ACS is divided into eleven divisions.

Administration

The Division of Administration, led by Deputy Commissioner Julie Friesen, ensures that ACS has the internal resources, services, and support necessary to function efficiently and effectively. The specific services provided by Administration include Management Information Systems, Procurement, Facilities, Personnel, and Administrative Services. The division works collaboratively to ensure that the agency receives services in the areas of personnel management (including payroll, benefits, timekeeping, employee relations, career building, transfers, etc.), building maintenance, safety, health, and security, transportation, purchasing of goods and services, office supplies and equipment, graphic services, records management, and computer and telephone services.    

Child Care and Head Start

The ACS Division of Child Care and Head Start (DCCHS), led by Deputy Commissioner Melanie Hartzog, is dedicated to ensuring that New York City’s low income young children have positive early experiences.  ACS is committed to putting children and their developmental needs first in early childhood services and to supporting children within the real context and need of their families and communities.  Early care and education funded through ACS is provided to eligible children through contracted Head Start and Child Care programs and through vouchers.  DCCHS provides program oversight, contract and fiscal monitoring, and training and technical assistance.

Child Protection

The Division of Child Protection (DCP), led by Deputy Commissioner Jan Flory, protects children in New York City from abuse and neglect.   In fulfilling this mission, preventive and protective services are provided to ensure the safety, permanency and well-being of all children.  The Division of Child Protection encompasses Child Protective and Placement Services. When children cannot remain safely at home, the Office Placement Administration (OPA) provides a safe environment, evaluates, medically clears and obtains the most appropriate placement available for children.

Child Protective Services includes the Child Protective Borough Field Offices, Family Preservation and Family Assessment Programs, Emergency Children’s Services (ECS), and the Office of Special Investigations (OSI). The Borough Offices, OSI and ECS investigate reports of child abuse and neglect received from the New York State Central Registry. The Office of Special Investigations investigates reports that involve foster parents, child care providers and ACS staff.  
 
Community and Government Affairs

The Division of Community and Government Affairs (CGA), led by Deputy Commissioner Anne Williams-Isom, is designed to strengthen the critical areas of intergovernmental affairs, deepen internal communications throughout Children's Services and increase external communications and connections to public and private stakeholders throughout the City. CGA aims to support the agency's efforts to establish sustainable improvements in child welfare and child care by increasing the agency's visibility, more effectively communicating the agency's initiatives and plans, building and strengthening strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, and facilitating changes in legislation, policies and practices that are essential to meeting the needs of our children and families. As Deputy Commissioner of Community and Government Affairs, Anne Williams-Isom reports to the Commissioner and is responsible for ten (10) areas within the agency: Office of Community Partnerships, System of Care, Advocacy, Interagency Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs, Faith Based Initiatives, Equal Employment Opportunities, Special Education, the Video Unit, and Communications.

Family Court Legal Services

The Division of Family Court Legal Services (FCLS), led by Deputy Commissioner Gilbert A. Taylor, is responsible for representing Children's Services in child neglect and abuse cases, permanency hearings, and other child welfare proceedings in the New York City Family Courts. FCLS attorneys work collaboratively with caseworkers and other child welfare stakeholders to further the agency's mission on behalf of children and families. Attorneys provide legal assistance for the agency and foster care provider agencies and provide training for attorneys and caseworkers on Family Court practice. There are 5 Family Court Units located in or near each borough's Family Court. The division's Juvenile Justice Initiative links children and families involved in juvenile delinquency proceedings with intensive evidence-based therapeutic interventions aimed at diverting children from institutional placement and assisting children with the transition from placement to home community. The division also includes the Legal Training Unit, Legal Compliance Unit, Title IV-E Management Unit, and Court Document Dissemination Unit.

Family Permanency Services

The Division of Family Permanency Services, led by Deputy Commissioner Lorraine Stephens, provides oversight and technical assistance to contracted provider agencies ensuring high quality services for children in out of home care in New York City.  Our mission is to ensure our network of providers assist parents who are determined to retain or regain custody of their children and find safe, caring, committed, and permanent families for children who cannot be returned to their parents. Led by Deputy Commissioner Lorraine Stephens, this Division is comprised of the Office of Family Team Conferencing, Office of Adoption Services, Family Permanency Shared Response Team, Parent Recruitment and Retention, Office of Agency Contract Care Management, and the Office of Youth Development. 

