Power of Two Urges Mamdani Admin To Reverse Budget Cuts To Lifesaving Prevention Providers

NEW YORK, NY (06/30/2026) (readMedia)-- Today, the New York City Council and Mayor Zohran Mamdani agreed to a final city budget that includes major cuts to foster care and primary prevention services that help thousands of families across the city stay together. The FY2027 budget makes more than $4 million in cuts to existing and expiring programs, including to Power of Two, which has consistently met its benchmarks and saved the city millions in downstream costs associated with foster care placements.

In response, Power of Two Executive Director Coleen Stevens Porcher issued the following statement:

"Power of Two is deeply concerned by the Mayor's decision to pass a budget that defunds prevention services that families across the city depend on. As one of the largest providers of these services, we know that defunding the organizations doing the hard work to keep families together will leave thousands of New Yorkers alone when they need help most and will cost the city millions more down the line. At a time when millions of New Yorkers are struggling to get by, stripping resources from the predominantly Black and Brown families who rely on them will put thousands of children and their caregivers at greater risk of harm. We thank Councilmember Althea Stevens for standing with these families, and look forward to working with the Council to restore this funding so no family is left behind."

In May, the City informed Power of Two that it does not intend to renew the organization's $1.5 million contract to provide an evidence-based Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC) program that, since 2015, has served over 6,000 caregivers and more than 6,500 children across 40 of the 51 Council districts. If unchanged, these cuts will 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.

Last week, Power of Two rallied with Councilmembers Rita Joseph, Tiffany Cabán, Althea Stevens and more to urge Mayor Mamdani and City leadership to reconsider these cuts and continue to fund critical prevention services. Watch a recording of the event here.

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, postpartum depression, and foster care placements. The decision not to renew Power of Two's contract will also force the organization to lay off 65% of its staff, the majority of whom are people of color.

In the last decade, foster care and primary 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.

About Power of Two

Power of Two is a homegrown New York City community-based 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.