What’s New?

Tax season is here

Posted on February 5, 2016

Tax return check
Who is eligible for the New Jersey Earned Income Tax Credit (NJ EITC)?

Persons that worked in 2015 with an earned income below the $20,000 filing threshoold for a family or $10,000 for a single person may be eligible to receive an EITC.

An individual that is eligible and files for a Federal Earned Income Tax Credit can also receive the NJ EITC.

Learn more about criteria to apply for EITC.

What is the credit amount for 2015 tax season?

This year, the NJ EITC amount is equal to 30 percent of the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit. Someone receiving a Federal EITC of $4,000 would receive a $1,200 NJ EITC.

Some individuals may qualify for free tax preparation.  Click here to learn more.

Great News! New legislation aims to expand preschool.

Posted on February 9, 2016

Great news! A bi-partisan group of New Jersey legislators have introduced three bills that provides funds to expand preschool to thousands more young children throughout the state. Quality preschool has been proven to help children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn and to improve their chances for long-term school success.

Read more.

As this proposal moves through the legislative process and, ultimately,  lands on the Governor’s desk, we will need caring people like you to voice your strong support for quality early learning. Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues visit us on Facebook and Twitter where we will be sharing messages to elevate the importance of preschool for all children and join the movement at www.prekourway.org.

Congrats to ACNJ’s Cynthia Rice!

Posted on February 9, 2016

Leadership Institute for State-base Advocates.

Congratulations to ACNJ’s Cynthia Rice, a recent graduate of the second class of the Leadership Institute for State-based Advocates. The program focuses on building both advocacy skills and results-based leadership skills — to improve policy for children and families.

Read more about Annie E. Casey Foundation’s leadership institute. 

Ceil Zalkind testifies at NJ Assembly committee hearing on poverty

Posted on January 27, 2016

These are the facts.

We know that poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life.
The stress that poor families face in making ends meet can be toxic for young children and impact on their healthy development.
Poor children may not have access to  the same health care or housing.
A child who is hungry cannot learn.
ACNJ had the opportunity to testify before the Assembly Committee on Children and Women on the serious problem of child poverty across our state and its lifelong implications for children. In addressing this issue, Zalkind discussed the importance of child care to employment.

Read the ACNJ’s testimony.

Share Child Care is Everyone’s Business video.

Newark students miss too much school

Posted on January 21, 2016

2016_01_21_newark_chonic_absenteeism_cover Nearly one-quarter of Newark’s youngest students are missing school at a rate that it impedes their ability to succeed academically at a time crucial to their long-term school success, according to the Showing Up Matters: Newark Chronic Absenteeism in the Early Years, an Advocates for Children of New Jersey report released today.

Read the release.

Read the report.

Learn more about ACNJ efforts on student chronic absenteeism in NJ.