know that parenting can be both rewarding and challenging. I encourage any parent needing a helping hand to reach out to our Support Line at (212) 676-7667, to get connected to a free and voluntary program today.”

ACS’s continuum of prevention services is designed to support families in their efforts to keep their children safe. Through a network of over 100 community-based provider programs across NYC, over 31,000 children from 15,000 families receive prevention services each year. These services are free, voluntary and available regardless of immigration status, equipping parents with problem-solving skills and resilience, fostering a safer and more supportive environment for their children.

ACS operates a Support Line that directly connects families to services, including our continuum of prevention services and other community-based programs, and helps to address concrete needs (such as food and cribs.) In 2024, there was an over 500 percent increase in calls to the Support Line, with over 3,200 New Yorkers reaching out. The Support Line can be reached at (212) 676-7667 or connect@acs.nyc.gov .

 There is a dramatically reduced likelihood for families that participate in ACS-funded prevention services to have any further involvement with the child protection system. Nearly 90 percent of families that participated in prevention last year completed services, and of these, only 3.6 percent had an indicated investigation within six months after the case closed. Just 0.9 percent had a child enter foster care within 6 months after the case was closed.

“… developing relationships with at least 3 partner schools …”

This past year, ACS launched the new School Based Early Support prevention programs, which were designed to facilitate a close partnership between schools so that families can receive help with concrete needs, be connected to case management services, or get support with resource navigation well before concerns warrant a call to the state’s child abuse hotline. By developing relationships with at least 3 partner schools, each of the 16 providers are meeting families where they are and tailoring services to the families in their schools.

In collaboration with provider agencies, the annual “ACS Prevention Family Experience Survey” was offered to families receiving prevention services. The survey was offered in English and the 10 additional designated citywide languages. Thirty-one percent of families receiving prevention services during the point in time of survey administration chose to participate in the survey. The survey included questions about household demographics, the type and quality of services received, interactions with case planners, and provided an opportunity for participants to give suggestions for future improvements. Findings from the survey will continue to inform further program and practice improvements.

• The vast majority of survey participants were satisfied with the quality of services they received. For example, 93 percent of participants agree that they are happy with the prevention services their families received; 93 percent of participants agree services are helping them achieve their goals; 91 percent (2,682 participants) of survey participants agree that they would go to their prevention provider for help in the future; and 91 percent of participants agree that they would recommend services to a friend and/or family member.

• A large majority of survey participants (88 percent) said the referral to prevention services from ACS was helpful for their families. The continuum of prevention services programs aims to meet the varying needs of families. Families can expect services to be free, trauma informed, and culturally responsive while also having flexible hours to accommodate families’ schedules.

• Approximately 97 percent of survey participants were satisfied with the work of their case planners. Case planners are the primary staff members at the ACS-contracted prevention provider agencies with whom service recipients interact. They are crucial to the work as they deliver services directly to parents/caregivers, children, young people, and families. 96 percent of participants reported that they trust their case planner; 97 percent felt safe telling 3 their case planner about their family; and 97 percent felt listened to when setting goals for their family as part of their work with the case planner. Findings from this year’s Prevention Family Experience Survey will continue to inform further program and practice improvements.

Many survey participants had previously asked that ACS give families more information on prevention services. Most recently, ACS re-organized its website to include a dedicated “For Families” section. This section of the website offers a more user-friendly way for New Yorkers to understand and access ACS services. The page also has a dedicated URL: nyc.gov/ForFamilies, that we have been promoting widely. Additionally, ACS has been taking steps to increase awareness of the ACS prevention Support Line (212-676-7667), including partnering with schools, hospitals, community organizations to educate staff who work closely with children about the types of services families can receive by calling this number.

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