Family Support Services

Family Support Services (FSS), under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Roberts, provides preventive services, parenting education and homemaking services to families throughout New York City, through a network of community-based non profit organizations. These services are designed to strengthen and stabilize families, prevent the need for out of home care, expedite permanency and prevent the replacement of children into foster care. The Division provides case management services to pregnant and parenting teens; works with foster care agencies to improve the quality of family visits with children in care; and builds partnerships between early childhood education and child welfare programs in order to strengthen families with young children. The division also provides clinical support to all child welfare programs to address the needs of children and families through direct services and individual case consultation in the areas of health, mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence. In addition, Family Support services works closely with other ACS divisions and community based programs to promote culturally competent child welfare services and ensure language access for all New York City children and families. 

Financial Services

The Financial Services Division, led by Deputy Commissioner Susan Nuccio, includes four departments: Budget Analysis and Management; Payment Services; Claiming, Revenue and Compliance; and the Office of Audit Services. Together, these four departments are responsible for conducting the financial activities of the agency and ensuring that all financial processes are carried out in full accordance with City, State and Federal guidelines. Individually, Budget Analysis and Management, administers the agency's $2.8 billion expense budget. Payment Services processes $2.3 billion annually in payments for contracted services and administrative expenditures. Claiming, Revenue and Compliance submits claims for $1.8 billion annually in revenue from the Federal and State governments. And the Office of Audit Services responds to audits of ACS by oversight agencies and conducts audits of all ACS activities and services.

General Counsel

The Office of the General Counsel, led by Deputy Commissioner Joseph Cardieri, provides legal representation and advice to the Commissioner and all of the divisions of ACS. The Office of the General Counsel also works closely with Corporation Counsel to defend ACS in class action lawsuits and coordinates with legal and program area staff to ensure compliance with court orders, consent decrees and other legal mandates. OGC provides legal and policy advice to all areas of the agency and oversees the Accountability Review Panel, the Business Law Unit, the Legal Counsel Unit, Fair Hearings/Compliance, Administrative Litigation and Employment Law Unit. Labor Relations is also part of General Counsel and manages labor-related issues.

Policy and Planning

The Division of Policy and Planning (DPP), reporting to Belinda Conway in the Commissioner’s Office, plans and helps implement programs and initiatives to strengthen the child welfare system; tracks success or barriers in carrying out those initiatives; develops policy and procedures; and engages in a variety of management analysis, evaluative and systems development efforts. DPP also includes the following: Office of Policy Development and Program Planning; Office of Strategic Resource Management and Reporting; and the Systems Implementation Program Office. The Office of Policy Development and Program Planning coordinates program expansion and new program development efforts; oversees contract management for service providers during the developmental phase of new programs; develops ACS policies and procedures; creates and issues Requests for Proposals and other solicitations; and develops policy around health, mental health, and domestic violence and substance abuse issues.  The Office of Strategic Resource Management and Reporting oversees management analysis for ACS and external stakeholders; oversees the Title IV-E federal foster care reimbursement function; and provides analytic support to all divisions within ACS. With the full implementation of Improved Outcomes for Children (IOC), the Systems Implementation Program Office (SIPO) provides troubleshooting support to all ACS divisions and provider agencies. The SIPO staff performs all system activities that can only be performed by local district staff. 

Quality Assurance

The Division of Quality Assurance (DQA), led by Deputy Commissioner Valerie Russo, includes the Satterwhite Training Academy, responsible for all ACS child protective service training, the Office of Quality Improvement, which is responsible for quality oversight of ACS investigative staff, and the Agency for Program Assistance, which is responsible for oversight and monitoring of all foster care and preventive private agencies with whom ACS contracts.

Commissioner’s Office

Handles issues directly related to Commissioner John B. Mattingly, from scheduling to policy analysis.