NYC Council meetings, chaptered and linked by time.
New York City Council
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Council staff and Committee on Finance Chair Linda Lee call the joint hearing to order, silencing electronic devices and outlining the schedule for the day's budget reviews.
Chair Linda Lee welcomes attendees to day three of the FY27 Executive Budget Hearings and provides an overview of the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) proposed $3. 51 billion budget, highlighting headcount vacancies and the Raise the Age Act.
Chair Linda Lee continues her opening statement, calling on the administration to address the 25,000-child waitlist for child care vouchers and expressing support for the baselining of the Promise NYC program.
Committee on Children and Youth Chair Althea Stevens delivers her opening statement, focusing on the impact of citywide savings and vacancy reduction benchmarks on vulnerable youth and families served by ACS.
Chair Althea Stevens continues her opening remarks, urging ACS to maximize state funding for youth services and Raise the Age implementation, and thanks the fiscal staff for preparing for the hearing.
Chair Linda Lee thanks the finance team, reminds attendees that public testimony will occur on June 10th, and directs the committee counsel to swear in the ACS witnesses.
Committee counsel administers the oath to ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston and her deputy commissioners, who affirm to tell the truth before the committees.
ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston introduces her leadership team, thanks interim leadership, and shares her personal background and philosophy regarding safety, connection, and equity in child welfare.
ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston continues her testimony, outlining her commitment to preventive services, juvenile justice reform, and supporting a skilled and well-resourced workforce.
ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston provides a high-level overview of the $3. 51 billion FY27 Executive Budget, highlighting early childhood education agreements and the baselining of Promise NYC at $25 million.
ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston discusses community partnerships, family services, and the difficult decision to close four prevention programs to realize $2. 7 million in city tax levy savings.
ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston details foster care budget adjustments, the expansion of Fair Futures, and the launch of the Career Choice program for youth pursuing vocational training.
ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston explains the $97. 5 million city funding addition to address the federal Title IV-E reimbursement gap and details $1.
ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston concludes her testimony by detailing capital and operational investments at the Horizon and Crossroads detention facilities and emphasizing the importance of interagency partnership.
Chair Linda Lee asks ACS Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston to explain the data-driven approach and metrics used to identify recurring savings opportunities for the FY27 Executive Plan.
Chair Linda Lee asks whether any direct services or programs will see a decrease in funding due to the savings exercise, and Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston details the sunsetting of administrative and prevention contracts.
Chair Linda Lee asks about the total loss in state and federal funding from the savings measures and whether ACS met its overall savings target of 1. 5 percent.
Chair Linda Lee asks about the average timeline for contract registration and invoice reimbursement to human services providers, and Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston highlights ACS's strong performance in contract registration.
Chair Linda Lee asks for an update on conversations with OMB regarding the state hardship waiver for Raise the Age reimbursement, and Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston shares estimated agency expenditures since FY19.
Chair Linda Lee asks for details on how the $194. 5 million in baseline state funding for at-risk youth will be utilized by ACS in FY27 and beyond.
Council Member Chi Ossé asks about the administration's plans to fund non-mandated child care vouchers for low-income working families and options for families currently on the waitlist.
Chair Althea Stevens expresses alarm over the 362 youth in secure detention and asks about interagency task forces working to reduce these numbers.
Chair Althea Stevens questions the decision to expand a non-secure detention facility to a nine-bed placement facility after previously reducing close-to-home capacity during the RFP process.
Chair Althea Stevens questions the justification for finding savings in preventive services, arguing that these services are critical to keeping youth out of secure detention facilities.
Chair Althea Stevens asks ACS to detail the specific metrics, such as utilization and performance indicators, used to select the four preventive service programs slated for closure.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about the transition plan for families currently enrolled in the closing preventive programs and the geographical distance to alternative services.
Chair Althea Stevens expresses concern over the 90-day timeline for contract termination, highlighting the impact on human services workers who will lose their jobs.
Chair Althea Stevens asks for the rationale behind the $4. 9 million savings reduction in Fair Futures and how it aligns with the agency's stated goal to expand the program.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how ACS communicates budget flexibility to providers and tracks Fair Futures enrollment targets across different fiscal years.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about the frequency of contract management meetings and how ACS is working to ensure youth are aware of available Fair Futures supports.
