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BLOG: Your Child’s Education Rights: Addressing Mental Health Concerns

Posted on May 10, 2023

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By Nina Peckman, ACNJ Education Staff Attorney

Mental health and wellness have received increased attention over the past few years. Prior to the pandemic, calls from parents regarding behavior issues were typically centered around the school disciplinary responses. Requests for help for a child refusing to attend school or being barred due to mental health concerns were rare. But, since September 2021, I have received more calls from parents and professionals regarding children who are experiencing mental health issues that keep them from attending school, or whose academics are suffering because of these issues. The most common requests for assistance have been for children who refuse to attend school because of anxiety or depression, or who were excluded from school by their districts because of mental health concerns arising out of a statement made by the child or their conduct.

What parents can to do address their child's mental health and its impact in school

To address concerns regarding your child’s mental health and how it is impacting them in school, here are some steps you can take:

If your child is in general education:

  • Discuss concerns with your child’s guidance counselor about what your child is experiencing in or out of school that is affecting their emotional health. You can request counseling services if you think it is merited.
  • If your child’s academics are being affected and/or your child is continually disciplined, write to the principal to request a meeting with the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) team to discuss and develop a plan to provide academic, counseling, and behavior supports.
  • For problems that are seriously impacting your child’s ability to learn in school, consider writing to the child study team to request an evaluation, including a psychiatric evaluation and social/emotional assessment through the school psychologist.

If your child has an IEP or 504 plan:

  • Request a meeting with the Child Study Team in writing to talk about concerns, including bullying and discipline incidents, or to request other child study team evaluations and/or the need for IEP/504 plan changes. Note, even though the end of the school year is fast approaching, these evaluation meetings can also take place over the summer.

For all children in need of mental health services, seek out community-based counseling and consider family counseling:

  • Request information from the guidance counselor or I&RS team about counseling services.
  • Request a referral for an evaluation or counseling service from your child’s pediatrician.
  • Consider contacting the Children’s System of Care, which provides individual and family counseling, including in the home, at no cost to the parent. You can call anytime at 877-652-7624.
  • Have your child evaluated privately by a psychiatrist in the community.

Note, waitlists are common for community-based services - make appointments in advance and check back regularly.

If you disagree with your school’s decision to remove your child from school pending a mental health clearance or with how your school staff is addressing mental health concerns, you should immediately challenge these actions. It is best to discuss your options with an attorney or advocate. Contact me directly at npeckman@acnj.org or 973-643-3876, ext. 226.

Read the latest on education rights.

April 2023 Update – Message from Mary

Posted on April 19, 2023

Posted 1/13/2023

Mary Coogan, Esq., ACNJ Vice President

Mary Coogan, Esq.
ACNJ Pres/CEO

ACNJ: One Mission, Many Faces

On March 29th, ACNJ staff and board hosted a celebration for ACNJ former president Cecilia Zalkind, acknowledging her nearly four decades of advocacy on behalf of children and families. Ceil certainly felt the love in the room, as stories were shared by staff, board, funders, and family. It was a memorable event that raised $65,000 to establish the Cecilia Zalkind Parent Advocacy Fellowship. Click here to donate to the fellowship. 

As Ceil spoke at her retirement celebration, ACNJ is not just about one person, but a reflection of all the committed individuals – our strong partners, community advocates, parents and the amazing staff and board that help shape and advance our wins for children. As the new president and CEO, I am excited to lead the  efforts to continue our mission of ensuring all children have the opportunity to grow up safe, healthy, and educated. 

ACNJ staff is working hard to accomplish ACNJ's mission:

  • Winifred Smith-Jenkins has joined our staff as our new Director of Early Learning Policy and Advocacy in March. Winifred brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role, including over two decades of managing three successful family-owned child care programs, building relationships, managing construction, and engaging in community service initiatives. Her expertise in child care and early learning complements our current efforts and will prove invaluable in guiding our policy work and overall operations.
  • Senior Policy Analyst Cynthia Rice is leading our budget advocacy and legislative work, focused on addressing New Jersey’s child care staffing crisis and continuing to expand preschool. 
  • Policy Analyst Diane Dellanno finished her analysis of our statewide survey of child care centers with the report, Still No Room for Babies: Child Care Staffing Crisis Impacts Supply of Infant-Toddler Child Care. The survey documents a widespread shortage of infant and toddler child care in our state. 
  • Aaliyah Roulhac is heading up our Reimagine Child Care Campaign. Quality child care is the foundation of success for our children, and for the state of New Jersey. We envision a future where every family has the option of affordable, quality care, and where providers have the training and resources they need to provide it. Join the movement.
  • Kids Count Coordinator Alena Siddiqui is gearing up to release our New Jersey County Pocket Guide 2023 in May, which includes data on the impact of COVID-19 on New Jersey children and families. We are looking for venues to bring people together to review and talk about the data. If your organization would like to co-sponsor a data conversation with us, please contact me at mcoogan@acnj.org.
  • And finally, Development Director Steve Clayton is planning our second annual ACNJ Race for Kids, to be held in September. Stay tuned for details.

Clearly ACNJ staff is busy. Updates are regularly posted to the ACNJ website. All of our work on behalf of children and families happens because of your support and partnership!

 

Warmly,

Mary Coogan
ACNJ Pres/CEO

16 Years Later, NJ’s College Credit Transfer Law Continues Helping Students

Posted on April 14, 2023

ACNJ Senior Policy Analyst, Cynthia Rice, helped usher NJ's College Credit Transfer Law through both Houses of the Legislature.

