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Register for Getting Ready for the World Cup: Keeping NJ Kids Safe

Post author By Lana Lee
Post date May 1, 2026

Posted on May 1, 2026

ACNJ's Getting Ready for the World Cup: Keeping NJ Kids Safe is a four-part virtual Dine & Discuss series designed to equip parents, child care providers, and community partners with practical strategies to keep children safe during large-scale events and in everyday life.

As global events increase travel, crowds, and online visibility, families face new and evolving safety challenges. This series brings together trusted voices to provide clear, actionable guidance that families can use immediately.

This free series will be held Every Wednesday in May at 6:00 PM via Zoom and will feature leading experts in child safety, public health, and online safety:

May 20: Crowds, Chaos & Preparedness: Keeping Children Safe in Busy Public Spaces
- Speakers: Dr. Nandi Nelson, CEO of Social Behavior Learning Solutions and Maria Ingraffia (Law Enforcement), County Human Trafficking Liaison to the NJ Attorney General's Office
- How to prepare for busy public spaces, large events, and unexpected situations
  With more visitors, crowded venues, and increased movement across the state, it is important for families and providers to think ahead about child safety in public spaces. This session will focus on practical strategies for navigating crowds, preventing child separation, creating family and program emergency plans, and preparing children for unfamiliar or overstimulating environments. Special attention will also be given to the needs of young children and children with sensory, developmental, or behavioral needs.
May 27: Online Safety in a High-Visibility Moment: Protecting Kids and Teens During Major Events
- Speaker: John Pizzuro, Head of U.S. Law Enforcement & Safety Policy, Snap Inc. (Snapchat)

Past Sessions:

May 6: Spotting the Signs: Protecting Children from Human Trafficking and Exploitation
- Speakers:
  - Brittany M. Butler, Resource Specialist 2, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
  - Susan Flynn, Founding Member, New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking
  - Carrie Speiser, Director of Community Engagement, Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey
May 13: Healthy for the Moment: Vaccinations, Public Health, and Keeping Families Well
- Speaker: Dr. Uzma N. Hasan, MD, Regional Director, Northern Jersey Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Barnabas Health Medical Group

“This series is about giving families real tools they can use right now,” said Winifred Smith-Jenkins, Director of Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy at ACNJ. “As we head into a season of increased activity, visibility, and movement, preparation matters. When parents and caregivers know what to look for and how to respond, it changes outcomes.”

The Dine & Discuss format creates an accessible, welcoming space for participants to learn, ask questions, and connect with experts and peers across New Jersey.

Registration is free and open to the public:
https://tinyurl.com/ACNJWorldCup

ACNJ Commends NJ Dept. of Human Services for Fully Reopening State Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date April 10, 2026

Posted on April 10, 2026

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) supports the full reopening of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), restoring access for families across the state who rely on child care in order to work or attend school.

"Child care is a necessity for New Jersey families. Reopening CCAP is a critical step toward ensuring that more families can afford care, remain in the workforce, and provide stable, supportive environments for their children.

"CCAP is a vital support that helps families manage the high cost of child care while promoting children’s healthy development during their earliest years. Expanding access to this program strengthens family economic security and supports a stronger, more equitable state.

"ACNJ is encouraged by Governor Mikie Sherrill’s proposed $18 million investment to expand the program and serve more children in FY2027. Continued and sustained investment in child care is essential to ensuring all children and families have the opportunity to thrive.

"ACNJ remains committed to working with state leaders to strengthen New Jersey’s child care system and ensure access to affordable care for all families who need it."

Read NJDHS News Release Below:

Human Services Fully Reopens Child Care Assistance Program

(TRENTON) – Human Services Commissioner Stephen Cha today announced that the Department has fully reopened the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), restoring access to all eligible families seeking child care assistance.

“Child care isn’t a luxury for most New Jersey families, it’s a necessity,” Commissioner Cha said. “The Child Care Assistance Program serves as a vital economic lifeline, helping to pay for quality early childhood education and allowing parents to continue their careers. That is why we are grateful to fully reopen this key program. We encourage families to review the eligibility criteria and apply at ChildCareNJ.gov.”

