Twenty-five years ago Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) providing protected time off from work to people who are caring for a new baby or a sick loved one However, many families cannot afford to take advantage of the FMLA. Despite the fact that the first weeks of life are critical in a child’s long-term development, millions of American workers are forced to choose financial stability over taking time off to bond with their newborn. Let’s join advocates across the country to mark FMLA’s landmark birthday month and urge Congress to take the crucial next step – paid family leave.
ZERO TO THREE has launched a new Paid Family Leave Advocacy Toolkit. The information and resources will help to communicate effectively with your policymakers and networks about what is at stake when America’s workforce can’t afford to take time off to spend with their new babies.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which helps to fund NJ FamilyCare was finally extended on Monday as part of the short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) spending bill Congress passed and the President signed to end the federal government shutdown. This extension is set to last six years. This is a BIG deal for nearly 200,000 children in New Jersey and millions of children across the country.
Our state has always enjoyed bi-partisan support for NJ FamilyCare and CHIP because these programs have successfully reduced the number of uninsured New Jersey children to 3.7 percent, the lowest ever. With this insurance, these children can see their doctor on a regular basis and receive the preventive health and dental care they need to remain healthy and attend school ready to learn.
But we are not done. The funding for other critical programs such as the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visitation (MIECHV) program also expired. MIECHV supports home visitation programs in our state which connect new parents with trained home visitors, such as nurses, social workers, and educators. These programs have undergone scientific studies proving their effectiveness in helping to end multi-generational cycles of poverty and put families on the path to good health, educational success and economic self-sufficiency.
For years, ACNJ has been leading the charge to reduce chronic absenteeism in schools across New Jersey. Recently, a landmark school attendance bill unanimously passed both houses of the New Jersey legislature requiring that schools keep track of chronically absent students and that schools with high absenteeism develop plans to improve attendance. But in an outgoing act, Governor Christie failed to sign the bill into law.
Though disappointed, ACNJ has already achieved big wins for New Jersey’s kids and will keep the momentum towards making sure more kids come to school every day. The fact that this bipartisan legislation unanimously passed both houses shows how far this issue has come in just a few short years.
ACNJ has kept up the drumbeat on chronic absenteeism with multiple reports, forums, focus groups and professional development for school staff and community programs. Communities and schools across the state are looking at their absenteeism data and developing solutions. The result is that more kids are regularly attending school.
In building support for this legislation and other efforts to support student attendance, ACNJ strengthened partnerships with diverse groups such as NJPTA, NJSACC, Jersey CAN, Paterson Education Fund, NJSSNA, the League of Women Voters, SPAC and NJASA, and most importantly schools and communities across the state that are tackling absenteeism. These efforts have been highlighted in ACNJ reports and show the way forward for New Jersey.
ACNJ has worked hard to make student absences a priority for New Jersey and we applaud the key sponsors of this bipartisan bill, Sen. Diane Allen and Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle.
ACNJ is eager to continue the hard work ahead in engaging policymakers, educators, parents and communities across New Jersey, so that more students are regularly attending school and on the right track towards educational success!
Ceil shares memories of a strong advocate and longtime friend of ACNJ
Joseph Thomasberger
Joseph Thomasberger, an activist for social justice and a good friend to Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), passed away on December 21, 2017 after a series of illnesses. Joe, who was 87 years old, spent his life advocating for the poor and vulnerable, as an American Baptist minister, head of a community non-profit in Newark and, in his later years, as an advocate who cared deeply about inequality, especially for children.
I first met Joe in 1998 when ACNJ pulled together the Early Care and Education Coalition in light of a recent state Supreme Court decision, mandating that New Jersey provide “well-planned, high-quality preschool” for 3 – and 4-year-old children in the poorest school districts.
The coalition was made up of groups like child care providers, Head Start and school districts – who were dedicated to early education but who had never worked together. The level of trust among this group was not high and our discussions were often contentious. There were many times that I doubted we could agree on even the smallest issues, much less help to design a system in which everyone’s point of view was considered.
Joe was a welcome voice of reason in this group. More than once, he managed to refocus an angry discussion on the issues we had in common, rather than what pushed us apart. His respect for all points of view and his problem-solving approach reminded us, time and time again, about the power of putting our voices together for a higher good. And, more than anything, he ensured that we did not lose sight of the amazing opportunity we had for children if we could come together.
The list of what Joe accomplished in his long life is extensive, but it does not do justice to the unique and remarkable person that he was. Joe was a man of great integrity. He had a gentle soul and a generous spirit. He elevated everyone he met. He was that unique individual who does not seek credit or acclaim for himself, but saw his role in supporting others to a greater good.
Shortly after Joe’s death, someone posted on his Facebook page, a quote from author Kent Nerburn. It describes him perfectly: “We are not saints, we are not heroes. Our lives are lived in the quiet corners of the ordinary. We build tiny hearth fires, sometimes barely strong enough to give off warmth. But to the person lost in the darkness, our tiny flame may be the road to safety, the path to salvation. It is not given us to know who is lost in the darkness that surrounds us or even if our light is seen. We can only know that against even the smallest of lights, darkness cannot stand …. It is not an issue of quality or intensity or purity. It is simply an issue of the presence of light.”
Joe leaves behind his wife, Rebecca Doggett, who he married in 2009, four children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held on February 4, 2017 at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Montclair.