Council Member Phil Wong asks for an update on the relocation of ACS headquarters from 150 William Street to 110 William Street and the benefits of the new space.
Council Member Phil Wong asks for the current census of Horizon and Crossroads detention centers and questions the high school absenteeism rates reported by the state comptroller.
Council Member Phil Wong asks about the average length of stay for youth in secure detention and the number of high school graduations achieved within the facilities.
Council Member Lynn Schulman raises concerns about the proposed cuts to preventive services, highlighting the impact on Forestale in Queens and the loss of matching state funds.
Council Member Lynn Schulman asks if alternative areas of the ACS budget can be cut instead of preventive services, emphasizing that prevention saves the city money in the long run.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks how the city plans to expand the 'Every Child and Family is Known' initiative while cutting the New Visions portal that the program relies on.
Council Member Harvey Epstein asks about ACS's commitment to conducting outreach in communities to ensure vacant prevention slots are filled before cutting program capacity.
Council Member Harvey Epstein asks about the plan to support youth staying at the Children's Center and efforts to reduce their length of stay through kinship placements.
Council Member Lincoln Restler requests a briefing on the relocation of the Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center (CAC) and questions the 25,600-child waitlist for child care vouchers.
Council Member Lincoln Restler asks if the historic state budget investment provides funding for additional child care vouchers in FY27 to help move families off the waitlist.
Council Member Lincoln Restler suggests utilizing the SCCF voucher model to fund child care for a single year as a way to reduce the waitlist without committing to long-term liabilities.
Council Member Lincoln Restler questions ACS on OCFS regulations that restrict child care vouchers to the precise hours parents are working, warning of massive disruptions to providers.
Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez expresses concern over the impact of preventive cuts on organizations like CAMBA and Forestale, and asks about the percentage of families unable to recertify child care vouchers.
Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez asks about the challenges faced by families who recertify but cannot add younger siblings to their vouchers, and when ACS expects to begin moving the waitlist.
Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams asks ACS to outline their short- and mid-term goals in relation to the city's preliminary racial equity plan.
Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams asks if any specific budgetary actions are required to achieve the identified racial equity goals within the current budget framework.
Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams asks how ACS plans to identify youth at risk of system involvement and what community-based programs are being expanded to prevent juvenile justice contact.
Council Member Darlene Mealy asks about the baseline funding for Crossroads Detention Center in Brooklyn and raises concerns about the lack of maintenance and parking issues around the facility.
Council Member Darlene Mealy questions ACS on youth sleeping arrangements and details the plan to build an additional 28 beds and classroom spaces at Crossroads.
Council Member Darlene Mealy urges ACS to coordinate with the 73rd Precinct to address staff parking issues and improve the community's street cleanliness.
Council Member Gale Brewer asks about ACS's coordination with the Department of Correction to support children in foster care whose parents are incarcerated at Rikers Island.
Council Member Gale Brewer asks for data on youth transitioning out of foster care, the role of Fair Futures, and partnerships with Anthos for supportive housing.
Chair Althea Stevens asks if the four preventive service providers slated for closure have been notified in writing and when the 90-day transition clock begins.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about the current number of vacancies within the child protective services division and whether any positions were eliminated as part of savings.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about the onboarding timeline, background checks, and simulation training at the Satterwhite Academy for newly hired Child Protective Specialists.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks for the current census of Crossroads and Horizon detention centers compared to the total capacity they were built to accommodate.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks about ACS's collaboration with New York City Public Schools to provide reliable transportation and car services for students placed in foster care.
Council Member Lynn Schulman asks if there are data-sharing agreements in place to help public school staff identify student needs and match them with prevention services.
Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams asks if ACS still intends to expand Fair Futures to justice-involved youth under the racial equity plan despite recent budget reductions.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks for data on college enrollment among youth aging out of foster care and the academic and career re-engagement supports available to them.
Chair Linda Lee convenes the second part of the joint hearing, introducing the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) proposed $1. 62 billion budget and highlighting key changes since the preliminary plan.
Chair Althea Stevens delivers her opening statement on the DYCD budget, highlighting investments in the Crisis Management System (CMS) and expressing concern over the lack of baseline funding for Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) navigators.
Chair Althea Stevens continues her opening statement, praising the release of the new Compass RFP but raising concerns about the negative financial impact on providers who were not awarded contracts.
