NEW YORK (AP) — State officials say they're ready to provide social services to the estimated hundreds of immigrant children housed at New York foster-care facilities after being separated from their asylum-seeking parents.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says Monday that state agencies can send public services providers to government-contracted foster care agencies that request help for children separated from parents after the families were caught crossing the southern border illegally.

The Democrat was joined at his Manhattan office by the heads of the state health and family services agencies and by immigrant advocates. He also announced that state services can be provided to children released to a foster family or to a relative living in New York state.

Cuomo has been highly critical of Republican President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policy that results in the separation of asylum-seeking families.

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