A recent report regarding New Jersey’s College Credit Transfer Law showed that this 16-year-old piece of legislation is still helping students navigate the complexities of transferring credits from one institution of higher education to another. Known as the “Lampitt Law,” it aimed to make transferring college credits from a community college to a four-year university easier for students by requiring these institutions to create transfer agreements. Prior to the law, these agreements either did not exist or were inadequate. Too often, students would take classes at their local community colleges and later find out that they would not transfer to a four-year institution, consequently costing the students both time and money.

While the problem had been an issue for quite some time, the need to address it came to a head when a 2000 preschool decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court case of Abbott v. Burke required all teachers in child care programs implementing state-funded preschool to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in four years or lose their positions. A significant percentage of teachers did not hold a degree and needed to return to school—but the clock was ticking and there was no time to waste. Impediments like worrying about whether or not child care workers, who frequently began their formal education in their local community colleges, would lose time by taking classes that ultimately would not transfer, was not an option and the problem had to be solved. 

Educational stakeholders, including ACNJ’s Cynthia Rice, first brought attention to the issue by urging Senator Ronald Rice to hold hearings before the Joint Committee of the Public Schools and then shepherded the bill through both Houses of the Legislature and ultimately participated in the bill’s signing by former Governor Corzine, in Camden County, Assemblywoman Lampitt’s Legislative District. 

The law made it possible for more child care teachers to successfully return to college before the Court’s deadline. But even after so much time, the law remains relevant and important for students who begin their higher education in our community college system. What was once meant, 16 years ago, to help a small population of students has since then provided a clearer pathway for all community college students to successfully attain a college degree.

Blog: Black Maternal Health Is…

Posted on April 14, 2023

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Posted 4/14/2023

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By Rose-Anne Uwague, Parent Ambassador, ACNJ Parent Leadership Council

Parent of three children ages 6, 8, and a newborn. Lives in Jersey City in Legislative District 31.
Advocating for better breastfeeding policies and accessible quality child care.

I used to think very black or white. It’s either this or that.

Now, I am exploring the gray and becoming more comfortable with it.

Have you heard of the tension of the opposites? Simply put, it is the idea that two seemingly opposite things can be true at the same time. Motherhood is a great example. And so is Black maternal health. To me, it is both/and.

As we celebrate Black Maternal Health Week, I reflect on my motherhood journey and conclude that motherhood is a paradox. For background, my husband and I are parents to three boys ages 8, 6, and a newborn born March 2023. Our two older sons were born in New York City using the same hospital and obstetrician. I didn’t know a lot about the disparities in healthcare and I never experienced any ill-treatment or poor service. We are now New Jerseyans and in 2020, I became a maternal health advocate.

Motherhood is both rewarding and utterly challenging at the same time.

It can bring joy and pain…

It is beautiful and messy…

You get the idea.

In the same light, Black Maternal Health Week is both a joyous acknowledgment and a disheartening call for action. Why the emphasis on Black? I believe that the health of ALL mothers matter.

Well, according to the World Health Organization, the majority of birth-related deaths were preventable and while progress has been made, significant disparities still exist in our communities. The emphasis is a desperate outcry because the CDC reports that Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.

The State of New Jersey has a slightly different statistic and I was floored to learn that New Jersey ranks 47th in the nation for maternal deaths (flip that statistic - in a country with 50 states, NJ is the third deadliest state to deliver a baby) and has one of the widest racial disparities for both maternal and infant mortality. A Black mother in New Jersey is over seven times more likely than a white mother to die from maternity-related complications, and a Black baby is over three times more likely than a white baby to die before his or her first birthday.

Whether it is three more times or seven more times, knowledge is power, and at the same time, ignorance is bliss. I was very intentional about what I consumed via media, articles, and information. I knew that I had to protect my heart and my mind so I would not have a victim mentality or gross distrust for professionals who genuinely wanted to help me. When I interviewed doulas to support me in my birthing journey, I asked them to hold me accountable to one thing - having a balanced approach to medical opinions. In other words, not allowing my knowledge of misuse, abuse, systemic issues, and poor maternal outcomes to cloud my judgment or tarnish my ability to trust the medical staff.

My care team included a strong relationship with God, a supportive husband, our two sons, family, and friends, a chiropractor, an obstetrician, a nurse, and an amazing doula. I am thrilled to report that I had an amazing birthing experience.

I recall thanking the care team and coming to tears of joy feeling so blessed and grateful to have had such a positive experience. Immediately after, the tears of joy became hot, passionate, and angry tears as that gratitude was also fueled by the fact that I did not become a statistic or have a traumatic experience.

My gratitude should not be in spite of my Blackness. The treatment I received should be accessible to every woman. So as we celebrate mothers and babies globally and uplift Black maternal health, I call on the maternal health community—health administrators, policymakers, clinicians, advocates — to shift the narrative from victim to victor, and from Black woman to human.

Reignite Black birthing joy.

Reclaim humanity.

Birthing is a beautiful experience and it should be FOR ALL.

Black maternal health can be both informative and inspiring. Then we lose the tension and engage in positivity.

I’m Rose-Anne Uwague, an Executive Function Productivity Coach, maternal health advocate, wife to King Izoduwa, and a mom of three boys.