TRENTON, NEW JERSEY – Two Hudson County programs were among 28 recognized for outstanding child abuse prevention programs by Human Services Commissioner Gwendolyn Harris and Paulette Moore Hines, chair of the Child Life Protection Commission, at a StateHouse ceremony on May 20.  

Among the 2003-2004 grant recipients of the Children’s Trust Fund was Strengthening Filipino American Families, developed by the Philippine American Friendship Committee.  It received a first year grant of $56,000 to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect among Filipino American families in Jersey City.  Utilizing the Strengthening Family Curriculum, education sessions will focus on family goal setting, developing positive discipline, dealing with stress and improving communication skills. The program’s ultimate goal is to increase responsible behaviors.  

The Puerto Rican Family Institute received $50,000 for its first year of running the RAINBOW Program. This program will work with Latino families living in Hudson County to address discipline, household routines, school performance, socialization and parent-child relationship during one-on-one home visits and parenting classes.

Commissioner Harris thanked the programs for their dedication to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Commenting on the benefit of the Children's Trust Fund grants, she noted, “I am especially pleased to see that most of the money for these grants has come from citizens who generously checked off the donor box on their New Jersey tax returns.”  

Each year CTF selects innovative programs structured to prevent child abuse and neglect among high-risk populations. This year, a majority of grantees are utilizing widely recognized standard curricula that have proven to be successful, like Parents As Teachers, Families and Schools Together and the Strengthening Families Model.  Most focus on parent involvement -- a key element for effective child abuse prevention programs as outlined in the New Jersey Prevention Standards.  

The Children’s Trust Fund provides funding on a three-year basis with a step down process in funding amount.  During the course of three years, programs must procure additional funding to meet the amount of their first year grant, with the goal of working toward independence from CTF funding in order to carry on their program beyond three years.  Over the past 16 years, $11.3 million have been awarded to agencies within every county of the state. In the 2003-2004 grant year, ten first year programs will receive a total of $449,306, ten second year programs will receive a total of $345,168 and eight third year programs will receive a total of $176,756.  

For more information on The Children’s Trust Fund, go to the New Jersey State web site at http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/cap/njcap2.html.