"Child care is a necessary expense that often strains household budgets,” Deputy Commissioner for Social Services Michael J. Wilson said. “By fully reopening applications we are able to provide essential relief to families. This allows more families to work with confidence, knowing their children are in safe, enriching environments. By continuing to invest in this program, we are investing in affordability.”

CCAP provides child care assistance to income-eligible parents who are working, attending school, or participating in job training, ensuring support is available to families who need help affording child care.

“We encourage families to visit ChildCareNJ.gov to learn about the CCAP and review eligibility requirements. When ready to apply, families will be directed to the State’s secure online application system, MyNJHelps, to complete and submit their application,” said Division of Family Development Assistant Commissioner Natasha Johnson. “Families can also connect with their local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies for guidance and support in accessing affordable child care options.”

Families can also check whether they are eligible for Head Start or if their school district offers free preschool for three- and four-year-olds.

New applications are now being accepted due to some families transitioning off the program. Once the applicant has submitted all required documents, the CCR&R will review the application and make an eligibility decision within 30 days.

Additionally, $18 million allocated in the Governor’s proposed state budget will enable the program to serve even more families. The Department anticipates serving up to 77,500 children in FY 2027.

Since 2018, the New Jersey has invested more than a billion dollars in new funding for child care, and, as part of those investments, child care provider rates have more than doubled.

Continue to visit www.ChildCareNJ.gov for information and updates.

ACNJ Testimony before the Assembly Budget Committee on FY 2027 budget

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date April 2, 2026

Posted on April 2, 2026

Shaylynn testifies on

adequately funding child care (CCAP)
addressing the childcare workforce shortage
mental health services via NJ4S, and
the Fatherhood Experiences Survey (NJFES) to support maternal health and families.

TO: Members of the Assembly Budget Committee

FROM: Shaylynn Bivens, J.D., Senior Legislative Analyst
Advocates for Children of New Jersey

DATE: March 25, 2026

RE: New Jersey FY 2027 Budget Impact on Children

On behalf of Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), I write to express our appreciation for the Governor’s proposed restoration for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and to recognize the Legislature’s continued efforts to support the program through both funding and policy proposals aimed at expanding access for families and strengthening providers.

We respectfully urge the Legislature to build on this momentum by increasing the CCAP investment to $30 million. This additional funding is necessary to ensure the program can meet summer demand, prevent another freeze on enrollment, continue enrollment based payments to providers, and allow the state to implement prospective payments this fiscal year.

As you know, the program was recently forced to freeze new enrollments due to insufficient funding and remains only partially open, with access limited to priority populations. As a result, many working families are unable to secure child care, while providers face ongoing financial instability. Without additional investment, these challenges will persist, further limiting access and destabilizing the system.

Child care is an essential component of New Jersey’s economic infrastructure. It enables parents to work, supports businesses, and contributes to overall economic growth. However, years of underinvestment have led to repeated funding shortfalls and enrollment freezes, creating uncertainty for both families and providers, many of whom are small businesses.

A $30 million investment would provide critical short term stability by protecting enrollment based and prospective payments, maintaining quality based rates, supporting increased summer enrollment, and reducing the likelihood of future enrollment freezes. At the same time, we recognize that sustained, long term investments will be necessary to fully meet the needs of families and ensure system stability.

In addition, New Jersey’s current CCAP eligibility threshold, set at approximately 200 percent of the federal poverty level, does not reflect the state’s high cost of living. Consequently, many working families, including those earning minimum wage, are excluded from assistance despite facing unaffordable child care costs. These families, many of whom work in essential roles such as service industries, health care support, education, and gig or part time employment, are often forced to reduce work hours or leave the workforce entirely.

To better align with economic realities, we recommend increasing eligibility to 300 percent of the federal poverty level to expand access and support working families.

We also urge the Legislature to address the ongoing child care workforce shortage. Low compensation continues to drive staffing challenges, limiting provider capacity. ACNJ supports a $10 million pilot program for workforce wage supplements in child care deserts to stabilize staffing in high need areas and begin addressing these long standing issues.

