By: Hal C Clarke

Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is considering appointing a controversial activist who has called for abolishing Child Protective Services to head New York City’s child welfare agency, the NY Post reported.

Angela Burton, 65, is in the final stages of interviews to lead the Administration of Children’s Services (ACS), according to a source familiar with the selection process cited by the NY Post. ACS is responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect and overseeing the city’s foster care system — functions similar to those carried out statewide by Child Protective Services.

Burton has been an outspoken critic of CPS and the broader foster care system. As the NY Post reported, she is affiliated with the nonprofit Children’s Rights through its New York Mandated Reporting Working Group. The group’s stated mission includes narrowing mandated reporting laws and reducing what it describes as invasive investigations triggered by such reports.

On its website, the working group argues that mandated reporting laws have led to the over-surveillance and separation of families, particularly among Black, Latino and low-income communities.

Burton has taken even stronger positions publicly. In a 2023 post on X, she wrote, “We don’t need CPS,” and characterized the system as harmful to Black families. In another post that year, she compared the state’s child protection system to “child slavery.” She has also used the phrase “foster care industrial complex” in calling for sweeping changes.

In a 2024 social media post highlighted by the NY Post, Burton described CPS investigations as a “grave and imminent threat” to children and families and cited statistics about the proportion of Black children subject to investigations.

Critics argue that those statements raise serious concerns about how she would lead ACS if appointed. Rafael Mangual, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, told the NY Post that Burton’s prior remarks suggest she could weaken the agency’s ability to remove children from dangerous situations.

“I think somebody like Angela Burton would accelerate a radical agenda that would leave kids vulnerable and unsafe,” Mangual said, according to the NY Post, warning of potentially severe consequences.

Another source told the outlet that Burton has indicated to allies she expects to secure the position, and that her possible appointment is generating concern among some observers.

Burton previously served as special counsel for interdisciplinary matters within the Justice Initiatives division of the New York State Office of Court Administration, which focuses on child welfare and juvenile justice matters. According to the NY Post, she said in a 2023 social media post that she was fired in 2022 after planning to speak out at a government panel about investigating abuse claims.

The Administration of Children’s Services referred the NY Post to City Hall for comment. The mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Burton. A spokesperson for the state court system also did not immediately respond, the paper reported.

If selected, Burton would oversee one of the city’s most sensitive agencies, responsible for balancing family preservation with child safety in abuse and neglect cases.