Parents' Guide to New York State Child Abuse and Neglect Laws

NYC Administration for Children’s Services

ACS

nyc

Michael R. Bloomberg

Mayor

William C. Bell

Commissioner

P a rents’ Guide

to New York State

Child Abuse and

Neglect Laws

Table of Contents

About This Booklet/Introduction .................................1

What is Child Abuse and Neglect.................................3

Physical Abuse ...............................................................3

Physical Neglect/Inadequate Guardianship................4

Educational Neglect.......................................................5

Emotional Abuse/Verbal Abuse....................................7

Emotional Neglect..........................................................7

Medical Neglect..............................................................8

Sexual Abuse................................................................10

Drug and Alcohol Abuse .............................................11

Mandated Reporters.....................................................12

Resource Information ..................................................15

NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS)

Neighborhood Based Services

150 William Street

New York, NY 10038

1-877-KIDS-NYC (1-877-543-7692)

www.nyc.gov/acs

ABOUT THIS BOOKLET

As part of our on-going effort

to ensure the safety and well

being of New York City’s

children, the Administration

for Children’s Services (ACS)

has produced the 2nd edition

of the Parents’ Guide to the

New York State Child Abuse

and Neglect Laws.

ACS acknowledges the many

challenges that families and

children encounter. This

publication provides useful

information about the New

York State laws that protect

children.

To learn more about detecting

and reporting child abuse,

or to find out more about

preventive foster care or

adoption programs, contact

the ACS Neighborhood Based

Services at 212-341-3060.

INTRODUCTION

Sometimes I keep my eldest

child home from school to

help me with her brothers and

sisters. What’s the problem?

My parents beat me and I

turned out all right. A little

spanking here and there

never hurt anyone.

I can’t always provide

adequate housing, clothing

or food for my children.

This is not a crime!

I get stressed out and need

time alone; sometimes I take

out my anger on the kids.

I’m only human.

Because of my religious beliefs,

I don’t believe in seeking med-

ical help for my children or

myself. I have the right to

choose my religious practice!

The above are examples of

comments made by parents

or caregivers who naturally

assume that they can raise

their children whichever

way they choose. In New

York State, however, there

are laws to protect children

from the h a rm that parents

or caregivers may intentionally

or unintentionally inflict.

Even though most parents

love their kids and want to

do what is best for them, a

family’s circumstances does

not always allow this to

happen. Each year, thousands

of children throughout the

country die as a result of

abuse, and hundreds of

thousands more suffer from

various forms of maltreatment

at the hands of their parents

or caregivers.

For this reason, the Federal

Government passed the Child

Abuse Prevention and Tre a t m e n t

Act (CAPTA), a law that

generally defines what acts

are considered maltreatment

of a child.

Under CAPTA, each State

is responsible for providing

specific definitions of child

abuse and neglect. These laws

describe the circumstances

and conditions that would

require the intervention

of child protection service

agencies. In New York City,

the local child protection

agency is the Administration

for Children’s Services (ACS).

Initially, ACS does not decide

whom to investigate. When

someone calls in a report

of suspected child abuse or

neglect, ACS begins its

investigation.

ACS’ mission is "to ensure

the safety and well-being of

all the children of New York."

To this end, ACS uses all

available means to make

certain that children do not

live in danger of abuse or

neglect, whether intentional

or unintentional.

ACS acknowledges the many

challenges that parents and

families encounter. In an effort

to assist parents or caregivers

and prevent the risk of abuse

or neglect, ACS contracts

with many community-based

agencies that pro v i d e support

services for children and

families. In addition,

resources are available

in most communities to

assist families with food,

clothing, shelter, counseling,

and other services (see the

resource list at the end of

this guide.)

In a city where diverse

populations and newly

arrived immigrants reside,

many cultural differences in

child-rearing practices are

certain to exist. It is important

for parents and caregivers to

know and understand that

what may be permissible for,

or expected from, children,

parents and caregivers in

certain countries can be

unlawful under New York

State law.

The purpose of this guide is to:

1. Illustrate the difference

between what parents or

caregivers perceive to be

their rights and the reality

of child welfare laws.