Beyond child care, ACNJ appreciates the Governor’s recognition of the need for expanded mental health services for New Jersey students. The New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S) network has made significant progress since its launch. The 15 regional hubs have served more than 620 schools, with over half located in high need districts, and have reached more than one million students, caregivers, and school staff through prevention, early intervention, and community based supports. Additionally, more than 5,000 students have received clinical services.

Given these strong outcomes, we believe it is most effective to build upon the NJ4S infrastructure rather than introduce a new, separate program. Schools across the state continue to face a shortage of clinicians, and strengthening an existing statewide system will maximize impact and ensure continuity of care.

Finally, we highlight the importance of supporting fathers and families in improving maternal and child health outcomes. Research shows that father involvement is associated with earlier prenatal care, increased use of postnatal services, longer breastfeeding duration, reduced maternal depression, and improved child developmental outcomes.

To better understand and address fathers’ needs, the New Jersey Department of Health, in partnership with stakeholders, has developed the New Jersey Fatherhood Experiences Survey (NJFES), which is currently being piloted in select communities. An investment of $420,000 is needed to expand this effort statewide and ensure that fathers’ voices inform public health programming and policymaking.

Investments in child care, mental health, and family supports are critical to New Jersey’s economic future. Ensuring families have access to affordable care and services, and that providers have the stability to serve their communities, is essential for a strong and thriving state.

Thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to New Jersey’s children and families.

Follow our budget advocacy efforts.

NJ Task Force Calls for Action to Safely Reduce Overreporting of Child Neglect

Post author By Lana Lee
Post date March 19, 2026

Posted on March 19, 2026

Authored by:

Mary E. Coogan, Esq.
ACNJ President/CEO

Co-Chair of the NJ Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect

The New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (NJTFCAN) has released a new report, Reforming Mandated Reporting in New Jersey: Moving from Reporting to Supporting Families, offering nine actionable recommendations to reduce unnecessary child neglect reports. It serves as a strategic roadmap for distinguishing between economic hardship and actual child endangerment, prioritizing family support over unnecessary state intervention.

When poverty is misidentified as neglect, vulnerable families are unjustly impacted. Mandated reporting is the legal requirement for certain professionals to report suspected child abuse or neglect. States differ in who they designate as mandated reporters. While some states like New Jersey require all individuals to report concerns, most commonly mandated reporters are social workers, healthcare professionals, teachers, child care providers, and law enforcement.

Mandated reporting aims to protect children from harm. Hundreds of reports are made daily to New Jersey’s child abuse hotline, but over two-thirds allege suspected neglect, not abuse. Fewer than 3% require system intervention by the New Jersey Division of Child Protection & Permanency. As a result, tens of thousands of families face unnecessary investigations, which can be more harmful than helpful. This issue is driven by the frequent conflation of poverty with neglect, reinforced by current liability rules and training requirements.

To address the rise in unfounded neglect reports, the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (NJTFCAN) formed the Subcommittee on Poverty, Neglect, and Community Outcomes. Its goal was to “safely shift from fear-based reporting toward supporting families within their own communities, by increasing the precision and accuracy of mandated reporting.” The subcommittee established three workgroups—Training, Liability, and Pilots & Innovation—comprising 46 members, including state partners, individuals with lived experience, advocates, community leaders, educators, and law enforcement.

The subcommittee developed actionable recommendations to reform mandated reporting, which the NJ Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect approved in fall 2025. These are detailed in the report, Reforming Mandated Reporting in New Jersey: Moving from Reporting to Supporting Families. The report outlines nine recommendations to reduce unnecessary hotline reports by enhancing training on when and how to report. To read the report, visit https://www.nj.gov/dcf/providers/boards/njtfcan/.

The report examines how current reporting and response practices can unintentionally harm children and families by confusing poverty with neglect. Using national research, data, and lived experience, it provides a roadmap for aligning child welfare policy with evidence-based approaches that support family stability, child wellbeing, and community strength.

Key recommendations from the report include:

Increasing the precision and accuracy of mandated reporting through statewide training that equips professionals with tools and knowledge to best support families.
Assigning mandated reporting responsibilities to trained child-serving professionals, rather than requiring all residents or adults in New Jersey to report.
Increasing awareness of the costs of overreporting on the child protection system and shifting toward procedures that prioritize supporting families.
Addressing misuse of the reporting system by increasing penalties for false reports and revising practices related to anonymous reporting.

