Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-88th A.D.) has been appointed as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Children and Families. A member of the Committee since her election, Paulin has been a leader in addressing the needs of children and their families.

“I am honored that Speaker Silver has appointed me as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Children and Families” Paulin said, “I view this appointment as an opportunity to ensure that legislation enacted in the past is producing results, to improve child protective systems in New York, and to enact new legislation that will protect the interests of children and their families.”

Paulin has long advocated for the needs of children. Following the deaths of seven children in New York in 2005, Paulin initiated public hearings to review the existing child fatality review process. In response to the problems identified, Paulin led efforts to: implement a pilot differential response program for child abuse reports; establish the CHAMP (Child Abuse Medical Provider) program; clarify the mandated reporting requirements for teachers and other professionals; expand the scope of child fatality review investigations; and create protocols for hospital employees in the event of the death of a child.

In the current session, Paulin is working on legislation to prevent infant death and injury resulting from unsafe abandonment, to ensure that the State has the ability to utilize experts to investigate child abuse or neglect reports, to create fellowships in the specialized area of child abuse pediatrics, and to mandate that the Crime Victim’s Board reimburse the cost of physical abuse assessments.

As Chair of the Committee on Children and Families, Paulin will continue her efforts to ensure that the laws we have in place are protecting the safety and welfare of children. She expects to conduct hearings to evaluate the reforms adopted as a result of the 2006 hearings and identify any areas for further improvement. Paulin will also seek to make permanent the differential response program.

Paulin served as the Executive Director of My Sisters’ Place, a non-profit agency in Westchester that assists victims of domestic violence. Paulin was named a Leader in the Fight against Domestic Violence by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence after authoring landmark legislation that lengthens orders of protection. She was also a member of the Westchester Task Force on Families from for five years.

Assemblywoman Paulin is a member of the Assembly Committees on Education, Health, and Higher Education.