Legislators and organizations request appropriation of funds to support family success
June 22, 2023
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Members of the Family Success movement, including elected officials; leaders of nonprofits, human service agencies and neighborhood initiatives; parents, teens and community stakeholders from across the state, recently held a rally at the New Jersey statehouse Annex to promote “family success” legislation.
Hosted by The Family Success Institute (FSI), a nonprofit that promotes transformational thinking and action in family policy, funding and practices, supporters of the Family Success movement called upon Governor Phil Murphy and the Legislature to appropriate $25.4 million in the FY 2024 budget, as called for in Assembly Bill 4819 & Senate Bill 2887 (A4819/S2887), the Community Recovery and Family Success Act. In addition to establishing a statewide Family Success Council to better support families, these funds will support community-based and directed Family Success services in every county in the State.
The Family Success legislation received several key endorsements from influential leaders, including the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus and Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ). Primary legislative sponsors of A4819/S2887 include Senator Nia Gill (D-Essex/Passaic), Senator Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), Asm. Reginald Atkins (D-Union), Asw. Shavonda Sumter (D-Bergen/Passaic), Asw. Angela McKnight (D-Hudson) and Asw. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Hunterdon/Mercer).
“Across the state, families are hurting. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified and worsened social insecurities such as excessive incarceration, lack of access to education, health care and child care, and much more,” said Assemblyman Atkins, the prime sponsor of A4819. “This bill is a tool that will help get New Jersey where it needs to be – leading the charge of proactive family success measures.”
After the rally, organizers delivered a petition to the offices of Governor Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, calling on the Governor and Legislature to pass A4819/S2887 quickly.
“For too long, our state’s family policies, funding and programs have focused on reacting to family distress instead of proactively investing in opportunities for positive family and community outcomes,” said Tim Carden, Executive Director, FSI. “The time for change is now – families are the bedrock of communities and the building blocks for our future. This legislation proactively empowers those families to succeed.”
Bills A4819/S2887 call for $71 million in spending over the next two years. In FY 2024, $25.4 million will support community-directed needs assessments, service planning and program start-up activities in all 21 counties. In FY 2025, the proposed $45.6 million balance of initial funding will support a growing volume of community-based and directed family success services.
“The state’s last budget included a projected $8 billion of spending for distress-related programs and services, responding to economic and social conditions fueled by a lack of funding to enable families to succeed,” said Tom Blatner, Co-Founder and Board President, FSI. “The proposed two-year investment of $71 million in family success is less than 1% of one year’s budgeted expenditures for distress-related remediation services – it’s a smart investment that will pay dividends for New Jersey families.”
For more information on the legislation, including a list of legislative co-sponsors, visit www.FamilySuccessInstitute.com/bills.
Pictured left to right: Eliza Fink, communications director, Family Success Institute (FSI); Erica Harris DeValve, director of strategic initiatives, FSI; Charlie Venti, board member, FSI & board chair, Advocates for Children of New Jersey; Asm. Reginald Atkins (D-Union); Tim Carden, executive director, FSI; and Tom Blatner, co-founder and president, FSI.
Members of the Family Success movement, including Asm. Reginald Atkins (D-Union, center), prime sponsor of the Community Recovery and Family Success Act (A4819/S2887), rallied to support family success legislation in Trenton on Tuesday, June 20.
Family Success Institute Executive Director Tim Carden addressed the crowd during the Family Success Rally.
Photos and story provided