2. Help parents and caregivers

understand the laws of the

child welfare system, and

3. Provide a partial list of

resources to help parents

or caregivers access the

assistance they may need.

W H AT IS THE CHILD ABUSE AND

NEGLECT LAW ?

The Child Abuse Prevention

and Treatment Act (CAPTA)

defines child abuse and neglect

as the act, or failure to act, by

any parent or caretaker who is

responsible for a child under

the age of 18 that results in

the maltreatment of a child.

W H AT ARE THE MAIN TYPES OF

CHILD MALT R E AT M E N T ?

The following are different

classifications of child

maltreatment.

■ Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is inflicting

or allowing someone to inflict

physical injury other than

by accidental means. This

includes shaking, beating,

biting, kicking, punching,

and burning.

EXAMPLES

• I know that my child

misbehaves because he is

possessed by evil spirits.

In my culture, it is common

practice in these situations

to tie the child to the bed

and deny him food in an

attempt to exorcise the evil

spirit. Can I be reported?

Yes. In the U.S., this practice

is illegal and is considered a

harmful way of dealing with

a child’s misbehavior. Although

this may not be your intention,

this practice would result in a

report to the New York State

Child Abuse and Maltreatment

Hotline, also known as the

State Central Register (SCR).

• My husband becomes

frustrated when our infant

won’t stop crying. He picks

up the child and begins to

shake her vigorously. Is this

dangerous?

This is extremely dangerous

to the child and could result

in "shaken baby syndrome."

This is a serious injury, which

could result in brain damage,

blindness, retardation, spinal

injury or death. Repeated

tossing of a small child in the

air, as a form of play, could

also cause damage to the

child. You could be reported

for this as well.

• I am a licensed caregiver

and I baby-sit for six

children in my home. Every

now and then a child will fall

and injure himself and I must

bring him or her to the doctor.

Am I at risk for being charg e d

with physical abuse?

In a case where a child injures

himself accidentally and you

have truthfully and accurately

reported the circumstances of

the incident, it would not be

considered child abuse or

neglect.

• I discipline my children

by hitting them with a belt.

This is how I was raised and

choose to raise my children.

I was told by neighbors that

I risk being reported if I

continue. Is this true?

Yes. Hitting your child may

cause physical and psychological

injury. This can result in a

report to the SCR.

■ Physical Neglect/

Inadequate Guardianship

Parents are responsible for

providing a minimum degree

of care for their children.

Physical neglect is the failure

by the parent or caregiver to

p rovide food, clothing or shelter.

It also includes abandonment,

inadequate supervision of a

child by a parent or caregiver,

and excessive corporal

punishment.

EXAMPLES

• I don’t always have the

means to feed, clothe and

bathe my children on a

regular basis. The school has

threatened to report me. Do

they have a right to do so?

Yes. Teachers are “mandated

reporters”, professionals

re q u i red by law to re p o rt child

abuse or neglect. As part of

their job, teachers monitor

school children’s physical

appearance and hygiene.

If you have met with school

officials and fail to cooperate

with a plan to improve care

for your children, they are

required to report the case

to the authorities.

Note: If you are having financial

or housing difficulties, refer to

the re s o u rce dire c t o ry at the

end of this guide for assistance.

• I left my daughter at an

a f t e r-school program. I know

the program ends at 5pm,

but I couldn’t get there to

pick her up until 8pm. The

school staff threatened to

report me. Can they do that?

Yes. If you cannot get to the

school and if you do not contact

the appropriate person to say

why you have not picked up

your child, school or daycare

personnel may conclude that

you have abandoned your

child and contact the authorities.

• Sometimes I leave my two-

year-old son at home to go

to the corner store. I tell my

neighbor that I’ll be back in

ten minutes and ask her to

listen for him. Is this okay?

No. This is considered

inadequate supervision. It is

important to have someone

physically present in your

home during the time you are

out in case an emergency

occurs. If something should

happen to your child, you

will be held responsible.

• My 12-year-old child is home

alone after school for a few

hours until I get home from

work. Is this acceptable

under New York State law?

According to the law, there is

no set age at which you can

leave a child alone. The parent

is responsible for deciding

whether or not the child is

mature and responsible

enough to understand the

circumstances and take care

of her or himself.

