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Child Care and Afterschool Programs, An Important Piece School Districts Must Consider for Reopening

Posted on July 8, 2020

Since the New Jersey Department of Education’s (DOE) recent release of The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education, school districts have hit the ground running in planning for what learning will look like during the 2020-2021 school year. While the DOE’s guidance has made it clear that many of the issues should be district-determined, there is no question that the delivery of education will look different come September.

A school's educational “new normal” may include virtual learning for all or part of a school-day as the best way to keep students and faculty safe. That decision will have a significant ripple-effect on families, particularly for those with parents/guardians that work both in and outside the home. Parents, especially of young students, will be faced with the dilemma of finding care while their child is not in school. It is important that district leaders provide child care and afterschool providers a seat at the table when planning for the reopening in the 2020-2021 school year.

ACNJ prepared the following two facts sheets to help ensure child care and aftershcool providers are included in the planning process.

A Seat at the Table: The Role of Child Care and Afterschool in School District Planning for the 2020-2021 School Year - provides guidance on how school district leaders can reach out to the child care and afterschool programs in their community.

An Important Piece of the Puzzle:  Child Care and Afterschool Care in School District Planning for the 2020-2021 School Year, guides providers on how to ensure they are part of the planning.

Unlocking Potential: Our Ambitious Roadmap to Close Inequities for NJ Babies

Posted on June 24, 2020

In order to give all children a strong and equitable start in life, New Jersey must begin with an intentional focus on eliminating racial inequities and disparities in access to essential supports, according to a new report, Unlocking Potential, released today by Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ).

Read Unlocking Potential, A Roadmap to Making New Jersey the Safest, Healthiest and Most Supportive Place to Give Birth and Raise a Family

The statewide plan, funded by the Pritzker Children's Initiative (PCI), provides the action steps needed to achieve concrete targets related to early childhood development with the goal of ensuring an additional 25 percent of low-income infants and toddlers - 27,000 young children - will have access to high-quality services by 2023. These supports include access to quality child care, home visiting, health and mental health services.

Unlocking Potential is based on the belief that we all have a role to play in achieving equity and that supporting equal opportunities at the start of a child’s life is the first step in eliminating disparities that impact outcomes for babies, families and communities. The foundation for change is in place; the opportunity is now!

 

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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.