Bill De Blasio Names New Head Of Administration For Children's Services

NEW YORK, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio has named the lawyer David Hansell as the new head of the city's Administration for Children's Services, which has been without a commissioner for weeks after repeated missteps at one of the city's most critical agencies.

Former commissioner Gladys Carrion announced that she was resigning from the post in December, following the deaths of two New York City boys who were beaten to death in their homes. In both cases, ACS had received information regarding the welfare of the children but failed to intervene in time to save the children's lives. Hansell is now tasked with leading the agency that's faced an onslaught of criticism since the boys' 2016 deaths.

"David Hansell is the ideal person to guide ACS as we continue to reform it," Herminia Palacio, deputy mayor for health and human services, said during a press conference with Hansell on Tuesday.

In September, 6-year-old Zymere Perkins was beaten to death in a Harlem apartment that had been visited multiple times by ACS workers. His mother's boyfriend has been charged in his death, and three ACS workers have been fired. Months later, in December, 3-year-old Jaden Jordan was killed by his mother's boyfriend in Brooklyn, according to prosecutors.

Hansell refrained from disparaging his predecessor during Tuesday's press conference.

"I am a great admirer of Gladys'," he said in response to a question. "I think that there are many reforms that she began that we will continue and expedite the implementation of and things that we will do differently."
Hansell promised a four-part review of agency, starting with a "top-to-bottom review" of the agency's "protective and preventative functions." He added that he'll review the recent reform proposals and work to identify additional opportunities for collaboration with the New York Police Department.

De Blasio also promised that agency workers would have reduced caseloads with the addition of 100 new caseworkers by April.

This post has been updated with additional information.

Lead image via Patch.