Note: While the law does not

specify age, very young childre n

cannot take care of themselves

and should not be left alone.

■ Educational Neglect

Educational neglect includes

failure to enroll a school-age

child in school, allowing

unexplained absences from

school, refusal of re c o m m e n d e d

remedial services without good

reason, and failure to respond

to attendance questions.

EXAMPLES

• Ie n rolled my son in

k i n d e rg a rten but don’t always

send him to school. Since

k i n d e rg a rten isn’t mandatory,

does it really matter if he

attends every day?

While it is true that kinder-

g a rten is not mandatory, if you

enroll your child in a school,

the child must attend on a

regular basis. If the child is

consistently absent without a

documented excuse, the school

is required to investigate the

reason for these absences. If,

for whatever reason, you have

decided not to send your child

to the school he is enrolled in,

you must officially withdraw

him from the school.

• My child is enrolled in a

school but I have decided

for safety and educational

reasons that I would prefer

to educate my child at home

(called "home-schooling”).

Can I be charged with

educational neglect for not

sending my child to school?

If you remove your child from

a school you must officially

withdraw the child’s name

from the school and district

office rosters. You must also

make sure that you can pro v i d e

all the proper home school

registration materials and

c u rriculum documentation

upon re q u e s t .

• As a new immigrant, I

sometimes need to keep my

fluent English-speaking

child home from school to

help me translate at my

appointments. Could this

be considered educational

neglect?

Yes. If the child is chronically

absent from school, the school

is required to investigate.

Chronic absence can include

10 consecutive days or 20

intermittent days in a marking

period.

• My child is 17 years old and

refuses to attend school. It is

beyond my control to ensure

his attendance. Can I be

charged with educational

neglect?

No. According to the law,

children age 17 and over have

a right to determine whether

or not they attend school. A

parent or caregiver is no

longer responsible for their

child’s school attendance.

Note: Parents should seek help

in handling a situation where

a 17-year-old is refusing to go

to school (refer to the resource

directory at the end of this

guide.)

■ Emotional Abuse/Verbal

Abuse

You rotten, no good little punk!

You never do anything right!

I wish you had never been

born. You are a burden!

A child who is consistently

exposed to negative and

abusive statements, such as

the examples given above, is

likely to suffer from emotional

abuse that can impair his or

her psychological development.

Emotional abuse is commonly

defined as the non-physical

maltreatment of a child (under

18 years old) that can seriously

i n t e rf e re with his or her positive

emotional development. Pattern s

of abusive behavior can include

constant rejection, terrorizing,

exposing a child to corruption,

violence or criminal behavior,

irrational behavior and verbal

abuse (excessive yelling,

belittling and teasing).

EXAMPLES

• My son was having problems

in school. His teachers called

a conference with both of

us. During the conference,

I told my son that he was

stupid and incompetent.

I don’t think my re m a r k s

w e re emotionally abusive.

Am I wro n g ?

Belittling or insulting a child

can impair his or her emotional

well-being and leave the child

feeling helpless and worthless.

This situation could therefore

be considered verbal abuse.

■ Emotional Neglect

Emotional neglect is the failure

of a parent or caregiver to

supply a child with the love

and support necessary for a

healthy emotional development.

Examples include failure to

p rovide warmth, attention,

supervision, affection, praise

or encouragement to a child.

EXAMPLES

• I am a single parent, very

sick and responsible for t h re e

c h i l d ren. I am dependent on

my eldest child for assistance

with his younger siblings

and with tending to some

of my medical needs. In my

culture the eldest child is

always expected to help

out in the home. Is this not

acceptable in New York?

It may or may not be. When

a parent depends too much

on a child, or expects him

or her to act as an adult, the

child may experience stress

due to feelings of guilt,

excess responsibility and

isolation(If you are a parent

and need help, see the re s o u rc e

directory at the end of this

guide.)

• My child has witnessed my

husband yell and curse at me

and, on several occasions,

actually hit me. Is this

considered harmful to

my child’s well-being?

Children who witness any

form of violence including

family violence may experience

psychological, emotional, or

behavioral problems as a re s u l t .

Children often do not under-

stand what is happening and

may feel that they are the

cause of the violence, or they

may feel guilty for not being

able to prevent the violence.

