The commissioner shall appoint at least three deputy commissioners.
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Administrative Code Appendix A at L.L. 2010/061.
a. The commissioner shall have the powers and perform the duties of a commissioner of social services under the social services law for the purpose of fulfilling his or her responsibilities under this section. The commissioner shall have the power to perform functions related to the care and protection of children including, but not limited to:
1. performing the functions of a child protective service, including without limitation, the receipt and investigation of reports of child abuse and maltreatment;
2. providing children and families with preventative services for the purpose of averting the impairment or disruption of families which could result in the placement of children in foster care; enabling children placed in foster care to return to their families; and reducing the likelihood that a child who has been discharged from foster care may return to such care;
3. providing suitable and appropriate care for children who are in the care, custody, or guardianship of the commissioner;
4. providing appropriate daycare, Head Start and other child-care services; and
5. providing services to ensure that legally responsible parents provide child support.
b. Wherever the powers and duties of an agency other than the administration for children's services as set forth in the charter or administrative code confer any authority over the areas of child welfare, child development or child support enforcement within the jurisdiction of the commissioner of children's services pursuant to section six hundred seventeen of this chapter, such powers and duties shall be deemed to be within the jurisdiction of the administration for children's services and shall be exercised by such administration; provided that such other agency may exercise such powers and duties where required by state or federal law, or, with respect to child support enforcement or determinations of eligibility for subsidized child care, by the department of social services as directed by the mayor.
c. No agency practice, including but not limited to any tracking system, record keeping or reporting system or data collection system or device, may prejudice the rights of, stigmatize or otherwise harm a person because of his or her gender or relationship to a child or children involved in a child protective matter. To the extent that requirements of this subdivision are subject to state approval, the agency will request permission to make any changes in policy necessary to comply with the provisions of this subdivision within ninety days of the effective date of the local law that added this subdivision. The agency shall promulgate such rules as are necessary for the purposes of implementing and carrying out the provisions of this subdivision.
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Administrative Code Appendix A at L.L. 2003/052 and L.L. 2010/061.
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