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National Foster Care Month Wraps up with Senate Caucus for Foster Youth Briefing on the Impacts of COVID-19

Posted on June 3, 2020

Aaliyah Roulhac

To conclude National Foster Care Month, the federal Senate Caucus for Foster Youth held a briefing on COVID-19’s impact on child welfare. The May 28th hearing shed light on the realities of vulnerable children and families who are already involved with the foster care system or families at risk of being involved in the child welfare system. Professionals, foster youth, advocates, physicians, caregivers and more weighed in on the current state of at-risk children and families different areas of the country and shared needed resources for those populations to thrive during the current health crisis.

Some of the issues that were raised during the hearing included the need for psychological treatment for abused children and training for the foster parents caring for them, a decline in reports of abuse due to schools being closed, the struggles that children with learning disabilities are facing while learning virtually, and the economic hardships of older youth who are transitioning from foster care to adulthood.

While the panelists from Michigan and Louisiana spoke about the needs of children and families in their own states, some of their issues are similar to issues we face here in New Jersey. ACNJ held a webinar discussing the impact of COVID-19 on New Jersey children and families with Department of Children and Families Commissioner Norbet-Beyer and members of her staff. Presenters talked about how we can all work together to strengthen families and help children in our state. Although National Foster Care Month has come to a close, advocating for the needs of children persists and continues nationally.

Helpful Links:

Watch the briefing
FosterClub Blog – Supporting Independent Young People from Foster Care During COVID-19 - ILP Poll Results
NJ DCF Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources
ACNJ - NJ Department of Children and Families’ Response to COVID-19

Reopening Child Care in NJ Webinar Series Starting Jun. 5th

Posted on June 2, 2020

Last week, Governor Murphy announced that child care will reopen on June 15th. Advocates for Children of New Jersey and Program for Parents present a webinar series to hear from emergency child care centers on how to get ready to reopen under the new state guidelines.

NOTE: The webinars will be recorded and live streamed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/acnjforkids.

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This first webinar in the series will consider the data and information you will need in order inform your reopening plan.  It will cover parent engagement, financials and staffing needs. Dr. Beverly Lynn will facilitate the discussion with a panel of child care directors providing real life examples and commentary.

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Consider “the day in the life of” from provider, parent and child’s perspectives.  What new policies will have to be in place? How will providers effectively and efficiently meet the obligations of the new policies.  Dr. Beverly Lynn will review the new social distancing mandates from check – in to check out, as well as safety and cleaning procedures.  Hear from emergency child care providers who are on the ground and are able to discuss evolving best practices.

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Consistent and reliable staff was important before and now it is key to successfully reopening your program.  Whether a center laid-off or furloughed their staff, this third webinar will take a deep dive into a provider's rights and obligations for re-hiring and training staff.  An expert will address concerns about fulfilling staffing needs.

New Data Shows Impact of COVID-19 on Families and Children

Posted on June 2, 2020

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey show how households with children are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in near-real-time. Most data are broken out by households with children under 18. The survey targets a few key topics, such as food sufficiency, housing insecurity, employment loss, educational changes and health status.  

In New Jersey*:

  • Approximately 1.4 million households with children are using online learning to receive educational services,
  • An estimated 94,000 households with children reported often not having enough to eat in the last 7 days
  • And roughly 1.5 million households with children have lost a job since March 13, 2020.

Learn more about the Household Pulse Survey methodology.
Access the new data tables (updated weekly).
View the interactive data tool.

At ACNJ, our KIDS COUNT data project aims to provide policymakers with accurate reliable data to help inform decision-making. Unfortunately, many data sources have a lag time between collection and publication. This means that in a fast-moving crisis like COVID-19, policymakers may be flying blind, without reliable data.

Thankfully, the new Household Pulse Survey is surveying tens of thousands of respondents nationally on how they’re doing, including state-level data for New Jersey and metropolitan area data for both Philadelphia and New York City, acting as a guide during the pandemic. 

ACNJ will use this information to produce new data products looking at New Jersey’s landscape for children and families as our state’s emergency orders evolve. Check our COVID-19 page for regular updates.

*Based on Household Pulse Survey, Detail Tables for Week 3: May 14-May 19.

ACNJ Stands in Solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter

Posted on June 2, 2020

The final moments of George Floyd’s life, as well as the countless other injustices impacting black and brown lives across the nation, highlight the need to combat the centuries of trauma that resulted from systemic racism. Now is a time to reflect, challenge our assumptions and actively address racism in our own communities. It’s not enough to simply not be racist.

For more than 40 years, Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) has worked to inform policies to give every child the chance to grow up safe, healthy and educated. Sadly, not every child has that same chance to thrive. Our Kids Count data show that even at birth, black babies face greater obstacles than their white counterparts. In New Jersey, babies born to black mothers are over three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies. Nearly a quarter of all black children live below poverty. And although black children occupy less than 15 percent of the state’s total child population, they make up 41 percent of the state's foster care population and 63 percent of the total statewide juvenile detention center admissions.

Racism has deep roots in our society, and needs to be dismantled and actively denounced by all.

Members of the ACNJ Board of Trustees and staff condemn racism that continues to occur, both nationally and in our own state. In addition, we will continue our commitment to emphasize the importance of race, equity and inclusion in our advocacy efforts so that every child can reach their full potential, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background. In order to truly be a strong nation, every family should have the supports they need to thrive.

In solidarity and in peace,
Cecilia Zalkind
ACNJ Pres/CEO

Sara Thom
Chairperson of the ACNJ Board of Trustees

BLOG: School’s Closed Due to COVID-19 – What Does That Mean?

Posted on May 6, 2020

Nina Peckman, Staff Attorney
Nina Peckman, Staff Attorney

It’s now official - On May 4th, Governor Murphy made the announcement via Twitter and his daily COVID-19 town hall that due to concern for the health and safety of students, teachers, and families, New Jersey schools will be closed for rest of the year, instead relying on remote learning. But what does this mean for students in the long term?

School districts will first have to submit a revised emergency preparedness plans to the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) regarding the rest of the year. Districts will have discretion in how they implement NJDOE guidelines, such as grading and retention issues. In the meantime, schools are developing creative solutions for high school graduations, proms and other celebrations, while also respecting health and safety considerations due to the pandemic. While there are no concrete plans for what will happen when schools reopen, some districts are considering summer school, staggered schedules, smaller classes, online learning and using facemasks for faculty, staff and students.

An NJDOE survey revealed there are still 90,000 students who lack access to technology needed for effective remote learning. New Jersey just applied for about $310 million under the federal CARES Act to help fund school district programs and address the needs of students who did not have access to education during the school closures. Parents should be contacting their schools to ask about any emergency plans. The NJDOE has stated that it is in the process of developing additional guidance. Parents can learn more about NJDOE’s latest guidance in light of COVID-19 by clicking here.