• My father didn’t hug and

kiss me very much as a child.

I am the same way with my

children. H o w e v e r, I notice

that their friends’ parents

display a lot of emotion

t o w a rd their kids. Will I be

re p o rted for emotionally

neglecting my children?

No. However, children need

a certain amount of affection,

attention, praise, and

encouragement, to develop in

healthy ways. If your children

begin to withdraw emotionally,

or complain of a lack of attention

or affection they are receiving

from you, it may be time for

you to look more closely at

how you nurt u re your childre n .

■ Medical Neglect

A parent or caregiver is

required to supply adequate

medical, dental, optical and

surgical care for a child under

18 years old. This medical

care includes seeking adequate

treatment for conditions that

impair, or threaten to impair,

the child’s mental, emotional

or physical condition. Following

prescribed treatment for

medical, psychiatric, and

psychological care. Obtaining

preventive care such as well-

baby care checkups, and

immunizations for polio,

mumps, and measles.

EXAMPLES

• My son, who is seriously ill,

was prescribed multiple

medications, which he

does not like, and I will

not force him to take. Is this

considered medical neglect?

It may or may not be. Not

following the prescribed

treatment may place your

child at risk of medical

complications (or possibly

death) and may be considered

medical neglect.

• While baking a cake, my

daughter burned her arm with

the door of the oven. I applied

a home remedy from my

native country. She developed

an infection after 10 days.

Was my treatment considere d

u n l a w f u l ?

The law requires that parents

seek medical attention once a

child has been injured. While

some home remedies may be

useful for mild ailments, it is

best to seek medical attention

for any serious injuries.

• My thre e - y e a r-old son fell and

i n j u red himself. I took him to

the emergency room and

made up a story about how

the injury occurred fearing

the truth may not be believed.

Did I do the wrong thing by

not telling the tru t h ?

It is best to be honest about

how the injury occurred.

Conflicting stories may create

reasons to assume that you are

hiding something. This may

lead to the emergency room

personnel requesting an

investigation by ACS.

• Many of my friends in the

neighborhood have advised

me not to take my son to

the hospital when he is hurt

because ACS will take him

away. Is this true?

ACS will not take your child

away just because you seek

care for his or her injuries.

Regulations mandate that all

surrounding circumstances

be examined and evaluated

before ACS removes a child

from his or her home.

• The school nurse sent a letter

with my daughter claiming

she needs glasses. No one in

my family wears glasses, and

I won’t make my daughter

wear them. Can I be charg e d

with medical neglect?

Yes. Failure to follow up

with the school nurse’s

recommendation can obstru c t

your child’s development,

which can be considered

n e g l e c t .

• I have many appointments

at Family Court, the welfare

o ffice, New York City Housing,

and my children’s school. I

do not have additional time

to take my child to doctor

appointments, especially

when he is not ill. Does this

constitute medical neglect?

Multiple canceled appointments

with the child’s pediatrician can

be considered medical neglect.

F a i l u re to provide well-child

care can often lead to more

serious conditions, which, if

not addressed, may be deemed

the result of medical neglect.

Medical personnel are mandated

re p o rters and must re p o rt medical

neglect if they suspect it.

• I took my son to the ear

doctor who told me that

he needed an operation to

improve his hearing. He

asked me to schedule the

operation right away. I did

not schedule it with him,

but instead took my son to

another doctor. Is this

medical neglect?

No. You have the right to have

another doctor examine your

son and help you determine

if an operation is the best

medical option.

■ Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse includes incest,

rape, obscene sexual perf o rm a n c e ,

fondling a child’s genitals,

intercourse, sodomy, and any

other contact such as exposing

a child to sexual activity or

exhibitionism, or commercial

exploitation such as pro s t i t u t i o n

of a minor or production of

pornographic materials.

For all sexual acts, a person

is deemed legally incapable

of consent if he or she is

under 17 years old, mentally

incapacitated, or physically

helpless.

EXAMPLES

•Iheard about a father who

undresses his 14-year-old

daughter every night and

physically checks to see

if she is still a virgin. He

claims this is a standard

practice in his homeland.

Should this be brought to

someone’s attention?

