Current Actions

• Tell your legislator you support stronger family paid leave.

  New Jersey workers are fortunate to have access to a paid family leave insurance program. A bill (S2528/A3975) advancing through the NJ Legislature will make changes to improve and expand this program to reach more families. Read legislation.

• Tell your you legislators, their youngest constituents are coming to Trenton!

  Send an email message now asking them to join us for Strolling Thunder™ New Jersey on Mon. May 21st.

  If you would like to call your state officials instead, enter your address below for a list or your representatives with their phone number.

• Tell Gov. Phil Murphy to sign the School Attendance Bill
• Tell your you legislators, their youngest constituents are coming to Trenton!

  Send an email message now asking them to join us for Strolling Thunder™ New Jersey on Mon. May 21st.

  If you would like to call your state officials instead, enter your address below for a list or your representatives with their phone number.

• Thank Congress for supporting CHIP and now support MIECHV

  Now thousands of New Jersey children have the security of health insurance to cover their healthcare needs. But the fight is not over. Congress must secure funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visitation (MIECHV) program which supports evidenced-based home visitation programs in New Jersey. These programs have been effective in helping to end multi-generational cycles of poverty and put families on the path to good health, educational success and economic self-sufficiency.

• Tell Gov. Christie not to take a dime away from preschool
• Tell Congress to ACT TODAY to reauthorize CHIP!
• Tell Congress to ACT TODAY to reauthorize CHIP for 5 years!
• Ask candidates for governor to tell you where they stand on children's issues

  Advocates for Children of New Jersey has submitted four questions on children's issues to candidates for NJ governor.  We have also invited them to join child advocates accross the state at our 2017 Children's Summit. Let candidates know YOU want NJ children to be a priority on the next governor's agenda and ask them to respond to the questions.

  Let's get candidates talking about kids issues in the 2017 election.

  Read questions.

• ACNJ supports Family Leave Insurance Bill

  Sign the Family Leave bill Governor!

• VOTE yes for preschool expansion in the NJ FY2018

  Currently there are $25 million in the state’s proposed budget to expand preschool to more eligible 3- and 4-year-olds…. And we want it to stay there!

  Tell Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto and YOUR members of the Assembly that you support preschool expansion and so should they!

  (*Once you've entered your address, you will see your legislators phone numbers below the email.)

• Support preschool expansion in the NJ FY2018

  
  Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto announced a deal that would include $25 million for preschool expansion!!!

  Read NJ Spotlight article. 

  This is a long-overdue step in putting young children first by providing more 3- and 4-year olds with a strong educational foundation for kindergarten and beyond. 

  But it’s not a done deal…….

  The next step is for the budget to be voted on by both the Senate and Assembly. Urge your legislators to vote YES on the $25 million in the budget for preschool expansion.

  Call and send and email to your legislators today.
  (*Once you've entered your address, you will see your legislators phone numbers below the email.)

• Tell Congress to NOT undermine NJ's progress for kids and families.

  
  The Trump Administration’s 2018 budget proposal is an attack on child well-being, slashing funding for programs that keep kids healthy, fed and cared for across the nation and New Jersey. Our Congressional representatives are back in town this week: let them know that New Jersey’s kids need care, not cuts.

  Tell Congress to oppose ANY cuts to programs for kids!

• The American Health Care Act was defeated.

  Let's thank the 11 Congressional members that committed a vote NO on the American Health Care Act. Urge all our representatives to protect kids as new proposals that threathen their health and well-being surface.

• Thank Commissioner of Ed for Zeroing in on Chronic Absenteeism

  The New Jersey Department of Education has included chronic absenteeism as a quality indicator under the State’s proposed plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), our nation's education funding law. The plan addresses the importance of attendance as a predictor of student success and requires schools that fall below attendance benchmarks to prepare a plan to reduce absences.

  Let's thank the Commissioner Kimberley Harrington for this important step to help reduce chronic absenteesim.

• Tell Congress give kids some love!

   

• Thank Commissioner of Ed for Zeroing in on Chronic Absenteeism

  The New Jersey Department of Education has included chronic absenteeism as a quality indicator under the State’s proposed plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), our nation's education funding law. The plan addresses the importance of attendance as a predictor of student success and requires schools that fall below attendance benchmarks to prepare a plan to reduce absences.

  Let's thank the Commissioner Kimberley Harrington for this important step to help reduce chronic absenteesim.

