A STATEMENT FROM SUFFOLK AME TO OUR DEDICATED MEMBERSHIP

IN RESPONSE TO TODAY’S NEWSDAY ARTICLE

‍

Suffolk AME proudly represents the dedicated men and women who serve Suffolk County, including those who work tirelessly in Suffolk County’s Child Protective Services (CPS). We are deeply committed to advocating for our members, professionals who face complex, emotionally taxing, and often dangerous work every single day to protect the most vulnerable children and families in our community.

When Newsday approached us for an interview regarding the challenges faced by CPS workers, we declined a formal interview but submitted a comprehensive official statement. Unfortunately, Newsday chose not to publish the full statement, instead cherry-picking excerpts that stripped our message of essential context and distorted our position to fit their narrative.

‍

Our statement read in full:

“Child protective work is complex and challenging in ways few can truly imagine. Caseworkers and supervisors are tasked with making heart-wrenching decisions that can impact children and families for a lifetime. They often work in dangerous — sometimes life-threatening — situations, as demonstrated by the tragic murder of Westchester County CPS worker Maria Coto in 2024.

Despite this, we rarely see meaningful discussion in the media about what can be done to support these professionals and strengthen this critical work. What can we, as a community, do to improve the working conditions for these unsung heroes who, despite facing criticism at every turn, continue to show up for children and families?

The emotional toll of this work cannot be discounted. If we truly want to protect and serve children and families, we must also prioritize supporting those who dedicate their lives to doing just that.

Furthermore, we must not only prioritize supporting those who dedicate their lives to this difficult work but also refrain from retroactively judging them through the benefit of hindsight.”

‍

To be clear: child protective work is extraordinarily challenging and fraught with risks, including threats to personal safety. Our members perform a job that is extremely complex and multifaceted, often under intense scrutiny and pressure. We rarely see constructive media conversations on how to support these frontline workers or improve the conditions under which they work daily.

We must discuss the actual issues facing these workers rather than shifting the blame. Issues like changing procedure without the input of those doing the actual work and how their jobs will be impacted, attracting and maintaining a skilled and talented workforce through fair compensation that drives candidates to us rather than pushing them away, workplace training and support that ensures they can do their jobs safely and effectively, and much more.

Despite attempts by some in the media to cast our members in a negative light, Suffolk AME remains unequivocally focused on advocacy that leads to real, tangible improvements. We continue to champion critical legislation such as Senate Bill S6986 and Assembly Bill A7831, which would establish enhanced protections for CPS workers by criminalizing assaults and threats against them. Both bills remain in committee, and we urge our elected officials to expeditiously move these measures forward to safeguard those who safeguard our children.

Suffolk AME stands united with our members and the wider community in demanding respect, support, and the necessary resources to carry out this vital work. It is only through sustained commitment and partnership that we can honor and protect those who protect our children.