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May 2013

NJ Leads Nation on High-Quality Pre-K

While preschool funding has dropped across the nation, New Jersey is an exception. The state continues to lead the nation in state investments in preschool. It is in the top half of states for enrollment, according to a new study from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).

While this is good news, New Jersey still has a long way to go before all young children have access to this quality early start to learning. ACNJ continues to advocate for preschool expansion to improve the chances that all children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn.

Read NJ’s Preschool Profile.

NJ Districts Challenged to Expand School Breakfast

The NJ Food for Thought Campaign, the American Dairy Association, the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Council, the New Jersey Education Association, the state departments of Education and Agriculture and Advocates for Children of New Jersey have issued a NJ School Breakfast Challenge to encourage more districts to implement smarter ways of serving school breakfast. Six winning districts will receive grants and the top two will get a pep rally with an NFL player. Encourage your district to participate!

Learn more about the challenge.

ACNJ’s Budget Webinar

In case you missed it, check out ACNJ’s overview of the proposed state budget as it affects children and families. The webinar includes information about the Juvenile Justice Commission’s budget and proposed cuts to a successful initiative that has kept thousands of juveniles safely out of county detention.

View the webinar PowerPoint.

Judges Learn About Needs of Young Children

Family Court Judges from across New Jersey gathered on April 24 to learn more about the special needs of young children, ages 0 to 5, who are victims of abuse and neglect. The workshops were aimed at helping judges ensure those children are safe and protected. The trainings were spurred by ACNJ’s recent report, The Littlest Victims, about babies and toddlers in the child protection system.

Sponsored by the Administrative Office of the Courts, the trainings focused on topics such as visitation, services for young children and making placement decisions that consider the developmental needs of young children. ACNJ arranged for the Honorable Constance Cohen, an Iowa judge who leads a Safe Babies Court Team and Model Court, to share her expertise. Given the positive response to the workshops, plans are in the works to provide judges with more information about how to meet the special needs of infants and toddlers in the child protection system.

In This Issue

School Breakfast Challange
ACNJ NJ Budget Webinar
Judges Learn Young Children's Needs

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Advocates for Children of New Jersey
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(Between Bleeker St. and Central Ave.)
973.643.3876 I Fax 973.643.9153 I www.acnj.org 
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