The number of children receiving summertime nutrition continued to grow last year, and federal dollars flowing into New Jersey communities to feed hungry children rose, according to a new report by Advocates for Children of New Jersey.
New Jersey communities served up summer meals to nearly 95,000 children on an average day in July 2017 through two federal summer meals programs, according to data provided by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. That represents a 27 percent increase since July 2015, according to the report.
On January 29, 2018, Advocates for Children of New Jersey held a roundtable discussion and book signing for the Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality. ACNJ president/CEO Cecilia Zalkind provided closing remarks. Special thanks to Arturo Brito, Executive Director of the Nicholson Foundation & Steve Adubato! Guest Included:
Ajay Chaudry, Co-Author: Cradle to Kindergarten
Taryn Morrissey, Co-Author: Cradle to Kindergarten
Bonnie Eggenburg, Vice President of Gateway Community Action Agency
Ellen Frede, Co-Director of National Institute for Early Education Research
Beverly Lynn, CEO of Programs for Parents
Karen White, Director of Center for Women and Work
Below are some highlights from the event.
Dr. Arturo Brito paints a picture of the vulnerability of babies
The time between birth and kindergarten is critical for child development. But did you know, 150,000 children with working parents wake up each morning in New Jersey without reliable child care?
Ajay Chaudry, PhD discusses what the biggest inequality is…
Having access to quality preschool and early child care are building blocks for a better adulthood. And in other developed countries, children begin school by age three. Preschool in the US is a luxury that only a quarter of families can afford.
Taryn Morrissey PhD, speaks about the long-term and short-term effects
Taryn Morrissey highlights the differences in children who are ready for kindergarten versus those who are not. It is important to invest in quality early learning experiences so that all children have equal opportunity for preschool and kindergarten readiness programs. Children who do not attend preschool are more likely to have behavioral problems and less likely to graduate high school.
Ajay Chaudry, PhD discusses the 3 keys to success
The first key to combating preschool inequalities is to provide paid leave for newborn parents. The second key is to support child care costs for families in need by introducing a refundable tax credit. The third key is to offer free preschool to low and middle-income children ages 3 and 4.
Taryn Morrissey, PhD comments on our investments
Investing in preschool will decrease both k-12 and remedial education costs. Children who experience preschool are also less likely to end up in the criminal justice system. A strong start in education will give kids a better chance at becoming productive members of society.
Ellen Frede, PhD comments on universal pre-school
Ellen Frede, PhD. explains that the goal of universal preschool isn’t just for low-income families. She references the success of kindergarten and Head Start programs.
Ajay Chaudry, PhD asks, “What Kind of State Do We Want?”
There are less than a handful of states who offer family leave. Shouldn’t all parents have the same opportunity to stay home and bond with their newborn for 12 weeks?
Beverly Lynn & Ellen Frede, PhD discuss high-quality child care
Beverly Lynn EdD, discusses the Child Care Development Block Grant. She explains how the grant needs to include children younger than the age of 3. She stresses that those years are the building blocks to preschool achievements.
Cecilia Zalkind comments on the new plan
ACNJ’s CEO/president Cecilia Zalkind explains how New Jersey has had a law in place to fund preschool expansion since 2008 but has yet to achieve the goal of expansion. The state needs to look at early child care as one system instead of separating them. She talks about conversations she had with young families unable to find quality child care for their babies.
Dr. Arturo Brito, & Taryn Morrissey, PhD, “pay now or pay later”.
High-quality early education has far-reaching benefits including an increased likelihood of being able to read by third grade, social and emotional growth, and a reduction in special education referrals. The benefits of preschool will save the state money in the long run.
Karen White speaks about the importance of paid leave
Being able to stay home with a newborn gives parents a chance to bond with the baby and make important decisions regarding their care.
Bonnie Eggenburg comments on the neglect for child care programs in NJ
Research shows that every child benefits from infant and toddler care and preschool. Bonnie Eggenburg discusses her feelings on universal early childhood care. She states that it is neglectful to not have this care offered to every child in the United States.
Taryn Morrissey, PhD & Ajay Chaudry, PhD discuss the progress
Many people can relate first-hand to the struggles of families with young children, including state lawmakers. In addition, public opinion polling has found that advancing early childhood education is an issue that vast majority supports. It’s important to capitalize on this momentum.