• Thank Sponsors of the Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund

  Fund to feed kids advances in state Legislature! 
  The New Jersey Senate Education Committee unanimously approved bill, S-2819, the Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund. This initiative would defray the costs of effectively implementing the federal school breakfast and summer meals programs in high-poverty communities, helping to increase the number of low-income children receiving these meals. Because towns are reimbursed based on the number of meals served, this would bring more federal dollars into New Jersey communities to feed hungry kids.  Read the legislation.
  
  Let's thank Sen. Sweeny, Sen. Ruiz, Sen Lesniak, Assemblymen Taliaferro, and Andrzejczak for sponoring this bill that will dedicate state dollars to feed children facing hunger, while bringing more federal dollars back to New Jersey.

• Oppose Congress’ efforts to take food from hungry kids!

  Reject House Child Nutrition Act (H.R. 5003)

  If passed, the House of Representatives’ flawed Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill would roll back years of progress. Countless children would no longer have access to nutritious meals and the meals children could still obtain would be less healthy.

  Speak up to urge Congress to reject this harmful proposal. Send your message now. No child should go hungry.

• Sign this petition now to support a NJ child care tax credit.
• Urge Assembly to vote on the School Attendance Bill

  A bi-partisan bill to improve students’ school attendance and their academic success has cleared two key state legislative committees, but needs your support to advance to the next stage on its way to becoming law.

  Please act now to urge Assembly Speaker Prieto to post A-4693 for a vote this Thursday!

  Learn more.

• Advance the School Attendance Bill

  A bi-partisan bill to improve students’ school attendance and their academic success has cleared two key state legislative committees, but needs your support to advance to the next stage on its way to becoming law.

  Please act now to urge Sen. Sarlo, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, to post S-3245 for a vote this Thursday!

  Learn more.

• Child care is everyone’s business

  Support investments in creating safe, affordable, quality child care for all of New Jersey working families.

• Urge Congress to support child care funding!

  Last year, Congress re-approved the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), strengthening child care health and safety standards, requiring background checks for all child care staff and mandating new training for child care providers. Currently, no new dollars have been earmarked to pay for these improvements.  We need to stand together to urge our elected officials to increase funding for this critical service for our youngest children.

  Send a message to your congressional representatives now! It only takes a minute.

• Urge Congress to support Summer Meals Act!

  The Summer Meals Act is the only bill that improves and specifically invests in out-of-school time meal sites, providing critical support to afterschool and summer providers who run programs that offer both healthy food and enrichment activities.

  Click here to send an email to Congress urging them to support The Summer Meals Act (S.613; H.R. 1728) now.

  Get with Congress. Use these sample tweets and Facebook posts to raise awareness on social media and encourage others to take action. You can target your posts directly at your Members of Congress. Click to find the Twitter handles for your Senators and Representative. Be sure to include the graphics!

  .@SenatorMenendez, will you support healthy meals & summer learning by co-sponsoring the #SummerMeals Act?
  
  Healthy meals + learning = #SummerMeals Act. @CoryBooker, pls co-sponsor!
  
  The #SummerMeals Act is the ONLY bill that invests in summer meal program sites! @DonaldNorcross, will you co-sponsor?
  
  The #SummerMeals Act is the ONLY bill that invests in summer meal program sites! @RepLoBiondo, will you co-sponsor? 
  
  .@RepTomMacArthur, will you support healthy meals & summer learning by co-sponsoring the #SummerMeals Act?
  
  .@RepChrisSmith, will you support healthy meals & summer learning by co-sponsoring the #SummerMeals Act?
  
  .@RepGarrett, will you support healthy meals & summer learning by co-sponsoring the #SummerMeals Act?
  
  Healthy meals + learning = #SummerMeals Act. @FrankPallone, pls co-sponsor!
  
  .@RepLanceNJ7, we'd greatly appreciate your support of #childnutrition & summer learning by co-sponsoring the #SummerMeals Act!
  
  Healthy meals + learning = #SummerMeals Act. @RepSires, pls co-sponsor!
  
  Rep .@BillPascrell, will you support healthy meals & summer learning by co-sponsoring the #SummerMeals Act?
  
  .@RepDonaldPayne, will you support healthy meals & summer learning by co-sponsoring the #SummerMeals Act?
  
