On Friday,\u00a0Governor Hochul signed the Confidential Reporting Bill (S550A\/A66A) into law,\u00a0taking a critical step forward in curbing the harmful misuse of New York\u2019s child abuse hotline and bringing greater accountability to the family regulation system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The following is a statement from Washcarina Martinez Alonzo, Senior Staff Attorney at Legal Services NYC and co-author of the report, The Far-Reaching Impact of ACS\u2019s Discriminatory Investigations on Women of Color and Survivors of Gender-Based Violence.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFor too long, anonymous reporting has fueled false and retaliatory calls\u2014often weaponized against women of color by abusive partners, predatory landlords and others acting out of bias. Even when unfounded, these reports can trigger traumatic investigations that lead to long-term economic harm, including barriers to employment for women of color in communities already facing heightened surveillance and economic hardship.\u00a0This is especially the case for survivors of domestic violence who are disproportionately represented in child welfare investigations.<\/p>\n \u201cEnding anonymous reporting is a necessary and overdue step toward reducing the surveillance and punishment of Black and Brown mothers under the guise of child protection.\u00a0This law will help prevent retaliation and bias from being funneled into a system that has long kept vulnerable people trapped\u00a0in cycles of violence and poverty.<\/p>\n \u201cLegal Services NYC will continue to advocate for improvements to New York\u2019s reporting system\u2014including narrowing vague definitions of neglect, strengthening confidentiality protections, and investing in legal and community-based supports that truly keep families safe and whole.\u201d<\/p>\n To read LSNYC\u2019s report, please visit here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n