Funding included in the New Jersey FY 2024 budget for the Community Recovery & Family Success Act

We are excited to announce that funding was included in the New Jersey FY 2024 budget for the Community Recovery & Family Success Act!

The budget allocates $4 million for community-based services and needs assessments to support the Community Recovery & Family Success Act (A4819/S2887), which provides the administrative framework and funding for bringing family success to every community in the State.

This bill was drafted over two years through a collaborative process led by members of the Learning Community and other Family Success advocates. It is a community directed platform that will make New Jersey a national leader in Family Success. The Act will start a transformational shift in state policy, funding, and practice by investing in holistic, community-driven service networks designed to assure that ALL New Jersey families have the resources, opportunities and supports needed to raise their children from conception to young adulthood.

We are thrilled to see New Jersey plan for comprehensive and integrated investments in family and community well-being. This funding will be invested in services that support the well-being of ALL children and families in a holistic way, including health & nutrition, employment, housing, prevention & early intervention, financial security and more. There are many challenges ahead to be solved, but this investment marks a big step toward equitable policy and distribution of funds to tackle them all.

This would not have been possible without the elected officials; the leaders of nonprofits, human service agencies and neighborhood initiatives; the parents, teens and community stakeholders from across the state who demanded that New Jersey divest from distress and instead INVEST IN SUCCESS! Their advocacy and dedication to the family success movement – not just now, but throughout the years – have helped bring us to this important point in time.

But the work is not done.

The Community Recovery & Family Success Act (A4819/S2887) and its partner bill, the Children, Youth & Families Bill of Rights (S1726/A3323), will likely be put up for a vote later this year. In the meantime, here are a few things supporters can do to ensure momentum is maintained:

• Call and write to your local legislator to inquire about the status of A4819/S2887 and S1726/A3323, and voice your support for both bills. Find your local legislator here.
• Sign the petition showing that you support A4819/S2887 – and then share the petition link with your friends, family and network and urge them to sign too!
• Stay active and engaged with us! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – when the bills are scheduled for a vote, we will share the date and information!