New York City Daycare Abuse Substantiation Rose
The rate of substantiated child abuse cases at city daycare facilities climbed to 24.4% in the latest fiscal year.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Child Care
Reported child abuse cases at regulated New York City daycares reached 564 in the last fiscal year. The substantiation rate for these reports rose to 24.4%, a significant increase from 13.1% in the 2024 fiscal year.
Why it matters
The surge in substantiated reports has prompted city officials and Council members to seek an investigation into the cause of the increased abuse reporting. This development arrives as the city prepares to clear its child care voucher waitlist for over 10,000 children.
The city's child care infrastructure serves 475,000 children across 11,000 providers. Officials also reported 43,678 enrollments for 3-K and 55,042 for pre-K during the 2026 fiscal year.
The players
Devonte Brown
He is a former Brooklyn daycare teacher who was arrested in February 2026 for allegedly molesting four children.
Eva Crèche Day Care
This childcare facility located in Prospect Lefferts Gardens was shut down by city officials due to reports of physical mistreatment.
Kathy Hochul
She is the Governor of New York who committed $1.2 billion in state funding to support child care expansion efforts.
Administration for Children's Services
This is the city agency responsible for investigating all allegations of child abuse and neglect reported to the state.
The details
The Administration for Children's Services investigates all allegations of neglect or abuse reported to the New York State Central Register. Recent enforcement actions included the closure of the Eva Crèche Day Care in Prospect Lefferts Gardens following reports of physical mistreatment, while an arrest was made in Brooklyn regarding alleged molestation.
Timeline
The child abuse substantiation rate was 13.1 percent during the 2024 fiscal year.
Devonte Brown was arrested in February 2026 for alleged child abuse in Brooklyn.
The Mayor's Management Report detailing these statistics was released in September 2026.
The city announced the expansion of free child care slots in October 2026.
Culture Shift
The city's performance metrics are evaluated annually in The Mayor's Management Report, which provides the official benchmark for assessing childcare facility compliance. This story utilizes the data released in the 2026 edition of this document to track trends in child safety.
Parents and guardians can review the history of city-inspected facilities as officials continue to conduct background checks on staff. The upcoming voucher expansion aims to provide childcare for an additional 10,000 children across the city.
The takeaway
Families should remain vigilant by checking the regulatory status of local childcare providers through official city channels. Parents can utilize the Administration for Children's Services resources to understand safety protocols and how to report concerns.
Further reading
Learn more about local regulations on our Child Care hub.
Source note: This article includes information reported by New York Post.