  Healthy meals + learning = #SummerMeals Act. @USRepRodney, pls co-sponsor!
  
  .@RepBWColeman, will you support healthy meals & summer learning by co-sponsoring the #SummerMeals Act?
  
  

• Thank Sen. Ruiz for her commitment to early learning.

  Senator Teresa Ruiz brought to the forefront  the early learning needs of New Jersey’s youngest children to the NJ Senate Education Committee. Let's thank her for her leadership and urge her to pursue measures that will expand preschool to more New Jersey children.

  Read ACNJ testimonty to NJ Senate Education Committee (9/21/2015)

  Learn more about ACNJ's work on preschool and expansion.

• Thank Sen. Pou for her leadership on Juvenile Justice reform

  The reforms signed into law by Governor Christie yesterday will continue to make New Jerseys juvenile justice system smarter and safer.  Please thank Senator Nellie Pou for her leadership in working with all stakeholders to reach consensus on this legislation and successfully advancing the bill forward. The bill

  • eliminates the use of solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure in juvenile facilities and detention centers, and places time limits on the use of solitary confinement for reasons other than punishment, such as safety concerns.
  • increases the age a juvenile can be “waived” into adult court, from 14 to 15 and narrowed the list of applicable offenses. Sentences for youth waived to adult court may still be served in a youth facility until the age of 21 and the youth may remain there beyond that time at the discretion of the Commission.
  • requires the Juvenile Justice Commission to collect and publish data.

  Thank Senator Pou for her efforts in this important step forward for youth in NJ.

• Thank Gov. Christie for signing juvenile justice reform bill.

  The reforms signed into law by Governor Christie yesterday will continue to make New Jersey's juvenile justice system smarter and safer. The bill

  • eliminates the use of solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure in juvenile facilities and detention centers, and places time limits on the use of solitary confinement for reasons other than punishment, such as safety concerns.
  • increases the age a juvenile can be “waived” into adult court, from 14 to 15 and narrowed the list of applicable offenses. Sentences for youth waived to adult court may still be served in a youth facility until the age of 21 and the youth may remain there beyond that time at the discretion of the Commission.
  • requires the Juvenile Justice Commission to collect and publish data.

  Thank Gov. Christie for taking an important step forward for youth in NJ.

• Urge Congress to lift caps on funding for children's programs

  Tell congress ENOUGH with the sequester caps on non-discretionary funding that have dramatically limited investment in the programs that support children and their families.

  STOP placing the disproportionate burden for our country’s deficit reduction on the backs of our most vulnerable... CHILDREN.

  During the August recess, call, send an email, Tweet, or Facebook your Members of Congress.

  Call your Members of Congress in their district offices. Click here to find contact information for your Senators and Representative. Be sure to ask to be connected to their district office, as that is where they will be during the August recess. Use the talking points below to help shape your message.

  • As your constituent, I urge you to take a hard look at how Congress is choosing to control spending – on the backs of our youngest and most vulnerable. In real dollars, discretionary funding for early care and learning programs has remained stagnant for 10 years.
  • While we know that high quality early childhood programs help give families and children the ingredients for a strong start in life, the funding caps on non-defense discretionary spending (NDD) are preventing thousands of young children from accessing these critical supports.
  • I urge you to lift the NDD caps and provide greater investments in the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Early Head Start, and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
  • Remember to thank them for their time.

  Connect on social media. Use these sample tweets and Facebook post to raise awareness on social media and encourage others to take action. You can target your posts directly at your Members of Congress. Click to find the Twitter handles for your Senators and Representative. Be sure to include the graphics!
  Twitter:

  • Congress may be in recess, but babies aren’t playing around. It’s time to #LiftTheCaps and invest in our future. #Rally4Babies
  • Since ‘06, more than 300,000 kids have lost federal #childcare assistance. It’s time to #LiftTheCaps and #Rally4Babies.
  • 95% of babies in poverty don’t have access to #EarlyHeadStart. Congress, it’s time to #LiftTheCaps and #Rally4Babies
  • Up to ½ of babies with special needs can’t access #EarlyIntervention. It’s time to #LiftTheCaps and give all kids a #StrongStart.
  • We can’t fix the deficit on the backs of babies. It’s time to #LiftTheCaps and invest in our future. #Rally4Babies

   
  Facebook:

  
  

  Congress #LiftTheCaps and increase investments in programs that support vulnerable children and families.

