What’s New?

Trashaun’s Preeclampsia Story: From Trauma to Empowerment and Purpose

Posted on May 27, 2025

Maternal health advocate and preeclampsia survivor Trashaun has turned her trauma into empowerment and purpose, sharing her story and advocating for increased awareness and support for expectant parents.

Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that affects thousands of women every year. It can lead to high blood pressure, organ damage, seizures, and even death if not caught early. But here’s the surprising part: the way we diagnose preeclampsia hasn’t changed much in over 100 years.

Trashaun Powell, Somerset County Mom, Maternal Health Advocate, and Preeclampsia Survivor

Right now, doctors mostly rely on checking a pregnant woman’s blood pressure and looking for protein in her urine. These methods aren’t always reliable. That means some women don’t get the help they need in time, while others may end up being treated for something they don’t actually have.

The Promise of Biomarkers

That’s where something called biomarkers comes in. Biomarkers are signals in your body—things found in your blood, urine, or saliva—that can tell doctors when something’s wrong. For preeclampsia, certain biomarkers could help spot the condition before it becomes dangerous.

Using biomarkers would allow doctors to:

  • Catch preeclampsia earlier
  • Know how serious it is
  • Avoid unnecessary hospital visits
  • Keep moms and babies safer

Researchers have already found some promising biomarkers, but these tests aren’t widely used yet. That needs to change—and fast.

A Call to Action

The Preeclampsia Foundation is urging everyone—doctors, researchers, hospitals, insurance companies, and government leaders—to make biomarker testing a priority. They want:

  • More research funding
  • Faster approval of new tests
  • Better access for all pregnant women, especially those most at risk
  • This is especially important for Black and Native American women, who are more likely to get preeclampsia and suffer worse outcomes.

What You Can Do

We have the tools to save lives—we just need to use them. If you’re pregnant, planning to be, or know someone who is, talk to your doctor about preeclampsia and the latest in testing. And consider supporting the work of the Preeclampsia Foundation, which is fighting for better care for all moms and babies.

🔗 Learn more and join the movement at preeclampsia.org.

2025 election badge2

Let's make children and their
families the center of the
2025 Election Campaign.

For more information on this topic, contact Winifred at wsmith-jenkins@acnj.org.

U.S. House of Representatives Moved the Federal Budget Process Forward

Posted on May 27, 2025

Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” along party lines 215 (R)/214 (D).  The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for their consideration. If H.R. 1 becomes law, several provisions of the bill will have a serious and devastating impact on NJ FamilyCare (which is funded by Medicaid) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Below are highlights. There are also provisions related to tax credits and student loans, which will impact children, youth, and families. We will update the ACNJ website as we learn more, so continue to check in.

Medicaid Related Sections

Almost 20% of New Jersey residents have health insurance coverage through NJ FamilyCare, which is funded by federal and state Medicaid dollars, as well as the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This includes over 860,000 children. H.R. 1 will “save” nearly $700 billion in spending over the next 10 years by imposing additional eligibility requirements or restricting eligibility, thus reducing the number of people being covered by state public health insurance programs like NJ FamilyCare. H.R. 1 includes the following provisions:

  • Impose 80 hours of work or community engagement activities, such as education or volunteer service, for individuals ages 19 to 64 applying for coverage or enrolled through the Affordable Care Act expansion group, no later than December 31, 2026. This population is commonly referred to as the Medicaid expansion population. ACNJ was pleased to see an exemption in the bill for pregnant women, individuals under the age of 19 or over the age of 64, foster youth and former foster youth under the age of 26, members of tribes, and individuals who are considered “medically frail.” Individuals will have to verify that they are exempt.
  • Reduce retroactive coverage for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to one month from three months as of December 31, 2026.
  • Require redetermination of eligibility every six months for the Medicaid expansion populations to begin on December 31, 2026.
  • Freeze current amount of provider taxes for states.
  • Require states to impose co-pays for Medicaid expansion adults with incomes over 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL). This cost-sharing may not exceed $35 per service. Exempted services include: primary care services, mental health care services, or substance use disorder services.
  • Impose new penalties for states that provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants. H.R. 1 would reduce the federal Medicaid expansion match rate from 90% to 80% for states like New Jersey that use state funds to provide health coverage for children, regardless of their immigration status, or pregnant adults covered under the Medicaid option for these groups.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Related Sections 

Close to 360,000 New Jersey children participate in SNAP currently. The House Resolution will reduce spending on SNAP by approximately $267 billion over the next ten years by restricting eligibility and shifting a greater percentage of the cost for both the benefit and administration of SNAP to the states.

