New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has yet to sign or veto legislation that would grant the city's Department of Investigation (DOI) greater access to records concerning the Administration for Children's Services (ACS). The bill, approved by state lawmakers in June, remains on Hochul's desk as a recent child fatality has intensified scrutiny of the child welfare agency.
DOI officials have expressed concerns over approximately 20 child deaths linked to ACS oversight in the past decade, stating that the proposed legislation is crucial for conducting thorough and independent investigations. According to a DOI spokesperson, current state law prevents the agency from accessing complete records in certain cases, particularly when allegations of abuse are not substantiated by ACS.
This situation has resurfaced in the wake of the death of 16-year-old Adonis Jarvis, an autistic boy who allegedly starved to death in his Bronx apartment. Prosecutors reported he weighed only 59 pounds at the time of his death in March, while his severely malnourished twin brother survived. The twins' mother, Geneva Jarvis, 36, and grandmother, Denise Jarvis, 62, have been charged with murder. Sources indicate the family had been known to ACS for over a decade before the case was closed in 2024.
Neighbors reported seeing city workers remove large amounts of trash from the family's apartment around the time the case was closed. A tour of the apartment by The Post revealed a squalid living environment with excessive garbage and an unsanitary kitchen and bathroom.
Adonis Jarvis and his twin brother were removed from their Bronx public school in January. Department of Education officials stated they made substantial efforts to support the family. A spokesperson for the DOE expressed condolences for the "heartbreaking" loss of the young person.
Neither the mother nor the grandmother has entered a plea, and both are being held without bail. The governor has until the end of the year to act on the ACS oversight bill.
Advocacy groups, such as Reinvent Albany, support the bill, arguing that current state law hinders the DOI's ability to identify systemic problems within ACS investigations. Rachel Fauss, senior policy advisor at Reinvent Albany, urged the governor to sign the legislation promptly to ensure public safety.
Some law enforcement officials have called for more drastic measures, suggesting federal intervention in ACS operations and accountability for those responsible for children's suffering and deaths.
Hochul's representatives stated that the state's Office of Children and Family Services is investigating Adonis Jarvis's death. A spokesperson for the governor affirmed that the administration is committed to holding perpetrators accountable and that the governor will review the legislation.