CHILDREN AND FAMILIES INITIATIVE

The Children and Families Initiative was developed to address the fragmentation of services to children and families that were offered in Atlantic County. In 1991 it became apparent that a crisis existed involving the children in Atlantic County. The release of the first "Kids Count New Jersey", report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, showed that Atlantic County ranked 20th of 21 New Jersey Counties in thirteen indicators of child well-being. For example, the report showed the "Infant Mortality Rate" for Atlantic County to be 14.1 per 1,000 live births compared to 9.3 statewide. The rate of "Births to Teens" was 67 per 1,000 teens, compared to the state average of 43. The 13 indicators showed that Atlantic County ranked between 6% and 193% worse than the state average.

The service delivery system to children and their families was unwieldy and difficult to access. The services most needed were either poorly publicized, costly, inaccessible or simply unavailable to the families who were at greatest risk. Through the efforts of the County Administrator Helen Walsh, Senator William Gormley, the Youth Services Commission of Atlantic County and the New Jersey Department of Human Services, the "Children and Families Initiative (CFI) was established.

Design and Organization

The mission of the Children and Families Initiative is to respond to the Kids Count reports by providing children and families with a comprehensive, community-based human service delivery system to strengthen the local community, to insure healthy child development and healthy family functioning and to reduce barriers to achievement and self-sufficiency. Family centers are designed as "one-stop", multi-service sites in the four Atlantic County Communities with the greatest need. Specific Kids Count indicators of child well-being are targeted for improvement at each center. There are currently five centers operating in the communities of Hammonton, Egg Harbor Township, Pleasantville and Atlantic City (two centers). Case management services are provided at all centers to most effectively address the needs of youth and families.

Broker agencies are contracted by Atlantic County to manage the family centers. The centers provide services and programs that will address both the goals of the CFI mission and the needs of the local communities through the provision of both Core Services and special programming. Working closely with each center is an Advisory Board whose membership is representative of that community. Needs assessment surveys addressing the 13 Kids Count indicators were completed in the summer of 1995 with the assistance of each advisory board and in the spring of 1998 with the assistance of Richard Stockton College. In addition to the expected impact on program planning, the results prompted all centers to develop programs that addressed the two most significant concerns identified: the high incidences of births to teens and the increasingly high juvenile arrest rate. The Family Centers, with the help of their Advisory Boards have sought to develop new programming to address these issues. The Core Services provided at or through each Family Center include case management, education services, employment services, mental health services, recreation, parenting skills, general services, substance abuse services, health services, and economic assistance.

The County of Atlantic oversees the administration, monitoring and development of the Initiative.

A Diversity of Targeted Services

Since the inception of the Initiative, Atlantic County has encouraged collaborative efforts with local agencies and service providers not only to better coordinate services, but to deliver them in a more efficient manner. Many highly effective relationships have been developed. For example, in the Pleasantville site, tutoring is available for Pleasantville students in pre kindergarten through 12th grade to address remediation of reading and mathematic skills. Provision of this service involves collaboration with the Pleasantville School system, the Regional Enrichment and Learning Center at Voorhees, NJ and the broker agency. The Atlantic City sites have recently collaborated with the Atlantic County Departments of Public Safety and Family & Community Development in providing a support group for persons of incarcerated loved ones. The group meets monthly and is facilitated by a master-level clinician. Persons entering the group can expect emotional support as well as assessment and linkage to other appropriate County services. 

The high rate of juvenile arrest is being targeted through the creation of Juvenile Diversion programs in Pleasantville, Egg Harbor Township and Hammonton. In addition, Peer Mediation, Anger Management and a variety of programs that address self-esteem issues and career goals are offered at all of the Family Centers.

The 2004 Kids Count report indicated that there were 1,082 caregiving grandparents in Atlantic County. This number would likely be higher if other relative caregivers were included. In an effort to address the special needs of relative guardians/custodians, the Atlantic City sites provide the Grandparent and Kin Support Group. The group meets monthly for facilitated emotional support and structured education on such issues as legal rights and responsibility, special health concerns, and parenting. Relative caregivers participating in the group receive a monthly food basket, advocacy, free after school child care, and transportation services. 
   
The need for substance abuse services is also being addressed. Various programs for youth and adults are available at the centers through the broker agencies and additional services have been put in place through collocation of services or through grant funding and collaboration.  Treating Recovering Youth In Transition (TRY IT) is offered at the Pleasantville, Hammonton, and Egg Harbor Township sites. This early intervention program targets teens who may be experimenting with substance use in an effort to prevent further use.

Health services, such as primary health care and pregnancy tests, are available at the Egg Harbor Township site via the broker agency and Mobile Medic. This service is offered once a week and walk ins are welcome. WIC is also available on-site at the Egg Harbor Township and Pleasantville Family Centers.

Where Family Centers are not located in schools, outreach programs in schools and other community sites are in place. In Hammonton, a divorce/separation group is provided for elementary children at the school by center staff. The first program for 13 children in the ’95 -’96 school year was so successful that 56 children signed up for it at the start of the next school year. The Hammonton and Atlantic City sites provide the TRUST program at local schools. This is a teen pregnancy prevention program utilizing a diversified curriculum as well as “Baby Think It Over”. The Atlantic City sites provide support and outreach to a new Safe Haven Center in a Weed and Seed site within the municipality. Services are provided on an outreach basis to other family resource-type centers as well.

As the project has matured there has been a trend toward utilizing the Family Centers as focal points in the community. Local government entities and service providers reach out to the centers to collaborate in grant writing, collocation of services, community meeting and development of new undertakings that will meet the individual communities’ needs.