An independent watchdog will investigate Children’s Services and long-standing city contractors after allegations surfaced that city-funded babysitters were caught on video abusing nearly 60 young children.
The investigation will examine ACS and its contractor, Self-Help, following reports of failures to protect one mother and other domestic violence victims.
This situation raises serious questions about the oversight practices applied to this particular ACS contractor.
Since 2008, Self-Help has been awarded close to $400 million in urban contracts.
A Bronx mother, Geraldine Jaramiro, was reportedly filmed while her ACS-funded babysitter, 24-year-old La’keysha Jackson, was seen hitting two children almost 60 times at their home on May 6th.
Family members expressed shock at the footage, which showed Jackson regularly abusing three children under six, as documented by the video.
Despite the evidence, city officials seem unsure of Jackson’s whereabouts nearly a month after Jaramiro handed over the footage to the police.
Jackson was the second caregiver assigned to the family after the first was found using alcohol and smoking near the children.
According to Diane Struzzi, a spokesperson for the investigation, state law might restrict access to caregivers’ records, complicating the inquiry.
These access limitations, as noted by Struzzi, could pose challenges to the investigation.
The graphic video depicted Jackson striking two young children a total of 58 times, and further disturbing behavior is also alleged, including her wearing unsettling costumes to frighten the kids while Jaramiro was at work.
“Child safety and well-being are our top priorities,” stated ACS spokesperson Marisa Kaufman, emphasizing their commitment to addressing this troubling behavior.
Officials from the state’s Department of Children and Family Services, along with ACS and city hall, did not provide comments before publication.
Meanwhile, questions linger regarding why Jackson has not been immediately arrested, even with the video evidence readily available for weeks.
Jaramiro recounted, “We reported it to the police, went to the hospital… they assured us she would be arrested, but here we are, nearly a month later, and nothing has happened.”
A neighbor near Jackson’s last known address shared that they hadn’t seen her in over a week but remarked on how long her family had lived there.
“Honestly, it’s very surprising,” the neighbor remarked about the video. “The kids are lovely; all she does is focus on religion, school, and work.”
Longtime locals also contested the idea that Jackson would dress in a frightening outfit, noting it was unusual for her character, which led them to believe the video may not depict the whole truth.
According to records, Jackson was terminated once Self-Help became aware of the video and stated they would cooperate with the ACS and NYPD investigations.
Since 2008, Self-Help has secured nearly $393.2 million in urban contracts, with approximately $83 million currently active.
The organization has worked with ACS since 2009, with a homemaker service agreement, similar to the one Jaramiro utilized, extending until December 2026 worth a total of $92.2 million.
Established in 1936 to assist refugees from Nazi Germany, Self-Help is reported to continue serving around 5,000 Holocaust survivors.
The nonprofit reportedly holds $250 million in assets, providing support to more than 26,000 seniors.
In 2022, CEO Stuart Kaplan earned an annual salary of $1.1 million.
La’keysha Jackson was considered a member of the family, supported by a taxpayer-funded program.
