Annual Reports
2025 Annual Report
​​NYS Citizen Review Panels’ Recommendations for 2026:
Immediate Actions Required​
1. Provide equitably funded services outside of CPS in hospitals, schools and communities, so that mandated reporters will not feel the need to report families to the SCR in order to get services.
2. Require CPS to clearly inform parents of their rights before any interview or questioning, and provide access to legal counsel from the start of the investigation to ensure fair and consistent procedures.
3. Comply with the definition of neglect. The SCR should confirm the family has been offered services to address the concerns, and that the circumstances that resulted in the SCR report were not due to poverty.
4. Fill the current 15 vacancies on the Citizen Review Panels. The work of the panels has been hampered due to the lack of appointments. Establish and implement a procedure to remove inactive members.
5. Implement past Panel recommendations and provide a continual feedback loop which includes current and complete data showing the effectiveness of the programs implemented.
2024 Annual Report
​​NYS Citizen Review Panels’ Recommendations for 2025:
New York Continues to Fail its Families: Urgent Change is Needed
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Eliminate anonymous reporting; require verified identities for SCR reports.
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Fund services outside of CPS in hospitals, schools, and communities to reduce unnecessary SCR reports.
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Provide parents with Miranda-type warnings and legal counsel during CPS interviews for fair procedures.
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Ensure SCR complies with neglect definitions by confirming families were offered services and that reports aren’t poverty-related.
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Occupy the 16 vacancies on the Citizens Review Panels and implement a procedure to remove inactive members.
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Implement past Panel recommendations and maintain a feedback loop with current data on program effectiveness.
2023 Annual Report
From Intrusion to Empowerment:
Urgent Call for Change in Child Protection Practices
​​NYS Citizen Review Panels’ Recommendations for 2024:
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Restore the 75% rate of reimbursement to local governments for preventive services.
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Universalize Home Visiting Programs by ensuring at least two home visits for every newborn child, continuing for up to two years.
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Reduce child poverty with attention to racial equity by strengthening the Empire State Child Credit.
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Restrict Child Protective Services (CPS) interviews at public schools unless a court order is obtained.
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Provide Miranda-type warnings for parents during CPS interviews, coupled with the provision of legal counsel from the outset of investigations, to ensure fair and consistent procedures.
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2022 Annual Report
Child Protection in New York State:
A New Paradigm
​​NYS Citizen Review Panels’ Recommendations for 2023:
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Reduce the incidence of actual cases of child abuse and maltreatment in New York State.
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Reduce unnecessary investigations of children and families by CPS.
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Reduce harmful practices in CPS investigations.
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Reduce unnecessary article ten petitions and unnecessary placements in foster care.
2021 Annual Report
From Poverty to Partnership
​​NYS Citizen Review Panels’ Recommendations for 2022:
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Reauthorize and restore essential preventive services funding to 75%.
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Eliminate anonymous reporting to the SCR.
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Remove poverty-related neglect allegations from the child welfare reporting system.
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Increase funding for concrete supports for families.
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Expand Family Assessment Response (FAR) statewide.
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Adopt the American Bar Association's (ABA) guidelines for observing injuries on a child's body.
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Study the impacts of the implementation of the Blind Removal Process and Kin-First Firewall Practice.
