Posted on May 22, 2025
Addressing the funding shortfall to New Jersey's Child Care Assistance Program is a critical investment in New Jersey’s children, families, and economy. To learn more, read the policy brief by Winifred Smith-Jenkins, which explores the importance of this investment to support New Jersey’s future.
Posted on May 7, 2025
This is video 4 of the Y.E.S. (Youth Expert Stakeholders) video Series.
Anfry’s story makes it clear: Relationships play a powerful role in youth development and success. It truly takes a village to raise a youth, and caring positive adult role models at school or at a faith-based program can be an invaluable resource in a child’s social-emotional character development. These trained professionals can help guide a child to stay in school, learn healthy behaviors and develop the skills necessary to build resilience and even mental and spiritual wellness. Social-emotional character development is a whole-child approach that builds capacity for positive relationships and emotional responses.
Anfry came to America at a young age from the Dominican Republic, and he found adapting to life in a new country to be a challenge.
Anfry: “It wasn't expected for me to move out of a different country and come into a new environment where I would have to obviously adapt to a different form of government structure and language barrier. Some of the challenges included adapting to the adverse environment that I had been introduced to and the people that I had to come in contact with."
Yet, the bilingual courses offered at Anfry’s middle school gave him the foundation he needed in order to adjust and also succeed at academics.
Anfry: “The school that I went to provided the opportunity of bilingual courses. So that’s where I started off at, taking bilingual courses from 6th grade to 7th grade. Then moving on to my 8th grade year, I already was equipped enough to be able to take courses with those who speak fluent English fluently. It was really helpful.
The encouragement of caring teachers who went out of their way to make a connection with Anfry made a significant difference and impact on his life.
Anfry: "Mr Reese was a really good professor because I wasn't that much of an academic student growing up, especially when it came to math. But Mr Reese was real lenient with me through the process, through the journey of it. So he definitely helped me grow and mature as well as finding my interests and my common ground. He was not just doing just a job for money but also doing it out of care and respect."
Despite the academic support, Anfry still had a hard time at school, but support from his peers inspired him to work towards improving his grades.
Anfry: "Freshman year started off rocky, I was not necessarily an academically, disciplined student, but towards the end of my freshman year, I had came across somebody who helped me get back on track academically. My girlfriend was far more academically disciplined than me, so when she had showed me her grades, we had a conversation, it actually inspired me to want to do better for myself."
As Anfry matured and faced growing pains and other adverse experiences, he learned to lean on his faith and the faith-based youth organization, UrbanPromise Trenton, to stay steady.
Anfry: "Moving on to college a downturn happened, but then that's when eventually encountering my faith in college really empowered me and helped me grow up much more maturely in eloquence, and the choices and decisions that I chose to make in the way that I live my life as well."
"UrbanPromise Trenton focused on helping us grow and mature, as leaders, to grow academically, be able to grow financially, even if it was not much they still taught us, teaching us the basic things of financial literacy, and spirituality as well, too."
At UrbanPromise Trenton, Anfry was inspired by the kindness and guidance of the organization’s Street Leader director to live a more positive life. Her intervention helped Anfry become a youth leader in the organization, and to develop the skills he needed to build towards a positive life.
Anfry: "Her name is Ms. Elise, she looked out for me… she herself attended college as well too, so she looked out from the perspective of like Mr Reese, with friendship. She's developing that friendship, personal relationship with the youth….so just developing that with them is really what encourages you. The things that you watch them do."
It truly takes a village to raise a youth, and caring positive adult role models at school or at a faith-based program can be an invaluable resource in a child’s personal development. These trained professionals can help guide a child to stay in school, learn healthy behaviors and develop the skills necessary to build resilience and even mental and spiritual wellness.
Posted on May 5, 2025
By Isaiah Fudge
Director
Positive Youth Development
For more information on this topic, contact Isaiah at ifudge@acnj.org
On April 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice terminated $811 million in funding to programs across the nation that support essential services for youth, including mental wellness, rehabilitation, and school safety. One critical resource in New Jersey—community-based violence intervention and prevention (CBVIP) programs—has lost over $35 million in federal funding, inevitably impacting a large percentage of the over 2 million children in the state.
