#StandUpForNJChildren Campaign Seeks Restoration of Funding for NJCA’s Child Advocacy Centers Statewide to Aid Child Victims of Abuse and Neglect

Iselin, NJ, September 05, 2020 --(PR.com)-- The New Jersey Children’s Alliance (NJCA) which supports New Jersey’s 21 county-based Child Advocacy Centers, alongside one of its Child Advocacy Centers (CACs), Wynona’s House, is asking the public to continue to help advocate for NJCA and the state’s Child Advocacy Centers which provide crucial services for child victims of abuse and neglect. The #StandUpForNJChildren campaign goal now seeks for state legislators to restore partial funding of the $5 million in funding NJCA typically receives annually in the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) fiscal year budget, following Governor Murphy’s proposed budget released last week. The campaign is seeking to restore an additional $1.5 million in CAC-MDT Advisory Board Funds in the FY21 budget.

NJCA understands the budgeting challenges due to COVID-19 across the state and is requesting the restoration of an additional $1.5 million in funds to be used strictly to support programs and services. “COVID-19 has led to an increased risk of child abuse due to added stress and financial instability. This funding decrease will be detrimental to some of our CACs and will lead to cuts in programs and services that will directly impact the mental health and advocacy supports victims of child abuse need to begin healing,” said Nydia Y. Monagas, Psy.D, Executive Director of NJCA.

The New Jersey Children’s Alliance supports all 21 county-based Child Advocacy Centers. Proposed budget cuts will directly impact each county’s CAC and the services it provides to child abuse victims and their families:

Atlantic County Child Advocacy Center
Bergen County Child Advocacy Center
Burlington County Child Advocacy Center
Camden County Child Advocacy Center
Cape May County Child Advocacy Center
Cumberland County Child Advocacy Center
Wynona’s House, Essex County’s CAC
Gloucester County Child Advocacy Center
Hudson County Child Advocacy Center
Hunterdon County Child Advocacy Center
Mercer County Child Advocacy Center
Middlesex County Child Advocacy Center
Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center
Deirdre’s House, Morris County’s CAC
Tina’s House, Ocean County’s CAC
Passaic County Child Advocacy Center
Salem County Child Advocacy Center
Somerset County Child Advocacy Center
Ginnie’s House, Sussex County’s CAC
Union County Child Advocacy Center
Warren County Child Advocacy Center

NJCA and Wynona’s House are asking for the public’s support in the following ways:

- Sign the petition to Stand Up for Abused and Neglected Children.
- Send an email and/or tweet to your legislators to insist upon the restoration of funds for services for child victims of abuse and neglect.
- Make a donation to support NJCA and the state’s Child Advocacy Centers, www.njcainc.org/get-involved/donate-now and CACs such as Wynona’s House, https://bit.ly/3gvrfOV.
- Follow NJCA and Wynona’s House on social media for live updates
NJCA and Wynona’s House appreciates any and all support of this campaign. For more information, visit www.standupfornjchildren.org.

About New Jersey Children’s Alliance

New Jersey Children’s Alliance (NJCA) is a statewide organization that actively supports and promotes New Jersey’s 10 accredited Child Advocacy Centers (CACs), and is working toward the mission of ensuring that every child in the state has access to a CAC, by providing training, technical assistance, advocacy, and leadership. CACs are child-friendly centers where a multidisciplinary team (MDT) consisting of child protective services workers, law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates, and medical and mental health professionals meet to coordinate a response to allegations of child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, neglect and family violence. Through this coordinated and comprehensive response to cases of child abuse and neglect, CACs promote hope and healing for children and their protective family members, and do everything in their power to ensure justice is served.

About Wynona’s House Child Advocacy Center

Wynona’s House is an incorporated 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization named in honor of its legislative champion, the late Senator Wynona Lipman, who helped develop the Center to promote justice, hope, and healing for child victims of abuse and neglect throughout Essex County by coordinating investigation, prosecution, treatment, prevention, and supportive services utilizing the “child-centered” multidisciplinary team approach. Located in Newark, Wynona’s House is the only co-located Child Advocacy Center in New Jersey, serving over 800,000 Essex County residents and providing direct services to more than 950 abused/neglected children each year.