National #ThinkBabies Efforts

Breaking: House and Senate reach a budget deal, setting aside millions of dollars for babies
After weeks of talks, negotiators reached a bipartisan agreement on the FY2020 appropriations bills. The President is expected to sign the agreement later this week after final Congressional approval. Learn more.
 
Key programs that received significant increases include:

• A $550 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant;
• An increase of $550 million for Head Start/Early Head Start (EHS), of which $100 million is set aside to expand EHS, including through EHS-Child Care Partnerships;
• An increase of $2 million for the Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Grant Program;
• A $7 million increase for the Infant-Toddler Court Program;
• A $7 million increase for Part C Early Intervention; and
• A $25 million increase for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five.

Read top policy and advocacy wins for babies in 2019
Our national partner ZERO TO THREE reflects the achievements made both at the federal levels and in New Jersey for our youngest residents. Read summary.

NJ lags behind the nation in providing nutrition to young children.
The Food Research & Action Center and the Think Babies™ campaign released national and state-specific profiles of hunger and poverty experienced by infants and toddlers, highlighting the importance of the federal nutrition programs for babies. Just 67 percent of eligible New Jersey infants benefit from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), compared to 77 percent nationally. View NJ's Fact Sheet.

ACNJ's Annual Breakfast Celebration

Let's Keep the Momentum on the Census: Materials Available

ACNJ has developed materials, including a toolkit, to help advocates talk about the Census and to promote among the hard-to-count populations, including children under five. Read more.

Child care providers and parents can play an important role in bringing preschool to their communities—and it is important to know the facts! View a list of eligible districts by county and by legislative district. Download a roadmap for child care providers and parents on how they can advocate to bring preschool to their community.

Congrats to ACNJ Staff and Board!

ACNJ Right from the Start coordinator Patricia Canning was honored by the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race for her years of work towards racial equality, including running the towns' annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day luminary project, volunteering for the Schools Committee, and this year, leading 1619 Observance Day, which marks the 400th anniversary of American slavery. Learn more.

The Honorable F. Lee Forrester, J.S.C. (ret.) and member of the ACNJ Board of Trustees received the Harry P. O’Malley Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service to Mercer County at the annual Mercer County Bar Association Awards Gala, given by the Mercer County Bar Association. Learn more.