NJ Kinship Legal Guardianship Resource Clearing House
An Information Center for Kinship Care Families
If you’re a grandparent raising grandchildren, there are many practical issues to consider—including legal, financial, and caregiving support. Learn what help is available for parenting the second time around.
Exploring Medication for Adopted Children: Mental Health and Behavioral Treatment Options
Published by the Adoption Advocate, July 2023, Issue Number 173
The adoption community has made great progress in understanding the impact of trauma on children’s mental health and emotional well-being. As more adoptive parents seek healing for their children through mental health services, they are part of an overall rise in the general population of children and adolescents whose mental health and behavioral treatment plans involve medication. In this issue of the Adoption Advocate, child psychiatrist Joshua Sparrow outlines common concerns and considerations for psychotropic medications, when to worry, tips for observing, describing, and understanding your child’s behavior, and how to develop a team approach for parents, children, doctors, and teachers.
Adoption Advocate
Prenatal Stress, Preverbal Trauma, and
Developmental Trajectories: The Importance of
the Attachment Relationship
The impact of prenatal stress and preverbal trauma on developmental trajectories is
both a topic of education and area of treatment focus in my clinical
practice. As a specialist in infant and early childhood development, as well as trauma
and attachment disorders, I often work with children who present with a variety of
surfacelevel symptoms that are, at their core, the effects of prenatal, preverbal,
or developmental trauma. I often discuss with parents the potential longterm
ramifications, and the hope and healing that arly intervention can bring.
It is always better for children and youth to remain with their birth families if it is safe to do so. When foster care is necessary, the goal is to provide a temporary safe, stable and nurturing environment for children and adolescents while actively seeking and supporting reunification with their families. A robust relationship between a child or youth’s birth parents and foster parents or kinship caregivers can help achieve this outcome and reduce trauma for everyone. These relationships are best nurtured when child welfare staff, parent partners, court and legal personnel, court advocates, foster parent organizations and other service providers are supportive and help facilitate early and ongoing communication.
Governor Murphy Signs Bill Establishing New Jersey Siblings’ Bill of Rights
TRENTON – In an effort to maintain sibling relationships in the child welfare system, Governor Phil Murphy today signed S1034/A1357, establishing the Siblings’ Bill of Rights in New Jersey. The bill, which will take effect immediately, will supplement the Child Placement Bill of Rights, adding a number of provisions to strengthen sibling bonds in the child welfare system and during placement. The bill aims to ensure children involved with the Division of Child Protection & Permanency in the Department of Children and Families (DCF) who wish to maintain relationships with their siblings are supported by the department in doing so. The bill recognizes that children placed outside their home have several rights related to maintaining sibling relationships, including the right to remain actively involved in the lives of their siblings, and, where appropriate, to have their voice heard in the permanency planning process for their siblings.
In January 2020, the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) Office of Family Voice (OFV) convened a Youth Council consisting of 24 members ages 14-23 who are or were previously involved with one of DCF’s programs (such as Child Protection & Permanency or the Children’s System of Care). During those convenings, the Youth Council worked collaboratively with DCF and its leadership to identify issues and priorities based on the lived experience of child-welfare-involved youth. These youth consistently stressed that sibling relationships were crucial for maintaining stability and ensuring future success. The Youth Council ultimately developed recommendations that were shared with the Governor and the Legislature, and highlighted in a video presentation from the Council to legislators.
We are excited to bring you the 2022 New Jersey Resources Directory! The guide is a
comprehensive resource identifying the various programs and services the Department of
Human Services offers to New Jersey residents, caregivers and advocates.
In this guide, a family can find out more information on how to apply for food, income
and employment assistance, as well as health care and much more. A caregiver can get
information on support programs and services to assist them in caring for their loved ones.
And individuals with disabilities and their families can get information on various services that
include in-home supports, vocational rehabilitation, and education.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, you can reach our certified Information and
Referral specialists through the Division of Disability Services toll-free at 1-888-285-3036.
New Updates and Refresher on Using GetCTC.org to Help Families Claim the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit Before November 15th
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Code for America is offering a refresher class on how to help families apply for the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) before simplified filing closes on November 15, 2022. This session will also share new information on the launch of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) feature on https://www.getctc.org/en.
This expanded CTC, may provide up to $3,600 per child, including for children in families with no or low income. This webinar will be offered in English and Spanish. Please register at
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_poiKGjvqRaOS_rO-Ratmow
If questions, please email Aline da Fonseca of the Coalition on Human Needs with any questions: adafonseca@chn.org.
The National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers (Strategy) is the result of three
years of focused effort by two Congressionally mandated advisory councils: The
Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Act Family Caregiving
Advisory Council and The Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren (SGRG) (collectively referred to herein as the Advisory Councils).
The two Advisory Councils were formed in 2019 to explore and document the
challenges faced by family caregivers and kin and grandparent caregivers, respectively.
Each was charged with providing actionable recommendations for supporting their
corresponding caregiving populations in a holistic way both now and in the future. In
addition, the RAISE Act directed the development of a family caregiving strategy.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Code for America is offering a refresher class on how to help families apply for the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) before simplified filing closes on November 15, 2022. This session will also share new information on the launch of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) feature on https://www.getctc.org/en.
This expanded CTC, may provide up to $3,600 per child, including for children in families with no or low income. This webinar will be offered in English and Spanish. Please register at
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_poiKGjvqRaOS_rO-Ratmow
If questions, please email Aline da Fonseca of the Coalition on Human Needs with any questions: adafonseca@chn.org.
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