Committee counsel administers the oath to DYCD Commissioner Sandra Escamilla Davies and her executive staff, who affirm to tell the truth before the committees.
DYCD Commissioner Sandra Escamilla Davies delivers her opening testimony, outlining her assessment of the agency's internal infrastructure and detailing the $1. 619 billion FY27 Executive Budget.
DYCD Commissioner Sandra Escamilla Davies details the outcomes of the COMPASS RFP, highlighting the addition of 20,000 new elementary school seats and the inclusion of 52 new community-based organizations.
DYCD Commissioner Sandra Escamilla Davies discusses the expansion of Summer Rising 2026 to 379 sites and highlights the mayoral commitment to continue funding housing and peer navigators for runaway and homeless youth.
DYCD Commissioner Sandra Escamilla Davies concludes her testimony by detailing the $246 million investment in the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and highlighting the achievements of the Fatherhood Program.
Chair Linda Lee asks about the $107. 6 million reduction in community development programs and whether these funds were shifted to other areas of the DYCD portfolio.
Chair Linda Lee asks which programs will see a headcount reduction as part of the 27 vacant positions eliminated under the mayor's savings plan.
Chair Linda Lee asks about additional savings identified under Executive Order 12 and requests the budget breakdown for school-based versus center-based COMPASS programs.
Chair Linda Lee asks if DYCD has enough time to process and register the new COMPASS contracts before the start of the upcoming school year to prevent cash flow issues for providers.
Chair Linda Lee asks for the total number of COMPASS applications received, the percentage of providers awarded contracts, and the criteria used to score applicants.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how DYCD is supporting long-standing providers who were not awarded contracts under the competitive COMPASS RFP process.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about the close-out process for Summer Rising and how DYCD is coordinating transitions between outgoing and incoming CBOs.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how DYCD is preparing schools, families, and local council members for the transition to new COMPASS providers in the fall.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how DYCD will determine the location of the 5,000 additional COMPASS slots planned for fall 2027 and their impact on existing programs.
Chair Althea Stevens questions the appeal process for center-based providers and expresses concern over the potential closure of vital community centers.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about the appeal process for school-based providers and how DYCD is working to address the 12 schools that did not receive any viable proposals.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how DYCD is assessing and supporting new providers who do not currently hold School-Age Child Care (SACC) licenses from DOHMH.
Council Member Christopher Marte raises concerns on behalf of parents and principals regarding the discontinuation of Manhattan Youth's after-school programs at several local schools.
Council Member Christopher Marte questions the transparency of the COMPASS scoring process and asks why principal rankings were seemingly overruled in certain school competitions.
Council Member Christopher Marte asks what recourse is available if new providers fail to meet community needs and requests a detailed debriefing on the scoring of local programs.
Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams asks if any of the goals identified in DYCD's preliminary racial equity plan require specific budgetary actions or allocations.
Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams questions why it will take until 2034 to fully apply the equitable investment methodology to all city tax levy-funded programs.
Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams asks how the equitable investment methodology weighs poverty, demographics, and community violence indicators when allocating program slots.
Council Member Harvey Epstein asks how DYCD plans to support center-based providers like Henry Street Settlement that lost funding, ensuring families do not lose critical services.
Council Member Harvey Epstein questions why parent input and satisfaction were not directly factored into the COMPASS RFP evaluation process alongside principal rankings.
Council Member Harvey Epstein urges DYCD to facilitate transition meetings with parents and explore ways to retain experienced after-school staff under new providers.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks for the total Summer Rising budget and requests an update on outstanding FY25 payments owed to after-school providers.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks what strategies DYCD is implementing to pay providers faster and resolve technical issues with the invoicing help desk.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks about the number of Summer Rising applications and how DYCD is coordinating with public schools to accommodate students with IEPs.
Council Member Lincoln Restler raises concerns about the concentration of COMPASS contracts among a small number of large providers, citing a specific case in Williamsburg.
Council Member Lincoln Restler questions how a single provider can be evaluated as excellent at one location but fail to meet the threshold at another nearby site.
Council Member Lincoln Restler asks about the threshold scores used to determine provider viability and questions the inclusion of charter schools in the COMPASS RFP.
Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers asks how the $14. 8 million increase for the Crisis Management System (CMS) will be allocated to reduce gun violence among youth.
Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers advocates for expanding CMS to Hamels and asks what DYCD is doing to provide year-round employment opportunities similar to SYEP.
Council Member Gale Brewer asks about subcontracting limits under the new COMPASS contracts and raises concerns about school principals lacking contact information for new providers.
Council Member Gale Brewer asks how DYCD measures improvements in contract processing and how many contract delays are escalated to the Mayor's Office of Nonprofit Services.
Council Member Phil Wong questions how DYCD manages Summer Rising attendance and waitlists when enrolled children fail to show up during the first week.
Council Member Phil Wong asks how quickly the Summer Rising waitlist moves and questions the ratio of city to state funding for the Summer Youth Employment Program.
Council Member Erik Bottcher asks if DYCD will consider reinstating Manhattan Youth and how the agency plans to address the funding gap left at Hudson Guild in Chelsea.
Council Member Erik Bottcher asks how DYCD measures educational outcomes for high-need students and how the New Visions portal can help track program impact.
Council Member Kamillah Hanks questions the concentration of COMPASS contracts among large providers and asks what capacity-building supports exist for smaller community-based organizations.
Council Member Kamillah Hanks urges DYCD to improve direct communication with small nonprofits regarding discretionary contract processing and missing documentation.
Chair Althea Stevens asks what steps DYCD is taking to prevent debit card fraud and ensure timely payments for Summer Youth Employment Program participants.
Chair Althea Stevens asks if DYCD is discussing the $20 million Education for Integration and Equity proposal with OMB to support immigrant adult literacy students.
Chair Althea Stevens asks for the current budget and borough-wide provider distribution for the DYCD Fatherhood Initiative.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about the actual spending and distribution tracking of the $11 million budgeted for OMNY cards for youth program participants.
Chair Linda Lee opens the third part of the joint hearing, introducing the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) proposed FY27 budget and highlighting key areas of focus.
Committee on Immigration Chair Alexa Avilés delivers her opening statement, condemning recent ICE enforcement actions and calling for a historic $30 million increase in city funding for immigration legal services.
MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali delivers her opening testimony, sharing her personal background as the daughter of Pakistani immigrants and reaffirming the city's commitment to protecting all New Yorkers regardless of status.
MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali discusses the initial audit of city agency policies under Executive Order 13 and the ongoing work of the Interagency Response Committee to comply with local sanctuary laws.
MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali provides an overview of the $34. 2 million FY27 MOIA budget, highlighting contract management and the opening of 10 new staff positions.
MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali highlights the achievements of the Legal Support Centers (LSEs) and details the expansion of the immigration legal support hotline operated by Catholic Charities.
MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali details the baselining of the Haitian Response Initiative (HRI) at $1. 7 million and the expansion of the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative in schools.
MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali discusses MOIA's role in monitoring language access compliance across 46 city agencies and highlights the work of the in-house language services team.
MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali concludes her testimony by detailing community engagement workshops and ethnic media roundtables, emphasizing that immigrant New Yorkers are central to the city's story.
Chair Linda Lee asks about the operational challenges and limitations of MOIA being structured as a mayoral office rather than a standalone city agency.
Chair Linda Lee asks about the frequency and effectiveness of the quarterly interagency task force meetings coordinated by MOIA across city government.
Chair Linda Lee asks how MOIA is working to increase access to legal services and address systemic language access gaps specifically for the AAPI community.
Chair Linda Lee asks how local AAPI-serving community-based organizations can partner with MOIA to build community-led legal infrastructures.
Chair Linda Lee asks about the targeted multilingual media campaign funded by the council to promote the immigration legal support hotline in Asian and African communities.
Chair Linda Lee asks how many of the 19,800 hotline callers were successfully connected to legal services and other community supports.
Chair Linda Lee asks how MOIA is working with OMB and MOX to address extreme contract processing delays and payment timelines for legal services providers.
Chair Linda Lee asks about MOIA's collaboration with DOHMH to provide mental health and trauma-informed support to immigrants following federal detention.
Chair Linda Lee asks if there is additional funding in the executive plan for wraparound immigration services, highlighting the work of the Haitian Response Initiative.
