What’s New?

New Law Provides Necessary Pandemic Relief to Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

Posted on July 2, 2020

Governor Murphy signed S2511 into law yesterday, which will immediately eliminate some of the fines and financial penalties imposed on youth involved in the juvenile justice system and reduce reliance on medically dangerous congregate care settings for young people. The law will now bring about relief from the pandemic for those involved in the system.

The pandemic has led to unprecedented economic and public health emergencies in our state. While families try to maintain their safety, health and well-being during this crisis, they also face significant financial strain. This is particularly true for the families of youth involved in the juvenile legal system, many of whom were already living in poverty before the pandemic. This law will reduce some of the stress on vulnerable families by immediately abolishing those court-imposed financial penalties that already were scheduled to be eliminated in November pursuant to the prior legislation. 

The bill reduces the risk of harm from COVID-19 to incarcerated youth, staff of Juvenile Justice Commission facilities and the community at large by prohibiting the re-incarceration of youth who have completed their entire custodial terms and are on post-incarceration supervision status. Bringing youth who have not committed any new offenses into juvenile facilities during the pandemic places facility staff and residents at a heightened risk of medical harm, which in turn gives rise to a broader public health risk when staff return home to their communities each day. The bill will allow New Jersey to take a vital step toward reducing the spread of the disease.

Finally, the bill will play an important role in promoting a more equitable system, as the economic and medical harms it will reduce disproportionately impact Black and Latino youth. By implementing these provisions immediately, New Jersey will be taking an important step in confronting and eliminating these disparities.  ACNJ thanks Governor Murphy and the primary sponsors: Senators Nellie Pou and Shirley Turner, and Assemblymembers Benjie Wimberly and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson for their leadership on this issue.

New Jersey Households with Children are Hardest Hit by COVID-19

Posted on August 25, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic repercussions continue to resonate throughout New Jersey. However, many traditional data sources for tracking the well-being of households in the Garden State do not update quickly or regularly enough to see trends affecting families now. The Census Household Pulse Survey, which began collecting data weekly in late April 2020, helps provide a snapshot of key economic, health, nutrition, education and housing indicators for families.

Read more.

We Need to Fund #ChildCare in the Next Stimulus Package!

Posted on July 28, 2020

In a few days, Congress will be identifying funding priorities that will address the economic crisis our nation is facing since the beginning of the pandemic. We need to tell them:

Child care, “the workforce behind the workforce,” must be a Congressional priority and adequately funded.

While the CARES Act provided much-needed assistance to child care programs that were closed and those that were opened to serve children of essential workers during the first few months of the pandemic, that funding dries up at the end of this month. The future of child care will be in danger come August. Centers that are open are facing higher costs linked with ensuring the safety of children and staff, for cleaning supplies, PPE and additional staff. They are also experiencing lower enrollment, because either parents remain unemployed and do not need child care or they are uncomfortable sending their children to group care right now.

Without federal help, the future of child care throughout our state is in jeopardy. And when child care is in jeopardy, so is our economy’s recovery. Parents will not have access to the programs they rely on to care for and educate their children so that they can go to work.

We need to tell the entire New Jersey Congressional Delegation to be child care champions and urge Speaker Pelosi and other Congressional leaders to provide $50 billion to stabilize the child care industry in the next stimulus package so that families can return to work knowing their children are safe!

Click here to sign our petition and send an email to your Congressional representatives.

Legislative Hearing Informs Lawmakers of Child Care Industry’s Unprecedented Struggle Amidst Economic Recovery

Posted on June 26, 2020

On June 25, 2020, Assemblywoman Gabriela Mosquera, chair of the Women and Children Committee, held a committee hearing, inviting parents, advocates and child care business owners to share the impact that COVID-19 has had on child care. As New Jersey proceeds through this pandemic, it's essential that we have a child care system in place for children and families. Child care is the workforce behind the workforce.

ACNJ would like to thank the incredible group of child care advocates who testified yesterday on why saving child care is critically important to children, working families and our economy.

NJ FY2021 Proposed Budget Includes Investments for Children and Families

Posted on August 25, 2020

In his state budget address today, Governor Murphy announced that his $32.4 billion spending plan, which would cover October 2020 through June 2021, aimed to “protect gains we have made, [and] at the same time move forward.” Despite the huge economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our state, gains were made for families, children and the child care system. The pandemic has shined a spotlight on the importance of child care, and this budget recognizes the need to support the people and businesses that care for young children and help families defray child care costs.

Highlights of proposed investments, which will use both federal and state funding to support children and their families include:

  • $250 million for a joint program of the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Human Services, to support existing child care providers and to provide subsidies and tuition grants to working families;
  • $10 million in preschool expansion funding for new districts, in addition to continuing to support existing programs;
  • Continued incremental increases in the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families;
  • A new “baby bonds” program that would provide approximately 72,000 babies born to qualified New Jersey families in 2021 with a $1,000 nest egg to help narrow the wealth gap.

ACNJ remains concerned about many proposed departmental cuts that may harm programs and services that families depend on, such as family support services, early intervention and lead poisoning prevention.

ACNJ is encouraged by the sustained commitment of the Murphy administration to investments in young children and the people who care for them. As more detailed information becomes available, ACNJ will provide updates and advocate for children throughout this unusual budget process.