Cecilia Zalkind Closing Remarks
ACNJ’s CEO/president Cecilia Zalkind commends the dedication and hard work of NJ advocates who want to see equal access to child care and preschool across the state. She announces ACNJ’s advocacy campaign to improve child care for babies.
Beverly Lynn & Ellen Frede, PhD closing comments
Everyone will benefit from the Cradle to Kindergarten plan. Ellen Frede explains, “Another year we wait is another year we fail our children”.
Despite Newark’s progress in reducing the number of children with elevated blood lead levels, nearly a quarter of all tested Newark children under 6-years-old still have some harmful levels of lead in their blood, according to the 2018 Newark Kids Count report. Read more.
This annual report provides a snapshot of the well-being of Newark children in several indicators including child health, child protection, education, juvenile justice and more. This year’s special section of the report focused on childhood lead exposure in the city of Newark.
Federal foster care funding now available to fund prevention programs
Mary Coogan, Vice President
One component of The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 passed by Congress on February 9 and signed by President Trump that received very little media attention was the Family First Prevention Services Act (“Act”). Some touted this legislation as “historic” because it represents a fundamental change in the way state child welfare systems can use federal foster care dollars. Beginning in October 2019, states will be able to use federal funding for mental health treatment, substance use treatment, in-home parenting skills training and counselling in order strengthen the family and prevent children from entering foster care.
While a focus on prevention may seem like the logical approach to the average person, that is not how the federal payment system is currently set up. Most of the federal funding that states receive are reimbursements for costs associated with foster care, information systems costs, training and adoption assistance payments, i.e. costs incurred after children are removed from their families. Many have argued that the present system creates an incentive to tear families apart rather than prevent the breakup of families.
Very little funding from the federal Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), within the U.S. Department of Human Services, is presently allocated to the states for primary prevention programs to strengthen families and avoid child abuse and neglect. Jerry Milner, associate commissioner of the Children’s Bureau and the acting commissioner of the ACYF, who is tasked with the implementation of the Act, wants to change that. He hopes that states will take advantage of the opportunities created by the Act to change the way states approach child abuse and neglect, prioritizing strengthening the resiliency and protective capacity of families. As Mr. Milner says, “[t]he Family First Act provides a very positive first step in changing a profoundly unbalanced and frankly illogical funding situation.”
The Family First Prevention Services Act permits states to use funding commonly referred to as Title IV-E funds to provide services to children who are deemed to be at imminent risk of entering foster care because of a referral for child abuse and/or neglect. With prevention services paid for by these Title IV-E funds, states may be able to avoid having to place these children, referred to as “foster care candidates,” into foster care. Instead, a state agency can work to strengthen their families, providing services for up to 12 months. The Act also allows prevention services for pregnant or parenting youth already living in foster care.
The Act appropriately requires the state agency to provide prevention services that are trauma-informed and have research-supported evidence that they achieve results. Guidance as to what constitutes a well-supported or promising practice or program will be issued by the federal Department of Health and Human Services no later than October 1, 2018. Children who are returning home from foster care will now be eligible to 15 months of reunification services to help ensure that they are successfully reunified with their parents.
The passage of the Act is the result of years of work by national and state advocates. ACNJ joined its national partner First Focus and more than 500 other organizations in supporting this legislation which will enable states to work with families earlier, to get them what they need and prevent children being hurt or neglected. It is the hope of those sponsoring this legislation that states can avoid the unnecessary separation from their families and the additional trauma that goes with placing a child into foster care.
Under the new law, states must also take steps to reduce unnecessary congregate care placements (an institutional setting such as group homes). New Jersey has already moved in that direction. An “appropriate evidenced-based, validated functional assessment” must be performed to determine if a child’s needs cannot be met with family or in a family foster home and that residential treatment is the best option for that child.
There are other provisions concerning reporting by the state agencies to the federal government. For more details on the Family First Prevention Services Act, read First Focus Fact Sheet. ACNJ will continue to track the implementation of the Act here in New Jersey and provide updates as they become available.
The number of children receiving summertime nutrition continued to grow last year, and federal dollars flowing into New Jersey communities to feed hungry children rose, according to a new report by Advocates for Children of New Jersey.
Despite Newark’s progress in reducing the number of children with elevated blood lead levels, nearly a quarter of all tested Newark children under 6-years-old still have some harmful levels of lead in their blood, according to the 2018 Newark Kids Count report. 