  Posted by Advocates for Children of New Jersey on Thursday, August 6, 2015

  Send a message to your congressional representatives now!

• Urge your elected officials to support juvenile justice reform

  Did you know that in New Jersey, a kid as young as 14 years old can be waived to adult court for a relatively minor offense? Raising the age at which a teen can be transferred to adult court for trial is just one several reforms in a juvenile justice bill up for vote in the State Assembly. Having already passed in the Senate, this is the last step before Governor Christie can sign this bill into law.

  Send a message to the members of the State Assembly, urging them to support A-4299.
  

  For more information, please click here.

• Thank the President for his commitment to children and families.

  In his State of the Union, President Obama announced his commitment to improve the quality and affordability of child care to working families across the nation. This is good for children, families and the nation as a whole.

  Send a message today to thank the President.

• Thank the President for hosting the early education summit.

  High-quality early childhood education programs provide a huge return on investment. They're good for children, good for families and good for the economy.
  
  Thank the President for his commitment to ensure that all children get off to the right start.

• Thank The President and Congress for reauthorizing CCDBG!

  Kids scored an important win this week when Congress passed and the President signed a measure aimed at improving the quality of child care in New Jersey and across the nation. This marks a critical step toward building a strong early learning system!
  

  Take a moment now to thank The President and Congress!

• Support Child Care Safety!

  Please urge your Senators to support bill S. 1086.
  

  This bill would renew the Child Care and Development Block Grant, funding tens of thousands of New Jersey children.  It advances important changes, including requiring criminal background checks of people who care for children in their own homes and mandating that states post inspection reports and violations online to help parents choose a quality child care setting for their children.

  Don't wait! Let your Senators know that the current condition of child care is not okay and working parents need peace of mind to know their children are safe while they work.

• Help advance a common-sense safety measure to protect children being cared for in private homes!

  Please urge Assemblywoman Lampitt to post bill, A-3238, which would require state registered family child care providers and others over 18 living in the household to undergo criminal history background checks (currently it is not required.)
  

  Send a message to Assemblywoman Lampitt today!

  
  

• Thank Congress for re-authorizing CCDBG!

  The House and Senate has reached an agreement on reauthorizing the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the
  primary federal program that provides funds for child care subsidies for low-income working families, while improving child care quality.
  

  Urge congress to pass this bill.

• Support Preschool Expansion

  Please send a message to your legislators, urging them to support investments in high-quality preschool.

• Take Action to Help NJ Infants!

  Urge your representatives in Congres to support reauthorization of the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program - a program proven to help infants get off to a stronger, healthy start.

  Share on social media! Encourage others to take action too!

  Sample Facebook post: I support the federal home visiting program to help vulnerable families raise healthy children and become economically self-sufficient. Call Congress now to continue funding for home visiting programs.

  Sample Tweet: Call Congress to #supportMIECHV to help vulnerable families succeed and save taxpayers money.

• Support U.S. Senate action to improve child care quality

  Urge your U.S. Senators to support the proposed bill S. 1086.  It would strengthen the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 by

  ▪    Conducting comprehensive background checks 
  ▪    Increasing quality funds to states
  ▪    Strengthening parent awareness of quality care
  ▪    Inspecting child care programs before being licensed
  ▪    Providing ongoing financial assistance to families so children receive continuity of care

  Learn more about the proposal.

  Send a message to your Senators today!

• Urge lawmakers to support expansion of preschool to NJ and the nation.
• Don’t limit public information about child abuse deaths!

  Send your message to the commissioner today to strengthen the accountability of New Jersey’s child protection system so we can learn from our mistakes and prevent future child deaths.

• Thank the President for Investing in Early Learning!

  President Obama recently released his 2014 budget proposal that calls for an historic investment in early learning that would create a system of high-quality early learning from birth through age 5.

  The President needs to know he has our support to help him convince Congress to adopt this great plan for kids.

  Please take a moment to send a message thanking the President for his commitment to helping all children get off to the right start.

  
  

• We support Medicaid expansion provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
• Tell Congress not to push kids off the fiscal cliff!

  Please send a message to Congress today asking them to protect children from the "fiscal cliff."

• A Letter to State Officials Urging them to Preserve NJ’s High-Quality Preschools

  Please sign on today!

• Urge Governor Christie to support budget wins for kids.

