FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 25, 2007

CONTACT:  609-633-8507 Tom Bell Mary Helen Cervantes

Differential Response - A New Approach to Helping Families in Need

TRENTON - Department of Children and Families Commissioner Kevin M. Ryan announced today that four counties - Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem - will receive a total of $4.25 million for a new, pilot initiative designed to give access to support services that can strengthen families and help prevent child abuse and neglect when children may be at risk.

This new project, known as the Differential Response Pilot Initiative, takes a new approach in New Jersey to assist families who call or are referred to the New Jersey central hotline when they need social services and no issues of child abuse or neglect are suspected. In 2006, the Department of Children and Families received approximately 12,000 calls to its statewide hotline that did not involve abuse or neglect, but were related to families needing or requesting assistance.

"Differential Response tells families they do not have to wait for child abuse or neglect to occur before they can get help to keep their children safe, stable and well," according to Commissioner Ryan. The grants represent the recently created Department of Children and Families' largest new investment in child abuse prevention. The Community Planning and Advocacy Council will receive $2.41 million to be the lead agency in Camden County. The Salem County Inter-Agency Council of Human Services will receive $1.84 million to be the lead agency in Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.

The child poverty rate in Cumberland, Salem and Camden is among the highest in New Jersey according to the recently published Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) KidsCount Well Being 2007 Report. Those three counties also had the four highest call rates to the DYFS hotline in 2006, requesting services to address an issue that threatened to destabilize a family and place children at risk.

"Governor Corzine and I have been committed to making investments in preventing child abuse and neglect. Differential Response involves a grassroots, community-based response to the challenges confronting New Jersey families," Commissioner Ryan said. "It gives parents and grandparents the ability to strengthen their families and keep our kids safe."

The Differential Response Initiative will be especially important in areas where child poverty continues to be a pervasive issue. This will be particularly significant in the city of Camden where the ACNJ Kids Count data shows that 58 percent of children live in poverty. In addition, 17 percent of children in Cumberland County live in poverty, showing that county to be one of the most in need of supports to mitigate the effects of poverty.

The Differential Response lead agency in each county will work collaboratively with DCF and community organizations that have the knowledge, expertise and resources to strengthen families and achieve positive outcomes for children and families. The lead agency must ensure that all community partners work together as a coordinated service network in which there is effective communication, responsible sharing of case information and coordinated referrals to services and follow-up with families.

Successful Differential Response intervention leaves the family with an established network of formal and informal supports to which the family will have continued access when formal intervention is complete. "Differential Response is about building and maximizing the use of community resources such as child care, housing assistance and wrap-around services that target families' unique needs," Commissioner Ryan added.

The Community Planning and Advocacy Council (CPAC) in Camden County has a long history of coordinating efforts involving public and private partners at the community level to ensure the needs of vulnerable children and families are met. Along with the lead agency, the Center for Family Services will provide case management in Camden County, which will offer services and programs aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect and serves 8,000 families each year. The Hispanic Family Center, an organization that has been helping families in Camden for 30 years, will partner with the Center for Family Services for cases where bilingual services are needed. One of Camden County's priorities through the Differential Response Initiative will be supports for at-risk families so long-term involvement in government programs can be avoided.

"This is a wonderful investment in human capital for Camden County children and families," said Catherine A. DeCheser, president and CEO of CPAC. "We are pleased to be able to partner with the state, the county and the community. We are going to work very hard to prevent child abuse and neglect by involving parents, providers, and local and state government in a joint venture to protect children and families."

"It's not what you do, it's what you get done," said Raymond Bolden, Executive Director, Inter-Agency Council of Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem. "We are looking forward to positive outcomes for our families, with the ultimate goal of achieving family self-sufficiency so they can carry on a better life."

The Salem County Inter-Agency Council of Human Services has focused on the needs of families and offered access to a wide range of support services through a collaborative network of provider agencies for 25 years. Case management services will be provided by Robins' Nest, an organization that has offered a range of primary prevention services to vulnerable children and families for almost 40 years. The Differential Response Initiative in Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties will focus on connecting families to emergency housing and utility assistance; domestic violence services; day care; mental health; marital and family counseling; and employment training and placement.

"These funds will help families in the selected counties receive services that might otherwise not be available. It's important for troubled families to have access to services that help create stability," said Senator Stephen M. Sweeney, who represents the 3rd District, including Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.

"We are pleased that State resources will be used in Cumberland County where they are so desperately needed," said Assemblymen Jeff Van Drew and Nelson Albano, representing the 1st District.

"As a result of the preventative services that these funds will help provide, we will see strengthened families and positive outcomes for children and families," said Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli, 3rd District.

"By providing resources for those in need, the program will not only help threatened children and families but will be beneficial for the entire community," said Assemblyman Douglas H. Fisher, 3rd District.

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