Update 12/21/25 – Governor Hochul signed Anti-Harassment in Reporting (S.550-A/A.66-A) and Provide Luggage to Foster Youth (S.3781/A.5434) into law before the close of 2025. By signing these bills Governor Hochul is steering New York’s child welfare system in a more caring direction.
This year we are celebrating three major child welfare policy wins! These wins are the result of years of advocacy during which Schuyler Center and partners have worked alongside state leaders to deepen the understanding of the issues impacting children and families involved in New York’s child welfare system.
Anti-Harassment in Reporting (S.550-A/A.66-A) passed both houses this year, a first after years of advocacy. This bill would require reporters at the State Central Register to confidentially provide their name and contact information, ending the state’s practice of accepting anonymous reports. We have prioritized this bill because each year, anonymous reports to the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR) lead to thousands of unnecessary, traumatic investigations into New York families, which are eventually determined to be unfounded.
Alternative Living Arrangements Reporting (S.5242/A.744) passed both houses this year – this legislation addresses another issue Schuyler Center and our partners have worked on for years. This bill would require local departments of social services to record and report on the practice of separating children from their parents using “voluntary” arrangements not overseen by a family court. We supported this bill because when alternative living arrangements are used, CPS separates the child from their parents outside of the standard investigative process. In New York there are around 14,000 children in CPS custody; there are almost 200,000 children estimated to be involved in alternative living arrangements. These arrangements, while widely used, are not tracked or monitored.
Provide Luggage to Foster Youth (S.3781/A.5434) passed both houses this year—unanimously! This bill would require the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to provide luggage to young people entering, living in, moving between, and exiting state custody, placement, or guardianship. The bill also requires annual reporting on young people that do and do not have luggage. This is a common sense, long overdue measure that would help young people involved in the child welfare system by preserving their human dignity and some sense of normalcy.
We look forward to seeing Governor Hochul sign these bills into law in the coming months.
For more on Schuyler Center’s 2025 advocacy results, check out 2025 End of Session Legislative Priorities Outcomes.
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