What’s New?

NJ celebrates the 20th anniversary of Abbott preschool program

Posted on March 15, 2018

Held on March 14th, “Abbott Preschool at 20: Celebrating Success” was a one-day conference featuring state and national experts on the challenges and opportunities involved in program creation and implementation, as well as the best practices at the core of the Abbott preschool program. They also discussed the feasibility of expanding this high-quality model throughout New Jersey.

Read NJ Spotlight news article: Pre-K Murphy Way: Educators Sound Off on Governor’s Spending Plan

View photos from event.

To illustrate the impact of the state’s high-quality public preschools, ACNJ filmed and produced a short video: New Jersey’s Abbott Preschool Success Story.

ACNJ interviewed Grace Blanco, Director of the Ironbound Community Corporation Early Learning Center and Dr. Lorraine Cooke, Director of the Egenolf Early Childhood Center, as well as teachers, parents, present-day preschoolers and preschool grads who attended the program more than 14 years ago.

NJ was selected as one of six states for the national Think Babies campaign

Posted on March 13, 2018

Advocates for Children of New Jersey chosen to lead a statewide effort to bring attention to what babies and families need to thrive in the state. 

NEWARK, N.J.— New Jersey has been selected as one of six states to take part in the Think Babies campaign, supported by national early childhood advocacy group ZERO TO THREE. The five other states selected include Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Washington.

The Think Babies campaign is designed to bring national attention to the many issues that affect what babies and families need to thrive. Key campaign priorities include: quality, affordable child care; time for parents to bond with their babies; healthy emotional development; and strong physical health and nutrition. Read more.

Among the initial activities of the campaign will be New Jersey’s “Strolling Thunder” event on May 21, 2018, which will bring families and early childhood advocates from across the state to Trenton to remind policymakers that success for our children begins at birth. This event is modeled after ZERO TO THREE’s national Strolling Thunder, which will be held earlier in May in Washington D.C.

Help us make this day a success. 

 

Register to attend.

Be a Partner. 

 

ACNJ joins forces to eradicate lead poisoning in children

Posted on February 23, 2018

State advocates came together in Trenton on February 14th and presented a $1.1 billion plan to eliminate lead exposure and poisoning in children within the next decade.

Read news stories:
NJ joins forces to eradicate lead poisoning in children
NJ’s 1.1 billion dollar plan to eliminate lead poisoning in children

ACNJ’s recommendations included requiring the state to share data on neighborhoods where lead-exposure risks are high. ACNJ’s Peter Chen stated, “Any successful lead-prevention strategy is going to require a strong data strategy to get information in the hands of the people who can use it best, we’re talking about local health department, nonprofits, community groups, and families themselves.”

Other recommendations consist of the following:

  • Require occupied housing to be certified as lead safe and undergo mandatory inspections
  • Create a New Jersey Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund as a dedicated source of money for remediation
  • Find funding mechanisms to replace lead service pipes and update water infrastructure
  • Provide services to at-risk families
  • Require state agencies to share data and increase early childhood screening
  • Support Medicaid investment in lead poisoning prevention and removal among other items

NJ failing to make significant progress to serve school breakfast to more low-income students

Posted on February 21, 2018

As a new national report shows New Jersey failed to make significant progress toward serving more low-income students school breakfast, Advocates for Children of New Jersey and the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition are calling on the state Legislature to require high-poverty schools to serve breakfast during the regular school day.

Known as breakfast after the bell, this method is far more effective in ensuring that all children begin their school day with a healthy meal.   Read more

View School Breakfast Scorecard – 2016–2017 School Year

View School Breakfast: Making it Work in Large School Districts

For resources and to learn more about school breakfast in New Jersey visit schoolbreakfastnj.org