Advocates for Children of New Jersey

?????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????????????? ?????? ??????????. Graphic courtesy: Georgetown Center on Children and Families #MedicaidForAll #HealthInsurance #Doctors #Hospitals #MentalHealth #Telemedicine #Physicians #Nurses #Wellness #HealthyLiving #MedicalCare #ChildHealth #CommunityCare

?????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ??????????????????! ???????? The first call kicks off ????????????, ?????????? ??, ???? ??:???? ????. ???????????????? ??????! https://bit.ly/3QEeGVa Stay in the know, stay connected, and help strengthen early childhood in NJ! Join ACNJ & Njaeyc - NJ Association for the Education of Young Children's brand-new monthly call—your go-to space for updates, insights, and collaboration on the biggest issues affecting young children and families. ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ????????????????????????. ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ????????????. ?????????? ?????? ????????! #EarlyEdMatters #ChildCareProviders #SupportEarlyChildhood #StrongerTogether #NJKids #EarlyLearning #AdvocateForKids #ChildCareMatters #BeTheChange #StayConnected #NJEducation #ACNJ #njaeyc

?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ???????????? ?????????????? ???????????????? ?????? ????????????????? Watch the discussion & share - ???????? ACNJ’s Senior Legislative Analyst, Shadaya Bennett, breaks it all down—who’s involved, how the process works, and how advocates can influence funding decisions. Learn the key steps, connect with legislators, and take action on the issues that matter most. Watch now and be part of the change! Here is the link - https://bit.ly/4hQyTmI #NJAdvocacy #StateBudget #ChildAdvocacy #MakeYourVoiceCount #AdvocacyInAction #InvestInKids #NJFamilies #BudgetMatters #PolicyChange

ACNJ’s Mary Coogan & Shadaya Bennett attended Governor Phil Murphy’s Budget Address in Trenton, where he laid out his proposed financial plan for the State Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. The address highlighted investments in programs that support children, families, and communities across New Jersey. Ensuring funding for these essential programs is a crucial step toward building a stronger, more equitable future for all. #NJBudget2026 #InvestInFamilies #StrongerCommunities #buildingabetterfuture

????????????, ????????????, ???????????? ?????? ?????????? ??????????????????! Make A Circle is a powerful love letter to those shaping young minds and a bold call to fix our broken child care system. Don’t miss this inspiring FREE screening at The Village @SOPAC in South Orange on Thursday, March 13 at 6:00 PM! RSVP by March 1 by emailing [email protected], and check out the trailer now! Space is limited—secure your spot today! https://lnkd.in/e8K_EppH Njaeyc - NJ Association for the Education of Young Children #MakeACircle #SupportEarlyEd #FixChildCare #FilmForChange

The NJAEYC Public Policy Team is in Washington, DC, attending the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Annual Public Policy Forum! ACNJ team members are proud to join them in advocating for early childhood education and making a difference. #NJAEYC #ACNJ #NAEYC #EarlyChildhoodEducation #Advocacy #PublicPolicy

???????????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ???? ????????????????????! U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone warns that $880 billion in proposed Medicaid cuts would have severe consequences for New Jersey’s hospitals, community health centers, and millions of vulnerable residents. ACNJ’s Mary Coogan stresses the impact on NJ FamilyCare, which currently covers nearly 20% of Garden State residents, including over 820,000 children and a third of all births annually: "Children from low-income families, youth aging out of foster care, and individuals with complex medical needs rely on this critical health insurance. Any cuts to federal Medicaid funding will have a substantial impact on their health and well-being." Read more on NJ Spotlight News News: https://bit.ly/3QrWnTi #ProtectMedicaid #HealthcareCrisis #NJFamilyCare #KidsHealthMatters

Up until yesterday there has never been a public stakeholder meeting to address Black Maternal Health & Infant Mortality in Atlantic City since the maternity, pediatric, and NICU units closed in AC about 18 years ago. While working as a community Doula offering at no cost Doula & family stabilization services in a town where everybody is literally connected & related I learned 1st hand of the numerous Black & Latina mothers who went in the local hospital with full bellies and left with empty arms and the cremations and burials of infants that didn’t see their 1st birthday. Concerns from the community has fallen on deaf ears for more than a decade. Thankfully, Advocates for Children of New Jersey stepped up to show their support for our annual Black Breastfeeding Week celebration last summer. Through a partnership our concerns were elevated. Yesterday’s meeting was the result. We call that solidarity but no call to action. Nobody in the community really questions why infant mortality in AC is happening including other capitalist moves at the expense of Black bodies like unnecessary C-sections, inductions & cervical cerclages. If you don’t understand how Perinatal inequities in the system harm Black bodies, then it’ll go over your head like Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance. The CEO of a major White led state funded consortium covering the southern New Jersey consortium expressed openly & on paper that certain mortality related data was not tracked because it was under a certain number of deaths in a specific year. My open response to this statement was “One death is too many and it still matters!” The mothers and families who were in that 1-4 range deserve an apology for this callous statement. Birthing people from Ventnor & Margate give birth in the same hospital as Atlantic City mothers. If they experienced these losses-THE WORLD WOULD KNOW! Now find the lie. Accountability is long overdue. It has been difficult to challenge this system rooted in White supremacy and racism. Our babies deserve to live! Based on the data and trends, babies in Atlantic City will continue to die— if something is not done. Baby Girl Brooklyn should be 2 months old now. Just last night we learned of another infant death in AC. Heartbreaking! Much respect to these two dynamic Community Doulas and Black Family advocates Jacquline Coppin & Synthia Moore for standing on business and tirelessly working in our community. Their voice was heard and appreciated. This work is a shared effort. As our community mothers came together and debriefed last night there were tears and hope. We heard what they said and now we’ll watch what they do. Tiny caskets and urns should not be filled in 2025! On God ??? On our Ancestors ?????? Long live the memory of those babies never to be forgotten. Nobody is coming to save us. The community is OURS to save! #liberateblackbirth #stopplayinginourfaces #EVERYDEATHMATTERED #thecommunityhastheanswers #letuslive

Please join me on March 13th at SOPAC in South Orange for NJ's screening of MAKE A CIRCLE. There will be an engaging panel discussion at the end of the film. I urge everyone to attend- the evening will be thought provoking and impactful- whether or not you are in the field of early childhood education. This film is a moving tribute to the amazing individuals who make up the Early Childhood Education Industry. Their struggles echo across the country and are intimately familiar to all of us in the ECE industry. NJAEYC Advocates for Children of New Jersey

???????????????? ?????? ??????????: ??????????????’?? ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ????????????????????! Learn more about how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) disrupt a young person's path, and what can be done to prevent them in ACNJ's latest We Need a Y.E.S. (Youth Expert Stakeholder) video. ?????????? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????????????? https://lnkd.in/ehxyZuxY #Fathers #NJParents #NJKids #NJYouth #MentalWellness #Parenting #Fatherhood #WeNeedAYES #YouthMentalWellness #AdverseChildhoodExperiences #BreakingCycles #FatherhoodMatters #ChildhoodTrauma #Resilience #ParentingForTheFuture #Inspiration #MentalHealthAwareness #childhoodtrauma #childhoodmemories #traumahealing #traumarecovery #fatherhood #fatherandson #fatherdaughter