What’s Being Lost
As gun violence garners attention as a public health crisis, violence intervention and prevention (VIP) has emerged as an essential, whole-child health initiative capable of responding to such an issue. According to the State of New Jersey, “CBVI programming reached more than 16,000 community members through strategic partnerships with schools, community events, group and one-on-one programs, and responses to violent incidents.” Such efforts from CBVIP reduce the strain on entities like schools and law enforcement. Consequently, as VIP work has proliferated, N.J. has seen decreases in school referrals to police for weapons, and a steady reduction in gun violence. Specifically, 2024 crime data showed a 16% decline in shootings from 2023—reflecting a record low since tracking began in 2009. This followed a 13% decrease from 2022 to 2023, continuing a steady downward trend.
Additionally, N.J.’s chronic absenteeism rate continues to fall due in part to CBVIP efforts to protect youth as they go to and from school. Many youth who experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encounter VIP programs that positively impact them. These organizations frequently offer community education and employment opportunities, affording disconnected youth opportunities to establish, or reestablish, themselves within their communities.
Who These Cuts Will Affect
Key Impacts in New Jersey
(To explore the following data and more, view ACNJ’s Kids Count 2025 Pocket Guide.)
Read more on the CBVIP cuts.
Posted on April 25, 2025
By Habibah Johnson
Co-Chair, ACNJ Parent Leadership Council (PLC)
For more information on home visiting, contact Senior Policy Analyst Diane Dellanno at ddellanno@acnj.org.
Classrooms filled with eager young children, preparing for their journey into school – this is what people often picture when thinking of Head Start. But one of Head Start’s most powerful and often overlooked components happens to take place outside the classroom, right in the homes of families. Home visiting, a core element of Early Head Start – a program of Head Start specifically for infants and toddlers under the age of three, their parents, and pregnant women – has been transforming lives for decades, yet it remains a lesser-known part of the program.
As Bonnie Eggenburg, President of the New Jersey Head Start Association, explains, "Home-based Early Head Start has always been about the idea that parents are their child’s first and most important teacher." Unlike traditional home visits, where an educator simply engages with a child, these visits focus on empowering parents with tools and strategies to support their child’s development.
Early Head Start home visitors don’t just arrive with lesson plans; they bring support, guidance, and connection. They help parents navigate the challenges of early childhood, from handling toddler tantrums to fostering early language development. "It’s not a home visitor going in and playing with the child for 90 minutes," Eggenburg explains. "It’s the home visitor going in and talking with Mom about how things are going, giving her strategies, and helping her engage in activities with her child that she may not have thought of before."
This approach is particularly critical during the first three years of life – when brain development is at its peak. Many parents, especially those in underserved communities, may not realize how much simple, everyday interactions, like narrating daily routines or playing peek-a-boo, contribute to their child’s cognitive growth. "We help parents understand the importance of talking with their child, even about the simplest things like changing a diaper or making breakfast," says Eggenburg. "It builds language skills and strengthens bonds."
Despite its success, Head Start’s home-based model has seen a decline in recent years. "From 2010 to 2024, the number of home-based slots in New Jersey dropped from 46% to just 17%," Eggenburg notes. Much of this shift is driven by economic realities. With more parents working full-time jobs, home visits aren’t always feasible. Some families also hesitate to invite educators into their homes, fearing judgment or exposure of personal struggles.
Yet, Head Start continues to adapt. Even families enrolled in center-based programs benefit from at least two home visits a year, allowing teachers to better understand each child’s home environment. "Going into a home where you see real-life challenges, like a family struggling with housing conditions, helps us tailor support for both the child and the parent," Eggenburg shares.
One of the most valuable aspects of Head Start’s home visiting model is the community it fosters. In addition to one-on-one visits, parents often gather for group sessions, creating informal support networks. "They develop relationships with other parents who are going through the same experiences," says Eggenburg. "That sense of community is so important."
Unfortunately, awareness of these services remains a challenge. Many parents learn about Early Head Start home visiting through word of mouth rather than formal outreach. "We do social media advertising and networking, but a lot of parents don’t hear about us until they already have a child," Eggenburg notes. Expanding awareness could ensure that more families access these critical early childhood resources when they need them most, enhancing outcomes for both children and parents.
While home visiting may not be as visible as classroom-based learning, its impact is undeniable. It strengthens family bonds, supports child development, and fosters resilient communities. But as Eggenburg emphasizes, the program needs continued investment. "We need to recognize that Early Head Start has been doing this work for decades and should be at the center of conversations about early childhood education."
For families who want to give their children the best possible start, Head Start’s home visiting program offers something invaluable: partnership. A partnership between parents and educators, built on trust, support, and a shared commitment to a child’s future.
Let’s bring more attention to the incredible work happening in the homes of families across New Jersey.