Currently, the actual SNAP benefit is paid with federal dollars. H.R. 1 shifts 5% of the benefit and an additional 25% of the administrative costs to the states. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, if every state paid 5% of food benefit costs last year, states would have needed to collectively pay about $4.7 billion. The New Jersey Department of Human Services estimates that the additional 25% of administrative costs being shifted to the states will cost New Jersey counties an additional $78 million. Following are SNAP related provisions:

  • Limit the frequency of updates to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP)—the basis for calculating SNAP benefits—to once every five years, requiring cost neutrality in updates.
  • Expand work required for able-bodied adults without dependents, raising the age from 54 to 64, and narrow the definition of a dependent child to those under the age of 7, limiting caregiving exemptions.
  • Restrict the automatic qualification for utility deductions in SNAP calculations to households with elderly or disabled members and limit income exclusions for state energy assistance.
  • Require states to contribute at least 5% toward SNAP benefit costs starting in FY 2028, with higher contributions (up to 25%) required for states with high SNAP error rates. Currently, the federal government pays 100% of the SNAP benefit.
  • Increase in the state’s share of administrative costs for implementing SNAP to 75%.

Ways and Means Bill Sections 

  • For the Child Tax Credit
    • Temporarily increase the Child Tax Credit to $2500 until 2028 and then return to $2000.
    • Set the refundable portion of the credit to $1400.
    • Require that individuals have earned income to be eligible for the credit.
    • Require a social security number for children, tax filers, and the tax filer’s spouse if married.
  • Temporarily boost the standard deduction — a $1,000 increase for individuals, bringing it to $16,000 for individual filers, and a $2,000 boost for joint filers, bringing it to $32,000. The deduction reduces the amount of income that is actually subject to income tax.
  • Increase the State and Local Tax (SALT) cap to $40,000 for incomes up to $500,000, with the cap phasing downward for those with higher incomes. Also, the cap and income threshold will increase 1% annually over 10 years.
  • Create a tax credit for school vouchers.
  • Parents or guardians who open new “Trump” accounts for their children will receive $1,000 from the federal government for babies born between Jan. 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2028. Families could add $5,000 a year, however, funds cannot be withdrawn before age 18, at which time they could access up to 50% of the money to pay for higher education, training, and first-time home purchases. At age 30, account holders have access to the full balance of the account for any purpose.

Pell Related Sections

  • Eliminate Pell Grant eligibility for less-than-half-time students.
  • Raise the definition of “full-time” to 15 credits per semester to get full Pell (from the current 12 credits).
  • Eliminate Stafford subsidized loans.
  • Eliminate graduate student PLUS loans and limit parent PLUS loans.
  • Eliminate existing income-contingent repayment plans and create a single income-based repayment plan, increasing the percentage of discretionary income and the number of payments needed before a loan can be forgiven.
  • Prevent the Department of Education from promulgating regulations that increase loan subsidy costs or are economically significant (no new debt relief regulations).
  • Clarify that payments made by new borrowers on or after July 1, 2025, who are serving in a medical or dental residency, do not count as a qualifying payment for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
  • Cap federal loans at the median cost of the student’s program of study.

ACNJ Testimony to Senate Education Committee on Bill S3910

Posted on May 27, 2025

Winifred Head Shot2

Winifred Smith-Jenkins
Director of Early Learning Policy and Advocacy

Bill S3910 makes various changes to provision of preschool aid and facilities requirements; establishes Universal Preschool Implementation Steering Committee; requires full-day kindergarten in all school districts.

To: Senate Education Committee

From: Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ)

Date: May 12, 2025

RE: ACNJ’s Testimony on S3910

Dear Chairman Gopal and Members of the Senate Education Committee:

My name is Winifred Smith-Jenkins, and I am here today on behalf of Advocates for Children of New Jersey in support of Senate Bill 3910.

As a former child care director, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that public preschool has had on children, families, and the communities they live in. For more than 25 years, New Jersey has invested in high-quality early education that prepares children for school and supports family stability.

This bill builds on that foundation. It moves us toward broader access by expanding the reach of public preschool to include every three- and four-year-old, regardless of ZIP code. It recognizes the importance of making this opportunity available to all children, not just those in certain districts or income brackets.

One of the most important provisions in this bill is the recognition of a mixed delivery system. Community-based providers have long been trusted by families and have played a critical role in delivering quality preschool. Preserving their place in this evolving system is not only practical—it’s necessary. Families need choices, and the state needs the capacity that exists outside of public schools to meet this growing demand.

That said, the amendments have shifted the implementation approach, adding complexity and raising new questions, particularly about how private providers will be meaningfully included and supported moving forward.

We’re on the right path, but there is more work to do. We look forward to working with the bill sponsors and state leaders to ensure this expansion is implemented in a way that is equitable and inclusive. Community-based providers must have a real seat at the table—not just in principle, but in practice—so we can build a system that meets the needs of children, families, and the early childhood workforce across New Jersey.

Thank you for your time and for your ongoing commitment to early education. I urge you to move this bill forward while continuing to engage with all stakeholders to ensure its success.

Urge Assembly Members Co-sponsor Common Budget Resolution #15 to Fund NJ’s Child Care Assistance Program

Posted on May 22, 2025

Take action today! Ensure your Assembly members sign on to the common budget resolution #15.

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.

Anfry’s Story: Developing Character Through Faith and Relationships

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.