CHILDREN AND FAMILIES INITIATIVE

Progress

Ranked 20th of 21 counties in New Jersey in 1991, Atlantic County had climbed to 16th position by the time the Kid’s Count report was issued in 1995. While the report showed the well being of children remained otherwise unchanged state-wide, the Association for Children in New Jersey called Atlantic County’s progress “one of the few bright spots” of the 1995 report (The Press of Atlantic City, Dec. 30, 1995). In the six-month period from Jan. 1 to June 30, 1996 over 4000 people from more than 2200 families received services from the Atlantic County Family Centers.

Since the inception of the Children and Families Initiative, the Family Centers have helped make a difference in the lives of thousands of Atlantic County children and their families. As of June 2006, over 77,690 people from more than 59,344 families have been served at a level of 7,032,622 units of service. 
As of the 2005 Kids Count, indicators show a 2.6% decrease in the percent of children living in poverty since 1995, with a decrease for the need of TANF and Food Stamps.  Medical coverage through Family Care and Medicaid has increased 25% since 1996.  Since 1990, infant mortality has decreased by 61%, and children born with no prenatal care has decreased by 46%.  The teen birth rate has decreased by 9%.  Also, juvenile arrests have decreased by 27% since 1990.

Substantiated child abuse cases have decreased 15% since 1993, while out of home placements has decreased by 9% since 1990.

Collaborative Partnerships
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.

Teen Choice:  The Teen Choice program began as a collaborative effort in 1999 with Atlantic County Government and Inwood House, funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  Teen Choice is a program designed to teach participating students to make appropriate life choices from pregnancy prevention to resolving conflicts. Currently Teen Choice serves students at Buena Regional High School and through DHS funding, Mays Landing’s Oakcrest High School. As of January 2005, through SBYSP dollars, Inwood House is running a part time Teen Choice program at Cleary Middle School in Buena.

Early Childhood Development Program (PAT):  Through six “Abbot” school districts in Pleasantville, the Early Childhood Development Social Worker Supervisor has overseen the delivery of service to 280 children and their families during the 2002-2003 FY.  The Early Childhood Development Program is literacy based program designed to enhance neurocognitive development in children between the ages of 0-5.  Parenting skills are also developed into activities which reduce the rate of child abuse and neglect.  The Early Childhood Development Program has three sites located at Atlantic County Family Centers:  Pleasantville, Egg Harbor Township and Hammonton.  These sites have served approximately 160 children during the 2002 to 2003 FY.  This project was expanded with ELOA funding, and has served 280 families since January 2000.  AtlantiCare Center for Community Health is currently supporting the funding of this project.

Division of Youth and Family Services:  DYFS workers have been utilizing the case management services and programs of the family centers in an effort to reduce child abuse and neglect.  Parents have utilized services such as economic assistance, anger management classes, parenting classes, literacy services and employment services.  Family center case managers keep in close contact with DYFS workers to monitor progress, and certificates have been made available for program participation and completion.

21st Century Learning Center:  Through partnership with AtlantiCare Behavioral Health and the Atlantic City Family Centers, federal funds have been obtained to model the CFI project in two additional Atlantic City schools while expanding already existing services at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Center.  Buena’s Middle School and Ventnor’s Middle School are also recipients of these funds.

Healthy Youth Development Mentoring Program:  The Healthy Youth Development Mentoring Program served 59 girls with 3 volunteer presenters this past year.  The program utilizes the pregnancy prevention T.R.U.S.T. curriculum as its core structure.  In addition, the 11-16 year old participants are guided to develop appropriate decision making skills relating to their educational, family, friends and career goals.

Weed and Seed:  Through the sharing of resources, federal Weed and Seed dollars have been awarded to create Weed and Seed districts in both Atlantic City and Pleasantville.  The Pleasantville Family Center serves as the Weed and Seed Safe Haven, while the Atlantic City Family Centers provide case management support to Weed and Seed residents.