Children and Family Services

1091 Development Court
Kingston, NY 12401
Phone: 845-334-5400
Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday-Friday

Adult Services: This unit incorporates Adult Protective, Personal Care, Long Term Home Health Care, Family-Type Homes, Adult Foster Care and SSI services into one generic unit. A Central Intake System combining Ulster County Office for the Aging and Social Services facilitates better community access to all services for adults.

Child Protective Services: The CPS Unit is responsible for investigating reports of child abuse and/or maltreatment within 24 hours of receipt of a report to the State Central Registry. The toll free hotline number to the State Central Registry is 1-800-342-3720. When necessary, CPS seeks from the Family Court an Order of Protection, court-ordered services for the family, and/or authority to place a child in foster care.

The Family Violence Investigative Unit investigates cases of domestic violence, physical abuse and sexual abuse reported to the State Central Registry. Teams of law enforcement officers and child protective caseworkers jointly respond and investigate these reports. Under the joint supervision of a NYS Police Senior Investigator and a Child Protective Services supervisor, this unit is a multi-disciplinary team operating from the Ulster County Family and Child Advocacy Center located at 51 Hurley Ave. in Kingston, NY. The Ulster County Family & Child Advocacy Center provides a child friendly environment which employs trained, diverse and culturally competent team members. The Center provides forensic interviewing, victim support and advocacy, medical and therapeutic services to the child and non-offending adult victim in one location.

Assessment/Intake Unit: This unit is responsible for the assessment of referrals for children's services that are made to the Department of Social Services but are not connected with the State Central Registry. Referrals come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to, schools, neighbors, agencies and self-referrals. Referrals are assessed in order to determine the need for mandated preventive services, community-based services or placement in foster care.

Preventive Services: This unit seeks to deliver an array of services to meet the multiplicity of problems that threaten the breakup of families and the placement of children in foster care. These services include casework counseling, parenting skills training, and referrals to community based programs.

Foster Care: Foster Care services for children are defined as assessing the need for, arranging for and providing for placement and related services to children in an appropriate foster care setting. Children are placed by either the request of a parent or guardian or as a result of a judicial determination that the child's continuation in his own home would be contrary to the welfare of such child. Children are placed from birth up to age 18 and can remain in care up to age 21 if they entered prior to turning 18. The Foster Care Homefinding Unit is responsible for securing placements in foster homes for children who are in the custody of the department and recruiting and training new foster and adoptive parents.

New York State Foster Care