Posted on August 25, 2022
What’s New?
Decrease in NJ Families Claiming EITC Credits
Posted on August 24, 2022
By Alena Siddiqui
Kids Count Coordinator
ACNJ has recently updated indicators in our Kids Count data dashboard, highlighting the latest available data in child & family economics, child protection and teens and young adults. Additionally, we updated the NJ Earned Income Tax Credits (NJ EITC) indicators with 2020 data.
The NJ EITC increases take-home pay for families by lowering the amount of taxes owed, and in some cases providing a refund. In 2020, the average credit amount for New Jersey recipients was $1,157.
We noticed an interesting trend for the number of NJ EITC credits issued to individuals with children under the age of 19. Comparing 2016 and 2020, there has been a 7% decrease in the number of credits administered. Many counties show larger decreases, such as Cape May (-13%), Hudson (-11%) and Morris (-11%) counties. Though there was a slight peak in 2018 as more credits were issued, the numbers once again decreased in 2019 and 2020.
The number of credits issued may have decreased because people who are eligible for the tax credit may not be continually enrolling in the program, or many may not even be aware that they are eligible. Regardless, more people are not taking advantage of this benefit that can aid children and families. The IRS offers an EITC Assistant tool for the public to check if they are eligible to receive the additional funds. Those interested in checking need to have their income statements, such as W-2s or 1099s, documents showing taxes withheld or money paid to them, and any expenses or adjustments to their income.
New Jersey families may also be eligible for the New Jersey Child Tax Credit, which was recently passed into law. Starting in tax year 2021, families with a child under age six and an income up to $150,000 may be eligible for a refundable tax credit of up to $500. Claimants can receive a refund of the credit after any tax is paid. Information on how to claim the 2021 Child and Dependent Care Credit can be found on page 41 of the NJ-1040 Instructions.
John Harmon, Founder, President and CEO, African American Chamber of Commerce, Talks About Child Care
Posted on August 22, 2022
Hear John Harmon, Founder, President and CEO, African American Chamber of Commerce, discuss the challenges facing New Jersey, including the lack of access to child care and the obstacles families are facing as a result, on State of Affairs with Steve Adubato.
After 38 Years of Service, Cecilia Zalkind, President and CEO of ACNJ, Announces Retirement
Posted on August 15, 2022
Dear Friend,
As Chair of the Board of Trustees for Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), we are announcing that after 38 years of service, current President and CEO Cecilia Zalkind will retire at the end of the year. During her tenure, Ceil has been one of New Jersey’s most influential leaders and greatest champions for the well-being of children and their families, and she will be greatly missed.
Ceil joined ACNJ in 1984 as a public policy director, focusing on child welfare. She strengthened permanency practices in child welfare and assured that parents and children had a voice in the design and delivery of government services. She has argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court, testified on many occasions before the state legislature, collaborated with other leaders and advocates, and listened to those who are often left out of policy decisions. During her time at ACNJ, she has been a tireless leader and advocate for legislative and policy reforms, focusing on innovations to improve the quality and access to early childhood care and education. She assumed the position of president/CEO in 2001, focusing on bringing issues surrounding child care to the forefront.
In order to facilitate a seamless transition, our Vice President, Mary Coogan, has been appointed to the position of President/CEO effective January 1, 2023. Mary has been with ACNJ since 1993 and has led our policy initiatives and provided leadership in statewide committees regarding foster care, kinship care, children’s health, and juvenile justice. She also oversees the publication of ACNJ’s Kids Count data reporting, and is currently head of the KidLaw Resource Center.
Ceil will continue to serve as a senior advisor to ACNJ’s early childhood agenda. We wish Ceil and her family all the best as she enters the next phase of her life. The Board is also planning an event to honor Ceil and her many accomplishments for the spring of 2023. We will share details when plans are finalized.
Warmest regards,
Charles Venti, Board Chair, ACNJ
Charles Venti, Board Chair, ACNJ
National Kids Count Report: More than 10% of NJ Children Struggling with Mental Health Issues
Posted on August 15, 2022
In the News:
- NJ children facing anxiety, depression ‘at unprecedented levels,’ new report finds
- 38,000 more N.J. kids battle anxiety, depression than 6 years ago. What’s going on?
- Depression, Anxiety In NJ Kids Becoming More Common: Report
- NJ children facing anxiety, depression ‘at unprecedented levels,’ new report finds
- Is your child OK? 10% of NJ kids have anxiety/depression, report finds
- Is your child OK? 10% of NJ kids have anxiety/depression, report finds
We’re excited to partner with the Annie E. Casey Foundation for its 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book release! In addition to key data updates, this year’s report explores the effects of the pandemic and the child mental health crisis.
More than 10% of NJ Children Struggling with Mental Health Issues Since the Start of the Pandemic, Requiring Urgent Action
New report released by national nonprofit Annie E. Casey Foundation finds that almost 7.3 million children across the nation now struggle with anxiety or depression
New Jersey maintains its strong reputation related to education, health, and family and community, ranking sixth in the nation for child health and well-being, according to the 2022 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. However, children in America, including New Jersey, are in the midst of a mental health crisis, struggling with anxiety and depression at unprecedented levels. For the first time, this annual resource focuses on youth mental health, concurring with a recent assessment by U.S. surgeon general that conditions amount to a youth “mental health pandemic.”
The report sheds light on the health, economic and other challenges affecting American children as well as how those challenges are more likely to affect children of color.
In New Jersey, nearly 168,000 children, or 10.7%, were struggling with anxiety and depression in 2020. This is up from 7.6% of children, or more than 130,000, in 2016. In order to address this growing problem, the state’s recently passed FY2023 budget includes $50 million in federal dollars to strengthen youth mental health supports. In addition, a new federal- and state-supported mental health hotline, 9-8-8, recently launched, connecting individuals to a network of trained crisis counselors.
“Though we are encouraged to see that the state’s budget has allocated federal dollars toward strengthening youth mental health programs, more must be done. The pandemic has had a profound effect on the mental state of New Jersey’s children,” said Cecilia Zalkind, president and CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), a statewide nonprofit that works with local, state and federal leaders to identify and implement changes that will benefit New Jersey’s children. “Regularly, we hear the struggles of families and children who are combating anxiety and depression caused and magnified by a global crisis. Programs such as mental health services play a critical role in moving the state forward past COVID-19, but we need to do more to address the shortage of providers for mental health services.”
The Data Book reports that children across America, and in more than 40 states and the District of Columbia, were more likely to encounter anxiety or depression during the first year of the COVID-19 crisis than previously, with the national figure jumping 26%, from 9.4% of children ages 3-17 (5.8 million kids) to 11.8% (7.3 million) between 2016 and 2020, the year COVID-19 swept across the United States. This increase represents 1.5 million more children who are struggling to make it through the day.
