NYC Councilmembers, Families Urge Mamdani Admin Not To Cut Foster Care Prevention Services in Final Budget

NEW YORK, NY (06/24/2026) (readMedia)-- Today, as elected officials continue to negotiate a final city budget, NYC Councilmembers Rita Joseph and Tiffany Caban rallied with families and service providers to urge Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council leadership to avoid cutting millions for foster care prevention services in this year's final budget. Despite promising to prioritize and invest in families, the Mamdani administration is now proposing more than $4 million in cuts to existing and expiring programs that are essential to keeping families together.

Watch a recording of the event here.

"Protecting our children and ensuring families can stay together is essential, which is why the work that our partners in and out of government have done to keep families whole, reduce foster placements, and help parents who need it most is indispensable. Unfortunately, this budget would defund the very groups making that progress possible. In a city where the vast majority of families swept into the foster system are Black and Brown, often for no reason other than a lack of resources, that is unacceptable. I'm proud to stand with these organizations and the families they serve, and I'll continue working with Council leadership to restore this funding so that we can deliver a city that works for all families," said Councilmember Rita Joseph.

"At Power of Two, we see every day how parents and children can thrive when they have someone in their corner. Our work has touched thousands of families through some of the hardest and loneliest times of their lives, and there is no better feeling than watching a caregiver and their child grow stronger together with the right resources. Without the funding to continue this work, thousands of families will suddenly be left on their own, at risk of falling into a system that too often does not serve them. We urge the Mayor to reconsider these cuts, and we call on the Council to restore this funding so no family has to worry about losing the support they need, right when they need it most," said Coleen Stevens Porcher, Executive Director at Power of Two.

In the last decade, foster care prevention providers have worked with the City to help cut foster care placements in half to a historic low of roughly 6,300. These service providers have also helped reduce the risk of postpartum depression and other mental health issues for caregivers and behavioral and mental health problems for children.

Despite this success, the City is proposing millions in cuts to existing and expiring prevention services. Power of Two is one of the organizations most at risk, and after weathering a Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) effort from the Adams Administration last year, the City informed Power of Two last month that it does not intend to renew the organization's $1.5 million contract despite meeting its benchmarks and saving the city millions in downstream costs associated with foster care placements.

These cuts would be devastating for the thousands of families that rely on Power of Two and other service providers - especially at a moment when families are already stretched thin by housing costs, federal food assistance cuts, and economic instability. Since 2015, the organization has provided an evidence-based Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC) program that has served over 6,000 caregivers and more than 6,500 children across 40 of the 51 Council districts.

Power of Two's contract with the Administration for Children's Services has been an unequivocal success, helping hundreds of families receive life-changing programs they rely on and reducing the risk of mental health conditions, behavioral problems in school, post-partum depression, and foster care placements. The decision not to renew Power of Two's contract would also force the organization to lay off 65% of its staff, the majority of whom are people of color.

With just days until a final budget agreement, the group is urging Mayor Mamdani and Council leadership to immediately restore this funding and renew these contracts in the final budget to help keep families together and save the city millions.

"Organizations like Power of Two are essential to New York City's future, and the tireless work they do to keep families together makes our communities stronger. Walking away from these programs would not only erase that progress, but actively deepen the same inequities that elected officials have long promised to fight against and which families across Brookly cannot afford. I urge the Administration and the Council to keep this funding in the final budget and stand with the families counting on them," said Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, President & CEO of Brooklyn Org.

"New York City relies on nonprofits like Power of Two to build a better, more equitable future for all families. But nonprofits cannot deliver for New Yorkers if their funding is the first thing on the chopping block. Abandoning these groups would be devastating for everyday New Yorkers, and it would actively undercut the Mayor and Council's promise to deliver a more affordable, equitable city. I urge our elected officials to restore this funding and protect the people who need it most," said Jacqueline M. Ebanks, President & CEO of Nonprofit New York.

About Power of Two

Power of Two is a homegrown New York City community organization dedicated to nurturing the inherent potential in every child and family. Power of Two aims to break cycles of disinvestment and intergenerational trauma by equipping parents/caregivers with the tools to transform their lives and strengthen their communities. We do this by partnering directly with families to deliver the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) home-visiting parent coaching program. Since our inception in 2015, we have partnered with over 13,000 caregivers and young children (over 6,500 families) from 175 zip codes across all five boroughs to support forming strong bonds during an integral time in their lives. By the end of our partnership with families: 70% of parents increase their sensitivity, which is essential for a strong early childhood foundation; approximately half of children displaying at-risk behaviors eliminate those behaviors; and 64% of caregivers who report depressive symptoms have their symptoms alleviated.