Yes. This practice may be

common in other countries,

but in the U.S. it is considered

traumatic to the child and

may be construed as an act

of incest. This practice would

warrant an ACS investigation.

• In my country, I am expected

to have sex with my 11-year-

old daughter in order to be her

first sexual experience. When

I explained this to the doctor,

he said he would re p o rt me.

W h y ?

While it may be expected and

permissible in your country,

in the U.S. sexual activity

with a member of your family

is considered an act of incest

and is against the law.

• We have a two-bedroom

apartment. My 10-year-old

son shares one bedroom with

his 23-year-old sister who

sometimes brings home her

boyfriend and engages in

sexual activity in front of

my son. My son claims not to

mind. Is this inappropriate?

Yes. Exposing your son to sexual

activity violates the law.

• My neighbor showed me

pictures she took of her nude

baby in the bath. Isn’t this

a form of sexual abuse?

Probably not. In this instance

your neighbor’s intentions do

not appear to be malicious

nor the pictures to be for sale.

Therefore, your neighbor

probably has not committed

sexual abuse.

■ Drug and Alcohol Abuse

In New York City, appro x i m a t e l y

70% of the cases investigated

by ACS involve some form

of substance abuse. Evidence

has shown that children who

grow up in homes involving

the abuse of alcohol and/or

drugs are more likely to be

m a l t reated as well as physically

and emotionally neglected.

U s u a l l y, the parent or care g i v e r

is more focused on using and

obtaining the substance than

considering the emotional and

physical needs of the child;

money that should go for food,

clothing or shelter is spent on

alcohol and/or drugs.

EXAMPLES

• My neighbor goes out drinking

re g u l a r l y. She comes home

d runk, can’t make dinner

or tend to the children and

she passes out. Can she be

re p o rted for child abuse?

Yes. She can be reported. She

has the responsibility to care

for her children and if she

cannot do so because she is

drunk, a report can be called

in to the SCR.

• I use drugs and am now

seven months pregnant. If my

baby is born with a positive

toxicology for illegal drugs,

will a report be called in to

the child abuse hotline?

Yes. If the baby is born with a

positive toxicology for illegal

drugs, then this would have to

be investigated. The investigation

would focus on, among other

things, whether or not you

a re actively using illegal dru g s ,

whether or not you are in a

rehabilitation program, whether

you’ve had other children born

with a positive toxicology, and

w h e t h e r you have adequate

provisions (such as food,

clothing, or shelter) at home

for the child.

A note on mandated reporters

New York State laws describe

the circumstances and

conditions, like those discussed

in this brochure, which

constitute child abuse or

neglect. In addition, the laws

require certain individuals to

report known or suspected

cases of abuse or neglect.

As a mandated reporter, you

must make a report whenever

you have reasonable cause to

suspect that a child appearing

b e f o re you in your pro f e s s i o n a l

or official capacity is being

abused or neglected.

This mandatory reporting

statute is for the purpose of

identifying suspected abused

and neglected children as soon

as possible in order to protect

them from further harm and,

w h e re appropriate, offer serv i c e s

to assist their families.

Mandated reporters include:

Day Care Workers, Dental Staff ,

District Attorneys Office Staff ,

Foster Care Workers, Medical

Examiners, Mental Health

Professionals, Physicians,

Psychologists, Residents,

I n t e rn s , Nurses, School Off i c i a l s ,

Substance Abuse Counselors,

Social Service Staff, Physician

Assistants, Police Officers, Other

Law Enforcement Officials, and

Hospital Personnel.

■ R e s o u rce Inform a t i o n

ABUSE PREVENTION AND

I N T E RVENTION RESOURCES

NY State Central Register Child

Abuse & Maltreatment Hotline

Accepts re p o rts of child abuse

and neglect.

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 342-3720

Outside NY State

(518) 474-8740

New York Foundling Pare n t

H e l p l i n e

P rovides emergency childcare ,

crisis counseling and

telephone re f e rrals.

24 hours/7 days a week

(212) 472-8555

S u p p o rtive Childre n ’s

Advocacy Network (SCAN)-NY

P a rent-Aides Assoc. Inc.

After School Program

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 683-2522

P revent Child Abuse NY –

P a rent Helpline

P rovides information and

re f e rrals serv i c e s .

