How NYC’s lax child-protection standards failed Promise Cotton

New York Post - Apr 21st, 2025

A shocking incident in the Bronx has highlighted critical failures by the Administration of Children’s Services (ACS) and the NYPD. Four-year-old Promise Cotton was found living for two weeks with the decomposing bodies of her mother, Lisa Cotton, and brother, Nazir Millien, in their Bronx apartment. Despite neighbors' complaints about a foul odor and concerns for the family's wellbeing, both ACS and police failed to take immediate action. This tragic discovery was only made when a relative entered the apartment, finding Promise surviving on chocolate next to her deceased family members.

This case underscores systemic issues within child protective services, particularly for children in high-risk environments due to parental mental illness or substance abuse. Despite Lisa Cotton’s known history of child maltreatment and mental health challenges, ACS's approach to child neglect as a lesser issue, and their diversion of cases to the CARES program, failed to prevent this tragedy. This oversight reflects broader policy inadequacies where critical risk factors for child maltreatment are no longer triggers for urgent investigation, raising questions about the effectiveness of current child protection strategies and the need for reform.

Mental Health Child Protection Nypd Child Neglect Acs Promise Cotton Lisa Cotton Bronx Tragedy

Story submitted by Fairstory

RATING

6.2

Moderately Fair

Read with skepticism

The article effectively highlights a tragic incident and systemic issues in child protection services, making it relevant and impactful. It provides a clear narrative and engages readers by addressing significant public interest topics. However, the story's credibility is somewhat undermined by a lack of direct sourcing from official entities and a limited range of perspectives. Improving source quality and transparency would enhance the article's reliability and balance. Overall, the story succeeds in raising awareness and prompting discussion about critical child welfare issues, but it could benefit from a more comprehensive and well-rounded approach.

Accuracy

The story provides a detailed account of a tragic incident involving Promise Cotton and her family. It accurately describes the discovery of the child living with her deceased family members and highlights the alleged inaction of the Administration of Children’s Services (ACS) and the police. The article references specific incidents from Lisa Cotton's past, including her arrest for child abandonment and a rooftop incident, which are crucial to understanding the context. However, the story's accuracy would benefit from direct citations or references to official reports or statements from ACS or law enforcement to verify these claims. Additionally, the broader claims about ACS policies and their changes over the years require confirmation from official ACS documents or credible sources.

Balance

The article predominantly focuses on criticizing the ACS and the police, suggesting a bias towards highlighting systemic failures. While it mentions the neighbors' concerns and actions, it does not provide perspectives from ACS officials, law enforcement, or mental health professionals who might offer insights into the challenges faced in such cases. Including these viewpoints could provide a more balanced understanding of the complexities involved in child protection and the systemic issues at play.

Clarity

The article is well-structured and uses clear, concise language to convey the tragic events and systemic issues. The narrative is easy to follow, and the use of specific examples, such as the comparison to the Kitty Genovese case, helps to contextualize the story. However, the article could benefit from a clearer distinction between verified facts and opinions or assumptions, particularly regarding the critique of ACS policies.

Source quality

The article relies heavily on statements from neighbors and past reports, but it lacks direct quotes from official sources such as ACS representatives or law enforcement. This reliance on secondary sources and the absence of direct attribution to credible authorities weaken the overall source quality. Incorporating statements from officials or referencing official documents would enhance the article's credibility and reliability.

Transparency

The story does not clearly disclose its sources or provide detailed explanations of how the information was obtained, which affects its transparency. While it outlines the incidents and ACS policies, it does not clarify the basis for certain claims, such as the changes in ACS investigation criteria. Greater transparency regarding the sources and methods used to gather information would improve the article's credibility.