Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Child Abuse Deaths Prompt Massive Overhauls

By Janice G. Inman
February 28, 2006

Commissioner John B. Mattingly of New York City's Administration for Children's Services (ACS) recently issued a statement following the occasion of his 1-year anniversary at his post. Among the accomplishments trumpeted was the fact that his agency had “continued the historic decline in the number of New York City children living in foster care — passing the 20,000 mark, the 19,000 mark, and the 18,000 mark, to the current census of nearly 17,300.” Following publicity surrounding the recent deaths of several children in their homes after their families came under ACS's scrutiny — some of them reunited with those families after initially having been taken away and others who arguably should have been separated from their families, but weren't — the social value of this trend has come into question.

The children's stories are now familiar: 16-month-old Dahquay Gillians, once placed in the custody of his mother's relatives after his older brother was scalded by his mother's then-boyfriend, was returned to his mother's home where he drowned when left unattended in his bath. Seven-year-old Sierra Roberts, whose case came under investigated by ACS after doctors became suspicious that injuries she had suffered were signs of abuse, died of internal injuries allegedly sustained after her father beat her over a 2-day period; Nixzmary Brown, dead at the age of 7 after her stepfather allegedly beat her for eating a container of yogurt without permission; and 4-year-old Quachaun Browne, whose family ACS workers visited multiple times, was allegedly beaten to death by his mother's boyfriend after the child knocked over a television set.

To be sure, this is not a new problem. Although the deaths of these four children have garnered massive media attention, many children whose families are being monitored or investigated by ACS die of abuse each year in New York City. This recent spate of highly publicized cases, however, has spurred a push for changes within ACS and altered the pace of child/family separation activities.

Read These Next
Spurred By Data Breaches, CLOs Are Increasing Cybersecurity Leadership Role Image

Chief information officers still bear the brunt of cybersecurity worries at many companies. But a study by the Association of Corporate Counsel Foundation finds that chief legal officers are increasingly taking a leadership role in cybersecurity strategy.

GCs Want to Tap Into AI But Lack Roadmap, Report Shows Image

General counsel are eager to tap the promise of generative AI. But without clear technology road maps, many legal departments are struggling to turn that interest into action.

Is Google Search Dead? The Key to Thriving In an AI-Driven World Image

Part Two of this two-part articleexamines practical steps marketers must take to succeed in this changing landscape by embracing a multichannel, AI-driven approach to their marketing and PR efforts. This means rethinking your strategy to build direct connections with your audience, using platforms that elevate your visibility and focusing on storytelling that resonates.

Shifting Crypto and Cyber Enforcement Priorities In SEC Image

When the SEC issues the next annual enforcement report for fiscal year 2025, we expect securities offering actions and investment adviser actions will almost certainly be up, and the “crypto” and “cyber” cases will almost certainly be down. Public statements by the new SEC administration have said as much, but even more telling than public statements are the allocation of limited enforcement resources.

Seventh, Ninth Court Rulings Tighten Reach of Federal Video Privacy Protection Act Image

The VPPA may be nearly four-decades old and video-rental stores largely a thing of the past, but the rise of online content, streaming services and ancillary activities has brought with it frequent litigation based on the VPPA. The key challenge in these litigations is how to interpret the VPPA’s 1980s terms in light of today’s digital advances.