The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) is being held accountable for turning a blind eye to child abuse and neglect. Several disturbing cases of abuse from the past year in New York have come to light. The death of more than half a dozen children is raising serious questions about the work that ACS has been doing in the city.
Jahmeik Modlin is one of the children who lost their lives in one of the many tragic cases. Jahemeik, who was just 4 years old, lost his life to malnutrition. Allegedly, the toddler’s parents did not feed him for extended periods and locked his food up in the kitchen cabinets. Jahmeik was only 19 pounds at 4 years old when he passed away.
Nyisha Ragsdale, who was the toddler’s aunt blamed for their neglect and failure to take action in this case. “ACS failed the kids,” Ragsdale noted. The grieving relative added how the administration needed to fix their rules, regulations, and “the whole thing.”
The toddler’s aunt went on to point out the system’s failure by noting that the ACS often fails to take action until something tragic happens. “He was still a baby. He didn’t get a chance,” she shared regarding her nephew’s death.
The New York Post stated that the agency’s neglect is a result of its progressive ideology. A report from the publication claims that the ACS considers removing children from a troubled household to be unfit. The agency deems it cruel and even racist in some cases to take away children from their families, regardless of the conditions they are being raised.
Several ACS workers have taken a stand against the agency’s method of operation following the tragic incidents. “Caseworkers are taught at their academy to keep the nucleus of the family together,” one ACS worker revealed. The same worker noted how “inexperienced workers” turn a blind eye and keep families together because they do not want to “upset” their supervisors.
🇺🇸NYC CHILD PROTECTION: WHERE SPIN WINS AND CHILDREN DIE
Jahmeik Modlin was 4 years old, weighed 19 pounds, and died in a Harlem apartment where the fridge was turned to face the wall so he couldn’t eat.
His parents were already hit with 4 child neglect reports – but instead of… https://t.co/HcvXDeccZo pic.twitter.com/MhLsOZ7ouj
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 5, 2025
The worker also shed light on a contrasting scenario where, at times, an ACS worker has suggested that the child be placed in foster care. Numerous times when such a scenario occurs, a manager or supervisor just overrules the decision and suggests counselling.
A report revealed that 18,000 cases of child neglect were filed in 2024, and only 56% of them ended up receiving help. A report by The New York Post revealed that 7 children have died in the past year at the hands of child abuse.
Another questionable statistic that came forward was regarding the understaffing at ACS. Reportedly, 30% of the employees at the agency end up losing their jobs within a year because the agency cannot afford to keep them on payroll. This results in the existing staff sometimes being influenced to ignore several heartbreaking child abuse cases just to avoid additional work.
An anonymous specialist at NYC’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) claims that the agency has sharply weakened fulfillment of its core mission, in the name of “social justice”.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗I joined New York City’s ACS as a child protective… pic.twitter.com/YLUW5ekfK7
— US Ship of State (@US_ShipOfState) December 2, 2024
The agency has been criticized time and time again for its system. The ACS even came up with an initiative called Collaborative Assessment, Response, Engagement and Support, or CARES. Through the initiative, the agency extends its services to troubled families instead of immediately launching abuse investigations.
Despite the new initiative being introduced, it is impossible to know how effective it has been, considering the fact that the agency’s records aren’t accessible to the public. Following the recent tragic deaths of the children, the agency has vowed to hire and train new workers in an effort to prevent such cases from repeating.
