Learning Community Members Speak in Support of the Community Recovery and Family Success Act

This week, several members of The Family Success Institute Learning Community provided oral and written testimony before the Assembly Children, Families and Food Security committee in support of the Community Recovery & Family Success Act (A4365/S3301).

Thank you to those who voiced their support in Trenton this week:

• Gloria Aftanski, President and CEO, United Way of Central Jersey & Board Member, The Family Success Institute
• Tom Blatner, Co-founder & President, The Family Success Institute
• Tim Carden, Executive Director, The Family Success Institute
• Kathy Collins, Vice-Chair, Monmouth ACTS Advisory Council
• Jorge Cruz, Executive Director, New Jersey office of LISC
• Bryan Evans, CEO, The Father Center of New Jersey
• Douglas Goulding, Go F.A.R. Lead Coordinator, New Destiny Family Success Centers
• Dominique Lee, Founder & CEO, BRICK Education Network
• Kathy Roe, former Executive Director, Parents Inc. & Board Member, The Family Success Institute
• Charlie Venti, Board Member, The Family Success Institute

Read what these Family Success supporters had to say about the Community Recovery & Family Success Act.

“This landmark legislation perfectly aligns with our organization’s longstanding commitment to helping men gain the skills and meet the responsibilities of fatherhood including prevention, early intervention, and robust family support initiatives across New Jersey.” – Bryan Evans

Read Byan’s entire testimony here.

“We created an integrated leadership and management system, using the Family Success model…We now look at the way services can be delivered in a true system of care, rather than in silos responding to distress, disability and dysfunction. We organize around phases of the life span and consider the essential elements of family well-being at each stage of life.” – Kathy Collins

Read Kathy’s entire testimony here.

“The bill intends to build a fairly long yet attainable pathway comprised of customized tools to not only meet families where they’re at now, but to apply additional tools along this tailored pathway leading to sustainable financial stability. Even for our most income-challenged families, A4365 intends to in turn yield regular, unwavering economic progress for ALL of our communities.” – Jorge Cruz

Read Jorge’s entire testimony here.

“We must assure that parents and community members hold seats of power at the tables where decisions are made that impact their lives. We must analyze our vast spending to invest in success and divest from distress. We must summon the courage to declare and assure that family success happens for all New Jerseyans, not only those with privilege.” – Tom Blatner

Read Tom’s entire testimony here.

“Our government alone cannot secure a bright future for every New Jersey family. This bill establishes the framework for collaboration between community, business, government, non-profit and philanthropy to assemble and redirect resources, remove obstacles to wellbeing, and sow the seeds of opportunity in communities across the state.” – Tim Carden

Read Tim’s entire testimony here.

“United Way of Central Jersey is supporting A4365 because it is time for State policy to look to the future, the great potential for child and family success,  rather than perpetuating its priority of distress…. attempting to remediate and rehabilitate its citizens for what research documents would likely have been prevented.” – Gloria Aftanski

Read Gloria’s entire testimony here.