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 342-7472

C h i l d ren Advocacy Center of

M a n h a t t a n

Assessment and treatment serv-

ices for victims of child abuse.

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 517-3012

Single Parent Resource Center

Programs to assist single

parents and activities for

children and teens.

Mon-Fri, 9:30a.m.-5:30p.m.

(212) 951 -7030

Brooklyn Child Advocacy

Center

Information and referral.

Mon-Fri, 10a.m.-8p.m.

Sat-Sun, 10a.m.-6p.m.

(718) 260-6080

Family Dynamics

Counseling, parenting classes,

afterschool program, respite

nursery.

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 255-8484

National Respite Locator

Service

Referrals to respite or crisis

programs.

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(800) 773-5433

Resources for Children with

Special Needs, Inc.

I n f o rmation, re f e rral, advocacy,

training, education and outre a c h .

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5:30p.m.

(212) 677-4650

Administration for Children’s

Services

Office of Advocacy

Parents’ and Children’s Rights

Unit

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 676-9421

CHILDCARE

ACS Agency for Child

Development

Information on Day Care &

Head Start

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(718) FOR KIDS (367-5437)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

HOPE - Domestic Violence

Hotline

Information, referrals, crisis

intervention, counseling,

shelters, and advocacy.

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 621-4673

FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE

PARENTING

ACS Parent Recruitment

Hotline

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 676-WISH (9474)

HEALTH-RELATED RESOURCES

Medicaid Information

(Human Resources

Administration Info line)

24 hours/7 days a week

(718) 291-1900

Life Net

Information and referrals for

mental health services.

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) LIFE-NET (543-3638)

NYC Immunization Action Plan

Referrals to immunization

clinics.

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 325-CHILD (2445)

Child Health Plus

Health care referrals for

children under 19.

24 hours/7 days a week.

(800) 698-4543

HOUSING ASSISTANCE

Eviction Prevention Housing

Court Units

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(718) 237-7024

Homeless/Emergency Shelter

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 994-6494

NYC Housing Authority

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 828-7100

IMMIGRATION SERVICES

Immigration and

Naturalization Service

I n f o rmation on immigrant

rights, benefits, and citizenship.

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 375-5283

NY Association for New

Americans

Legal, social vocational and

other services for immigrants.

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 425-2900

AIDS & HIV-RELATED

SERVICES

AIDS/HIV Hotline

Information, referrals, testing

and counselling.

24 hours/7 days a week

(212) 447-8200

DRUG OR ALCOHOL ABUSE

SERVICES

1915

Alcohol Abuse - Alcoholics

Anonymous Information and

referrals.

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-10p.m.

(212) 647-1680

Drug Abuse Information Line

(800) 522-5353

EDUCATIONAL &

EMPLOYMENT TRAINING

Training & Employment

Hotline (HRA Info line)

24 hours/7 days a week

(718) 291-1900

Business Link

Job referrals for Public

Assistance recipients.

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 643-2881

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

ACS Office of Child Support

Enforcement

Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m.

(212) 226-7125

Public Assistance Info-line

(HRA Info line) 24 hours/

7 days a week

(718) 291-1900

Social Security & SSI

Information on SS benefits

and medicare. Applications

for claims for disability,

retirement, survivors, etc.

Mon-Fri, 7a.m.-7p.m.

(800) 772-1213

FOOD ASSISTANCE

Emergency Assistance Unit

Food after hours

24 hours/7 days a week

(718) 402-6277

Food and Hunger Hotline

Referrals to local soup

kitchens and food pantries

24 hours/7 days a week

(212) 533-6100

Food Stamps/Surplus Food

Distribution

(HRA Info-line)

24 hours/7 days a week

(718) 291-1900

Women, Infants, and Children

(WIC Program)

Supplemental food program

(NYS Health-Line)

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 522-5006

YOUTH SERVICES

New York City Youthline

Crisis intervention, informa-

tion and referral

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 246-4646

Youth Crisis Hotline

Referral hotline for youth

ages 13-17

24 hours/7 days a week

(800) 448-4663

Produced by the

ACS Neighborhood Based Services,

the Office of Advocacy

and the Graphics Unit

July 2003