” . . . Black families are five times more likely to be investigated by ACS (like Children’s Services in England) and 14 times more likely to be separated from their children than white families”. We need the figures for England & Wales, great that the truth is starting to come out!

By ELIZE MANOUKIAN, ELLEN MOYNIHAN and DAVE GOLDINER, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, JUN 20, 2020

Chanting “ACS is the Family Police,” about 200 people, many with young children, marched from Brooklyn Family Court to Manhattan Family Court in Foley Square. They ended at the ACS Children’s Center, where minors who are removed from their homes are held until they are placed in foster care.

Christine Gottlieb, co-director of NYU Family Defense Clinic, said Black families are five times more likely to be investigated by ACS and 14 times more likely to be separated from their children than white families.

Angeline Montauban once sought help escaping an abusive relationship. Instead of helping her, she alleges the Administration for Children’s Services took her son away. (Elize Mankounian)

It’s not just the police that are accused of undervaluing Black lives.

Black families marched Saturday to demand justice in New York City’s child-welfare system, which they say disproportionately punishes Black parents.

Angeline Montauban, 40, once sought help escaping an abusive relationship. Instead of helping her, she says the Administration for Children’s Services took her son away.

“What I needed was support,” said Montauban. “There was no one hurting the child.”

Chanting “ACS is the Family Police,” about 200 people, many with young children, marched from Brooklyn Family Court to Manhattan Family Court in Foley Square. They ended at the ACS Children’s Center, where minors who are removed from their homes are held until they are placed in foster care.

Christine Gottlieb, co-director of NYU Family Defense Clinic, said Black families are five times more likely to be investigated by ACS and 14 times more likely to be separated from their children than white families.

Joyce McMillan founded the Parents Legislative Action Network (PLAN) after she was wrongly accused of mistreating her son more than two decades ago.

Fighting for her family taught her how the system is stacked against poor women of color.

“No more hiding behind the guise of protecting children when the only thing you are protecting them from is success,” McMillan said.

When the protesters got to Foley Square, they wound up mingling with another protest.

They issued the same call for justice but marched to a very different beat.

Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters danced behind a New Orleans-style street band in a fresh call for an end to police brutality and racial injustice.

Tyrone Williams, a former Marine from Chelsea, said he feels driven by history to participate in the protests that have sprung up since the police killing of George Floyd.

“Every borough, every city, every state. Even overseas,” said Williams, 54. “When they are marching for what is going on over here, that is a big deal.”

The joyful protest had some of the same demands as other demonstrations, like stripping at least $1 billion in funding from the NYPD and barring cops from schools.

In New Orleans, street musicians often lead crowds through streets at funerals in a mix of grief and celebration of life.

The protest brought that spirit to the heart of Manhattan, starting at Foley Square courthouses that activists see as a symbol of anger and frustration over the repeated murders of Black people by police, and the generational criminalization of our communities.

The crowd of about 1,000 marched onto Duane Street, silent at first. Soon the band began playing “We Shall Overcome” as people sang along.

Moving through Tribeca, the band played “Get Up Stand Up” by Bob Marley. Occasional chants of “Black Lives Matter”, “George Floyd” and “Breonna Taylor” broke out.

Tanya Fitzgerald, 53, was bobbing along to the music, but had a serious message about police brutality.

“We are supposed to feel safe with them,” Fitzgerald said. “We are not supposed to be afraid of them.”

In another demonstration Saturday afternoon, thousands of bicyclists rolled from Times Square up to Columbus Circle where dozens of NYPD officers were gathered near the statue of Christopher Columbus and then continued the trek uptown.

At sunset, cylists continued to bike by, with one man cursing “f—- you white shirt.”

“Personally, for me, there has to be more change,” another bike rider told NY1. “We can’t let this die down, we just got to keep going.”