What’s New?

NJ needs to expand summer meals to more hungry children

Posted on July 1, 2015

2015_04_20_NJ_KidsCount_cover2This latest report by Advocates for Children of New Jersey and the Food for Thought campaign shines a spotlight on the tens of thousands of children who eat meals at school and lack access to healthy meals in the summer across New Jersey.

In 2014, New Jersey’s summer meals programs reached only 19 percent of the children who received free- or reduced-price school lunch in the 2014-15 school year while the national Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) recommends that states serve at least 40 percent of these low-income children.

Hunger doesn’t stop when school is out.  Let’s ensure that all NJ children have the nutrition they need to grow and be healthy during the summer.

Read the release.

Read the report.

 

New report shows most NJ foster kids live with families

Posted on May 14, 2015

KIDS_COUNT_PR_foster_FINAL-cover440pxWith 91 percent of children in New Jersey’s foster care system living with families – not in institution-like settings – New Jersey was among the top 10 nationally for providing this critical care for vulnerable children, according to the latest KIDS COUNT® report from Annie E. Casey Foundation, Every Kid Needs a Family: Giving Children in the Child Welfare System the Best Chance for Success.

Many other states did not fare as well. The report found that on any given night 57,000 children across the nation go to bed without the care and comfort of a family.

This report emphasizes the critical importance of children having a lifelong connection to a family. The report also highlights promising ways that state and local government leaders, as well as policymakers, judges and others can work together to give every child that family.

While New Jersey is clearly ahead of the curve on this important front, continued commitment to protect our most vulnerable children and youth is critical. Court oversight is an important piece to making sure that happens.

View the report.

Read the release.

Check out NJ Kids Count data.

Race for results: Children of color struggle on all fronts

Posted on April 20, 2015

New Jersey Kids Count 2015
New Jersey Kids Count 2015

According to New Jersey Kids Count 2015, New Jersey’s black, Hispanic and mixed-race children are more likely to live in poverty, have poorer health, be involved in the state child protection and juvenile justice systems and struggle in school.

In a special section in this year’s report, Advocates for Children of New Jersey Count compiled statistics on key measures of child well-being broken down by race. This information is increasingly important as children of color comprise a larger share of all New Jersey children, with nearly half being black, Hispanic, Asian, another race or a mixture of races.

In addition, ACNJ released the annual county profiles, rankings and the New Jersey Kids Count Pocket Guide 2015, which features 5-year trend data on the county level in key measures of child well-being, including poverty, health, child safety, education and juvenile justice.

Read the release.

View New Jersey Kids Count 2015 data reports.

Check out Kids Count in the news.

Kids Count Forums Scheduled
We’ll continue the conversation, looking more closely at county-level data, as well as statewide data by race, at two regional forums – one for South Jersey on June 4, the other for Central/North Jersey on June 18.

Get more details

Report: Newark kids healthier, poorer

Posted on March 10, 2015

2015_03_10_newark_kids_count_coverNewark children are getting healthier, more children are attending preschool and more teenagers are graduating from high school, but Newark families continue to struggle to make ends meet.

Newark Kids Count 2015, an annual portrait of child well-being in New Jersey’s largest city, found that progress has been made, especially in key health areas.

View report.

Read release.

Be a part of Family Reunification Day on June 29

Posted on June 2, 2015

2014_08_Visitation_pictureAs part of the annual nationwide American Bar Association Family Reunification effort, Legal Services of New Jersey will once again celebrate Family Reunification Day at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick on Monday, June 29 at 2 p.m.

Each year, Legal Services focuses on one of the critical services and procedures necessary to make family reunification possible for children under state supervision. This year’s focus will be on the intersection between housing and child welfare.

Learn more and register for this free event.