The NJTFCAN encourages policymakers, child-serving professionals, and community stakeholders to review the findings and participate in advancing these recommendations.

The Task Force emphasizes that reducing overreporting does not lower child safety standards. Instead, it ensures families receive appropriate help at the right time through the right systems. Children and families benefit when mandated reporters connect them to resources rather than referring cases rooted in poverty to the child abuse hotline.

Please read the full report, which is available here.

About the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Subcommittee on Poverty, Neglect, and Community Outcomes

The New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (NJTFCAN) is a statutorily established, multi-disciplinary advisory body to New Jersey’s child welfare system, charged to study and develop recommendations regarding the most effective means of improving the quality and scope of child protective and preventative services provided or supported by the state government. ACNJ President/CEO Mary Coogan co-chairs the Task Force with DCF Commissioner Christine Beyer.

The NJTFCAN Subcommittee on Poverty, Neglect, and Community Outcomes was convened in 2023 to examine and develop recommendations to address ways in which the current operation of the child welfare system in New Jersey conflates poverty and neglect.

Highlights of New Jersey State FY 2027 Budget

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date March 13, 2026

Posted on March 13, 2026

Key Investments for Children and Families in the FY 2027 New Jersey Budget

Governor Mikie Sherrill has released her proposed FY 2027 New Jersey budget, which includes significant investments in programs that support children, families, and communities across the state. From maternal health and early childhood care to education and youth mental health services, the proposal reflects a continued commitment to strengthening the systems that help children and families thrive.

Below is a closer look at several key areas that impact children and families.

Maternal and Infant Health
Governor Sherrill has expressed her commitment to improving maternal and infant health outcomes and reducing long-standing racial disparities in care. These investments aim to strengthen the perinatal workforce, translate data into action, and expand support for families during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Key initiatives include:

Continued support for the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, which works to reduce maternal mortality, lower infant mortality rates, and address racial disparities in outcomes.
Cross-agency coordination to strengthen collaboration across programs serving pregnant individuals and newborns.
Statewide expansion of Family Connects NJ, with an additional $12.8 million to ensure the nurse home visiting program is available in all 21 counties beginning in 2027. Family Connects provides voluntary nurse visits to families shortly after birth, offering health assessments, postpartum support, and connections to additional services when needed.

Child Care and Early Education
Governor Sherrill emphasized the importance of affordable child care remaining a central focus of the proposed budget. These investments aim to help working families access care while strengthening early learning opportunities for young children.

Key proposals include:

$18 million increase in child care assistance, expanding eligibility and helping 2,500 more families afford care.
$582 million in state funding for child care assistance, projected to support care for approximately 77,500 children statewide.
$1.4 billion in Preschool Education Aid, a 9% increase over FY 2026, helping nearly 300 districts continue to provide state-funded preschool programs.

These investments recognize that affordable child care and high-quality early learning programs are essential for children’s development and for supporting parents’ ability to work.

Education and Academic Supports
The budget also proposes historic investments in K–12 education aimed at improving student outcomes and ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education.

Key highlights include:

$12.4 billion in school formula aid, the largest amount in state history.
$15 million investment in high-impact tutoring, expanding support to nearly 100 additional school districts and reaching 13,500 more students.
Continued investments in evidence-based strategies to strengthen literacy, math skills, and student learning recovery.

These initiatives focus on helping students accelerate learning and close achievement gaps.

Youth Mental Health and Family Supports
The budget also prioritizes protecting children and strengthening services that support youth mental health, health care access, and food security.

Key investments include:

$513.5 million in funding for the Children’s System of Care, which supports behavioral health services for children and youth.
$39 million for school-based mental health services.
$33 million for a new youth mental health initiative, SPARK (School-based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids), to expand mental health support in K–12 schools.
$500,000 to establish a Social Media Research Center studying the effects of digital technology on youth mental health.

Additional family supports include:

Health coverage for approximately 850,000 children through NJ FamilyCare.
Free school meals for nearly 21,000 students through the Working-Class Families Anti-Hunger Act.
$7.2 billion in state funding for Medicaid to support health care access statewide.

Stay tuned for budget updates.