Chair Lee raises Raise the Age waiver and at-risk youth funding
Lee notes ACS headcount is 562 below FY26 budgeted levels. She calls on the Mayor to apply for the state Raise the Age hardship waiver for reimbursement going back to FY19, and urges progress on reducing the voucher waitlist. She previews questions on savings methodology and $200M in state at-risk youth funding.
As of April 2026, ACS's headcount was 562 less than their FY26 budgeted headcount.
In the Council's preliminary budget response, we called on the Mayor to apply for the state waiver that would allow the City to apply for reimbursement of its expenditures across fiscal 2019
to 2026, related to the implementation of the State's Raise the Age Act.
Further in our response, we called on the administration to continue to invest in child care vouchers by baselining the Promise NYC program.
In our preliminary budget hearing, we encouraged the administration to explore ways to end the waiting list practice for child care vouchers, which now stands at approximately 25,000 children.
While we were pleased to see the Promise New York City baselined and some additional funding added for child care vouchers, I hope to see
progress made in reducing the voucher wait list and ensuring these families are able to receive the vital child care services that they need, whether through ACS or other agencies.
I look forward to hearing from our new commissioner on how ACS plans to address the urgent challenge of providing child care and continue to equitably serve families amid citywide savings requirements.
My questions today will largely focus on areas in which ACS was able to realize savings, the agency's process and methodology in identifying these savings, and updates on the nearly $200 million in state funding designated for at-risk youth.