Chair Linda Lee asks how MOIA is advocating for funding to retain immigration attorneys and ensure flexible use of funds for legal services providers.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks which city agencies house the 10 new open positions at MOIA and whether they include the three vacancies discussed during the preliminary budget.
Chair Alexa Avilés questions the structure of having MOIA staff lines housed under other agencies' budgets while executing MOIA's core mission.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks which MOIA programs are currently RFP'd and the timeline for future competitive procurements to avoid service breaks.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks what metrics MOIA uses to evaluate current programs and how provider feedback is incorporated into future planning.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks about the contract cycles and renewal status of key initiatives like the Legal Support Centers and the Haitian Response Initiative.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks how the $33 million in baseline funding for immigration legal services will be allocated across different programs.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks if any new programs will be created with the baseline funding and the process for community engagement in program design.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks about the specific types of cases covered by the legal services funding, highlighting the $14. 6 million directed to deportation defense.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks how MOIA is planning for potential federal clawbacks of legal service funding and whether any emergency budget reserves exist.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks about MOIA's advocacy with the Office of New Americans (ONA) and state leaders to coordinate funding for legal services.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks for the number of individuals served through the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative in schools during the current fiscal year.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks about the challenges of virtual and in-person event turnout for rapid response and how MOIA is working to improve outreach.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks about the authorship of the Executive Order 13 audit report and MOIA's role on the Interagency Response Committee.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks MOIA to describe the significant gaps identified in city agency reporting on interactions with federal immigration authorities.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks if MOIA identified any additional gaps from their own data analysis that were missing from the official audit report.
Chair Alexa Avilés questions the NYPD recommendation to notify operations of ICE presence and asks for clarification on the role of a 'patrol executive' sent to the scene.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks about the timeline for city agencies to post their ICE interaction policies online and how compliance is monitored.
Chair Alexa Avilés asks if there is a process to adjust rates or colas for providers in the absence of new RFPs to address rising operational costs.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks about expanding the Haitian Response Initiative and partnering with council member offices to host legal clinics.
Council Member Rita Joseph asks how MOIA is supporting asylum seekers with filing fees and communicating the availability of these funds to CBOs.
Council Member Gale Brewer asks about home health aide training programs for asylum seekers and whether MOIA plans to scale this successful model.
Council Member Gale Brewer asks for estimates on the number of asylum seekers in the city who could benefit from targeted employment programs.
Council Member Gale Brewer asks for an update on English Language Learner (ELL) programs, highlighting the need to address extensive waiting lists.
Council Member Gale Brewer asks how MOIA coordinates ELL programs across libraries, DOE, and other agencies to ensure efficient resource allocation.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about the increase in legal support hotline calls and the growing complexity and duration of cases handled by counselors.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how MOIA is adjusting support for legal centers as referral volume increases, highlighting the use of the capacity tracker.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how MOIA is working to build capacity for immigration lawyers to navigate rapidly changing federal policies.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about proactive planning to address potential federal cuts to adult literacy and English Language Learner programs.
Chair Linda Lee asks about MOIA's preparations for the 2030 Census and plans to collaborate with the newly established Office of Census.
Chair Althea Stevens asks if there are plans to translate the family preparedness flyer into additional languages like Russian and Urdu.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about resources for family separation, including standby guardianship clinics and training provided by the Immigrant Justice Corps.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how MOIA coordinates with ACS to address family separation issues and support affected children and caregivers.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how MOIA is collaborating with council-funded interpreter banks and language service worker cooperatives to improve compliance.
Chair Althea Stevens asks how MOIA monitors compliance across city agencies, referencing the secret shopper evaluations that identified significant gaps.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about efforts to embed language access as a core government function, referencing a recent memo issued to city agencies.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about protections for transnational workers and efforts to address the impacts of extreme heat and climate change on immigrant laborers.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about anti-harassment outreach for immigrant tenants in collaboration with HPD to prevent unlawful evictions.
Chair Althea Stevens asks for an update on MOIA's collaboration with the Office of LGBTQIA Affairs to support TGNC and non-binary immigrants under Local Law 73.
Chair Althea Stevens asks about MOIA's partnership with the newly created Office of Mass Engagement to support outreach and information sharing.
Chair Linda Lee concludes the hearing by asking about MOIA's role in the upcoming World Cup and the launch of the New York City Neighborhood Passport initiative.