By Gary Buiso
Think carefully before you call a state hotline to report child abuse—it could take up to two days for a social worker to get around to investigating the call. “We have to have a report in our hands to initiate an investigation,” according to Lydia Ithier, deputy director of special projects for the embattled Administration for Children’s Services. “Unfortunately, this is the way it was established. We just have to follow the mandates,” Ithier, the guest speaker at the 84th Precinct Community Council said this week. Only if an individual comes directly to one of the agency’s field offices to report abuse can social workers be dispatched immediately, Ithier said. Signs of abuse could be overt—like bruises, welts or fractures. They could also be subtle, and manifest in behavioral irregularities, like being uncomfortable with physical contact, she said. To report abuse, call the New York State Central Register Child Abuse and Maltreatment Hotline, 1-800-342-3720. For a child in immediate danger, 911 is probably the best option, as the system is set up such that a report must be issued for ACS workers to respond to a case—and that could take up to 48 hours to happen, Ithier noted. It is important for neighbors or relatives to take action if abuse is suspected—and before it’s too late. “We need the community to help improve the service. Abuse and neglect is not just an ACS problem,” Ithier said. The agency came under intense scrutiny following the death of Nixzmary Brown, a seven-year-old Brooklyn girl who was brutally beaten and left to starve to death by her mother and stepfather, who have since been indicted on murder charges. In January, Nixzmary was found beaten to death inside her Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment. Police officials said her stepfather periodically tied her to a chair, sexually abused her, and forced her to eat cat food. In May, caseworkers from the Administration for Children’s Services visited the girl’s 27-year-old mother, and determined there was no evidence of abuse. In December, ACS workers again visited, spoke to the girl’s family members, and reported that all appeared well, according to reports. When Nixzmary was found dead on Jan. 11, she was 4 feet tall and weighed just 36 pounds. The mayor called for a full investigation of the ACS, and a shake-up ensued. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told the City Council that since the Nixzmary case, cops have faced an “unprecedented” increase in the number of child abuse calls.