  Great news! The state budget approved by legislators includes additional funding for child care and tax credits for the working poor.  Now, we have to convince Governor Christie to maintain these investments. The governor has until June 30 to sign the budget into law – and he has the power to veto specific funding requests.

  So please send a message to Governor Christie today, urging him to support these investments in children.

  NOTE: To send your email to Governor Christie you are required to select a topic and a subtopic. Select "children and families" for topic and "child care" for subtopic.

• Urge your elected officials to accelerate the EITC restoration!

  So it is heartening to hear Governor Christie promise to restore cuts to the Earned Income Tax Credit. The only problem? He’s waiting until 2014 to give struggling families this help.

  Send a message to the Governor and Legislature that we can’t wait to restore this valuable tax credit.

  Right now, the state Legislature is debating the proposed budget. Whether they make changes that benefit kids will depend, in large part, on how many people speak up in support of investing in children.

  NOTE: To send your email to Governor Christie you are required to select a topic and a subtopic. Select "Taxation" for topic and "State Income Tax" for subtopic.

• Reinvest funds to reduce the child care waiting list!

  Working parents need safe, reliable, quality child care so they can work and provide for their children. A growing number of low-income New Jersey parents earn too little to pay for child care and meet their monthly expenses.

  Urge our state leaders invest in child care  and reduce the waiting list!
  
  Right now, the state Legislature is debating the proposed budget. Whether they make changes that benefit kids will depend, in large part, on how many people speak up in support of investing in children.

  NOTE: To send your email to Governor Christie you are required to select a topic and a subtopic.  For topic select "Children and Families" and for subtopic enter "child care".

• Urge your state leaders to support school breakfast expansion.

  A healthy breakfast helps students focus in class, score higher on standardized tests and succeed in school. Yet, just 30 percent of eligible NJ children receive breakfast in school, even though they are already enrolled in the federal school meals program.

  Urge your state leaders to support school breakfast expansion.
  
  Right now, the state Legislature is debating the proposed budget. Whether they make changes that benefit kids will depend, in large part, on how many people speak up in support of investing in children.

  NOTE: To send your email to Governor Christie you are required to select a topic and a subtopic.  For topic select "Education" and for subtopic enter "K-12".

• Reinvest funds to reduce the child care waiting list!

  Working parents need safe, reliable, quality child care so they can work and provide for their children. A growing number of low-income New Jersey parents earn too little to pay for child care and meet their monthly expenses.

  Urge our state leaders to reinvest funds to reduce the child care waiting list today!
  
  Right now, the state Legislature is debating the proposed budget. Whether they make changes that benefit kids will depend, in large part, on how many people speak up in support of investing in children.

  NOTE: To send your email to Governor Christie you are required to select a topic and a subtopic.  For topic select "Children and Families" and for subtopic enter "child care".

• Question Acting Commissioner Cerf about early learning

  Related Links The State of Preschool 2011:  State Preschool Yearbook View Budget Updates Learn more about early learning in NJ.

  Urge legislators on the Assembly Budget Committee to question the Commissioner about two critical preschool issues.

  1. As New Jersey looses ground in providing low-income children with access to quality preschool, what are DOE’s plans to fund preschool expansion, as mandated in the 2008 school funding law?

  2. With decreased child care funding from the Department of Human Services, what specific steps is the DOE taking to ensure the financial viability of community preschools that currently are responsible for educating the majority of 3- and 4- year olds in state-supported programs?
  
  Send a message today.  It takes just a minute to speak up on behalf of New Jersey’s children and the early learning community.

  Below is a sample letter.   Please take time to personalize it with your own thoughts and experiences.

• Tell politicians to make it a Jersey Comeback for kids!

  Advocates for Children of New Jersey today called on the Governor and state Legislature to reduce the child care waiting list, expand preschool, feed hungry school children and fund tax credits to low-income workers in this year’s state budget.  View Press Release.
  
  Please join us in sending a message to the governor, Legislature and state officials to make it a “Jersey Comeback” for kids.

• Thank Governor Christie & Commissioner Cerf

  For Applying for the Race to the Top Federal Funding

  New Jersey just submitted a proposal for federal funds through the Race to the Top -- Early Learning Challenge grant. The care and education of our youngest children is a critical part of putting children on the path to school success.
  
  Please take a minute to thank Gov. Christie and Commissioner Cerf for their commitment to early learning.