ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES UNVEILS NEW CHILD PROTECTION SITE IN CO-OP CITY

 

New ACS Site at 2100 Bartow Avenue in the Bronx Will Replace ACS’s Morris Park Location

 

Co-Op City Location Offers a More Modern & Technologically Advanced Workspace That Will Better Meet the Needs of Local Families & ACS Staff

The NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) this week hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new child protection site located at 2100 Bartow Avenue in the Bronx. The new site replaces the previous 974 Morris Park location. The new Bartow Avenue office in Co-Op City offers a more modern and technologically advanced workspace that will better meet the needs of families within Community Districts 9 and 10, and the office’s 120 ACS staff members. The new site includes a food pantry to supply families with emergency groceries and clothing for immediate needs, family restrooms with changing tables, lactation rooms for families, a welcoming waiting area for children, and more. The site is also conveniently located nearby many bus lines (Bx12, Bx5, BxM7, Q50), several major highways and there will be a shuttle from the subway.

 

“ACS’ new location in Co-Op City will be a renewed hub for both staff and families. The site will have a food pantry, lactation spaces, and an inviting area for families as they arrive to connect with staff. The site demonstrates ACS’ commitment to proactive services and support for families as a first step in every engagement,” said Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services.

 

“The new ACS site in Co-Op City is a win-win-win for families, staff and the local Bronx community,” said ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “We are pleased to open our doors at 2100 Bartow Avenue, as this new more modern space will better serve children and families in the Bronx. There are welcoming waiting areas for children and families, a pantry to supply our families with emergency food, a space where ACS can provide families with clothing to meet immediate needs, a space for a nurse, conference rooms for family team meetings, and more. The site is easy to get to via public transportation or car, making it convenient for both families and staff to access.”

 

“Today marks a significant milestone for our community with the opening of this new ACS child protection site in Co-op City,” said Council Member Kevin C. Riley. “This modern, accessible facility will provide essential support and resources to families, ensuring they receive the help they need in a welcoming and safe environment. I am proud to celebrate this advancement, which will greatly benefit the families and children in the Northeast Bronx.”

 

ACS is charged with protecting and promoting the safety of New York City’s children through the child welfare system. ACS’s Division of Child Protection responds to allegations of abuse and neglect and connects families to services and supports that keep children safe. ACS also contracts with nonprofit community-based organizations to provide family support/prevention services, as well as foster care services for children who not able to safely remain at home. The ACS Division of Child Protection includes 19 sites across the five boroughs, including four in the Bronx. The ACS Bronx South borough office team is seated in two separate ACS offices: 2501 Grand Concourse and a small annex office space at 1775 Grand Concourse. The ACS Bronx North borough office team has historically been located at: 1200 Waters Place and 974 Morris Park. The new site at 2100 Bartow Avenue will replace 974 Morris Park.

 

In a typical year, the Bronx Child Protection offices respond to over 16,000 reports, assessing child safety and connecting families in need to services and supports. This can include providing families with concrete goods such as cribs and food; referring families to substance abuse treatment or other prevention services. It may include helping a survivor of domestic violence change locks. And, in those instances when children are in imminent risk of harm, child protective staff act with urgency to ensure children are safe, most often with a family member who can care safely for them. ACS’s Bronx North offices currently about 6,600 families annually, or about half of the families, with reports of child abuse and neglect in the Bronx.

 

Families in Bronx North who are involved in the child welfare system may use the Bartow Avenue site to meet with caseworkers, attend child safety conferences and receive key information about the range of services the agency provides. The new site features the following spaces and benefits for families:

 

• Conference Areas: This site is designed to have 7 spaces for family team conferences.
• Welcoming Visiting Areas: 2100 Bartow Avenue has been designed to have visiting areas, where parents and children can have visits in an appropriate, welcoming space.
• Modern & Child Friendly Waiting Area: This new site has a comfortably sized reception area that can accommodate approximately 25 people, as well as a welcoming waiting area for children. (photo attached)
• Child Friendly Nursery: A child-friendly, trauma-informed environment where young children who must be removed from their families receive immediate medical attention, if and when appropriate to do so.
• Pantry for Emergency Needs and Boutique (clothing, food, diapers, sleep sacks, etc.) (photo attached)
• Separate Family Restrooms with Changing Tables & Lactation Rooms