Families mourning children who passed away while under the care of child welfare agencies in New York City feel a recent report confirms their fears: no real changes have been made.
A troubling investigation by the Department of Investigation (DOI) shows that the child welfare agency still prevents law enforcement from probing the abuse and fatalities of many vulnerable youths in its custody. This is a concern for victims’ relatives, who spoke to the Post about the potential for further tragedies.
“When a child dies, someone has to pay for it,” Nisha Ragsdale remarked. Her 4-year-old nephew, Jermeik Mauldin, was discovered starved in their Harlem home back in 2024.
His mother, Nitavia Ragsdale, is currently awaiting trial on charges of murder and manslaughter.
“My sister had infections that were reported,” Nisha said. “There’s simply no way no one told me she had it for years, leading to my nephew’s death. It can’t happen that quickly.”
”It needed time, and the DOI should have had access to all this information,” she added.
The DOI report released on May 5 indicates that ACS might be one of the most selective agencies in the city.
The investigation revealed that ACS blocked the DOI from examining files in 17 of 18 child fatalities that occurred under its recent oversight.
In 2024, ACS denied access to 13 out of 16 child death cases and withheld 19 of 25 files related to cases of child fatalities in 2023. They also refused to allow access to records of suspected sexual misconduct.
“When a child in New York City dies or is seriously injured due to neglect or abuse, it is more than just a tragedy,” the report notes. “It represents a failure, and city officials must reflect on where things went wrong and how they can improve.”
Released exactly one year later, the DOI report highlights several troubling incidents where children suffered from chronic neglect and abuse under ACS supervision.
In Jermeik’s situation, both his mother and father, Laron Modlin, had been subjects of multiple ACS neglect reports since 2019 before the boy’s tragic death on October 13, 2024.
The family’s refrigerator, filled with food, was placed against the wall so the little boy couldn’t reach it.
In another sad case, 5-year-old Denille Timberlake died from a methadone overdose in July 2025; his father was under investigation for previous child endangerment charges by ACS.
“There should be complete transparency,” Denille’s grandfather, Joseph James, insisted. “That should be mandated. Right now, the system doesn’t make sense.”
“My grandson is gone,” he added. “This was a failure that slipped through the cracks.”
Julius Batis, whose 7-year-old daughter Julisia was killed by her mother in 2021 after ACS returned her to a risky home, voiced the need for full public access to ACS records.
“Release everything,” he urged. “It doesn’t matter if some calls are fake; when you conceal information, it seems like something’s being hidden.”
“That’s why the system is struggling,” he claimed.
In a particularly dire case, 8-year-old Nazir Milien, who had disabilities, was discovered deceased in a Bronx apartment alongside his troubled mother, while his 4-year-old sister survived by consuming remains.
An NYPD officer and an ACS worker had knocked on the door but left when no one answered.
“The focus should be on the children,” Nazir’s grandfather, Hubert Cotton, stated. “Their welfare must be the priority.”
Cotton emphasized that all relevant city agencies should collaborate to find solutions.
“More leaders coming together could lead to improvement, but we need to be united in purpose,” he argued. “ ACS must be included in these discussions as it bears responsibility.”
ACS officials have consistently highlighted their commitment to the children they serve, while also asserting their obligation to protect the identities of families in their care.
“ACS acknowledges the important oversight role of the Bureau of Investigation and remains focused on holding individuals accountable for possible misconduct,” a representative emphasized in a statement.
“ACS is dedicated to transparency and accountability while ensuring the confidentiality of the families it serves,” the representative stated.
Under state social services laws, information about these families remains confidential.
