Officials fume after revelation of NYC child service agencys failures that led to death of 7 kids: Wake-up call

The sickening revelation that seven kids died under the not-so-watchful eye of the city’s Administration of Children Services in the past is a “wake-up call,” shocked pols railed.New York leaders and lawmakers responded to a Post exposé Monday about the long-troubled agency’s failures by calling for greater oversight, reforms and resources.Their outraged ranks included former Gov.David Paterson, who in 2009 signed “Nixzmary’s Law” — a child protection bill named after 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, whose horrific death prompted a wave of scrutiny over ACS’ failures.“I thought Nixzmary’s Law would go a long way to protect children — as it turns out it didn’t go far enough,” Paterson said.“More needs to be done than what we accomplished back then.”  The Post investigation found at least seven children died while under ACS supervision since the start of 2024 — including 4-year-old Jahmeik Modlin, who was just 19 pounds when he died — and dozens more suffered horrifying abuse.ACS’ budget was roughly $2.7 billion this year, although the agency has struggled to keep staffers on the payroll — with 30% of workers having no more than a year on the difficult job.“The Post’s reporting is heartbreaking—and a wake-up call,” said mayoral hopeful and state Sen.

Jessica Ramos (D-Queens).“City agencies must act with urgency and coordinate across schools, shelters, hospitals, and law enforcement.“We can’t keep asking why a child slipped through the cracks.

There must be independent oversight with real power to seal those cracks for good.”Nixzmary’s Law changed the maximum sentence for people convicted of torturing a child — as the legislation’s namesake was, in addition to unspeakable physical and sexual abuse — to life in prison.But Paterson urged Albany lawmakers to revisit the law, saying ACS “should have more discretion to remove the child” from parents, if there’s evidence that a child is endangered.One bill...