City Hall, NY – The New York City Council voted to pass legislation to expand support for vulnerable youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. This package of bills represents the fifth segment of the Council’s Mental Health Roadmap, a comprehensive and evolving plan to improve mental health outcomes for New Yorkers. The legislation makes the innovative Fair Futures program that supports foster youth permanent under city law, improves data collection on foster youth, and requires evidence-based training for staff in juvenile detention facilities.
Along with the bills, the Mental Health Roadmap called for enhanced funding for runaway and homeless youth (RHY) beds. The Council secured $6 million in baselined funding for 100 RHY beds in the recently adopted Fiscal Year 2026 budget, increasing the total beds to 160. The funding will help ensure young people in need of shelter are not turned away when seeking temporary housing options.
Youth involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems are significantly more likely to experience trauma, housing instability, and mental health challenges compared to their peers. Nearly one in three young people aging out of the city’s foster care system remains in foster care or a group home because they are unable to find housing. And over 75% of youth in the juvenile justice system are living with a mental health condition.
“These bills are another step forward for the Council’s Mental Health Roadmap and an essential investment in our future by supporting young people who too often have been left behind,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “I’m proud to pass my legislation that will make the Fair Futures program a permanent support system for foster youth and strengthen data collection on the experiences and outcomes of these young people in our city. By prioritizing evidence-based decisions and programs to meet the needs of our young people involved in the foster care system, we are committing to support their success as future leaders of New York City. I thank my Fair Futures daughter, Cheyanne, for her powerful advocacy and partnership in shaping these bills.”
“Far too often, staff at juvenile detention centers and community-based organizations are expected to handle high-stress situations without sufficient training in behavioral health support, placing both themselves and the youth in their care at serious risk,” said Council Member Linda Lee, Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction. “Intro 1259 addresses this critical gap by equipping staff with the tools they need to respond safely and effectively, using trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches to care. We are leveling the playing field by investing not only in government systems, but also in the trusted community partners who make rehabilitation possible.”
The legislative package contains the following bills:
Introduction 1245-A, sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Adams, would amend the report on foster youth required by Local Law 145 of 2016 to require the data be disaggregated by age. This bill would also require information to be collected on the council district of each supportive housing building in which foster youth are placed.
Introduction 1246-A, sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Adams, would codify into law the Fair Futures Program, in which ACS partners with non-profit organizations to provide coaching and tutoring in a range of academic, career development, housing, and independent living programs for young people in or who have exited foster care.
Introduction 1259-A, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would require that all direct service staff employed at juvenile detention facilities who are not professionally certified or licensed in mental health, behavioral analysis, medicine, or a similar field, to complete foundational training in behavioral support strategies. Such strategies include de-escalation and crisis prevention techniques, guidance on incorporating trauma-informed and culturally competent practices when addressing challenging behaviors, as well as basic principles for encouraging positive behaviors and learning. The bill would also require the commissioner of ACS to make the trainings, informational materials, and guidance available to providers who work directly with youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
These latest bills follow the previous segment of the Council’s Mental Health Roadmap, consisting of legislation passed in January to expand youth mental health support by increasing resources for school-based peer-to-peer programming. Speaker Adams first outlined a focus on peer-based mental health solutions for youth in her 2024 State of the City address to address the rise in youth mental health challenges.
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