New Jersey Children’s Alliance and Wynona’s House Launch #StandUpForNJChildren Campaign to Advocate for Child Victims of Abuse and Neglect

NEW JERSEY – August 21, 2020 – The New Jersey Children’s Alliance (NJCA) is partnering with one of its Child Advocacy Centers (CACs), Wynona’s House Child Advocacy Center, in asking the public to help advocate for NJCA and the rest of the state’s Child Advocacy Centers which provide crucial services for child victims of abuse and neglect. The #StandUpForNJChildren campaign seeks for state legislators to approve of the full annual funding for NJCA and the 21 county-based CACs, as well as the full annual funding for Wynona’s House in the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) fiscal year 2021 budget.

Unfortunately, as a result of the current economic crisis, NJCA, Wynona’s House and CACs throughout the State are experiencing a sharp increase in demand for their services. Historically, economic downturns increase the risk for child abuse. Thus, the current economic crisis, coupled with a gripping pandemic, has demonstrated an urgent need for the critical coordinated services provided by CACs, now more than ever. The services are one, if not the primary, safety net for neglected and abused children.

In addition to the economic effects of the pandemic, underreporting of child abuse cases are expected to increase as schools have opted to resume virtually in the fall. Most cases are reported by teachers and other school staff, and with children staying home more, they may be spending more time with their abusers.

Dominic Prophete, JD, Chief Executive Officer of Wynona’s House remarked, “Due to the state budget emergency caused by the pandemic, we were informed our annual DCF funding would be cut by over $100,000. The Essex county families we serve really require an increase in funding as abuse cases go underreported. Services to the children of Essex county will be impeded if the proposed budget does not include $592,054 which would fund Wynona’s House.”

Nydia Monagas, Psy.D, Executive Director of NJCA also stated, “We are fighting for full funding to be granted in order to best serve the individuals benefited by our services throughout New Jersey.” Monagas continued, “Our #StandUpForNJChildren campaign will help aid our goal in providing 21 county-based CACs in New Jersey that meet national standards of best practice by 2021. NJCA’s progress will be impeded if the proposed budget does not include $3.75 million to fund NJCA and the development and enhancement of CACs and the programs and services they provide to New Jersey’s most vulnerable children.”

NJCA and Wynona’s House are asking for the public’s support to restore funding sources for both organizations 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 demand the full funding of 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 local CACs such as Wynona’s House, https://bit.ly/3gvrfOV.
• Follow NJCA and Wynona’s House on social media for live updates
• Share the QR code to the campaign with friends and family

NJCA and Wynona’s House appreciate any and all support of this campaign. To sign the petition, send an email to your legislators, and to learn more, visit www.standupfornjchildren.org

About New Jersey Children’s Alliance

New Jersey Children’s Alliance (NJCA) is a statewide not-for-profit 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.

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