NJ Parent Link Overview

The summer of 2023 marks the thirteen year anniversary of
NJ Parent Link, the State of New Jersey's Early Childhood,
Parenting and Professional Resource Center.

As a statewide initiative, NJ Parent Link is a recognized best practice model for innovative IT/digital communication between government and citizens. (National Association of State Chief Information Officers, 2011)

The NJ Parent Link website highlights NJ State services and resources.
Federal and community resources are also included.

The focus of NJ Parent Link is to meet the information and resource needs of expectant parents, families with young children (newborns to children entering kindergarten) and professional stakeholders vested in the health & well-being of New Jersey's children & families. Parenting and support resources for families with older children, school aged to young adulthood, are also available.

The goals of NJ Parent Link are to improve the accessibility, coordination and delivery of information and services to expectant parents and families with young children; to improve the communication capabilities between the public and private sectors; and to provide the IT foundation for interagency service collaborations and policy development.  

Website Features

Website content includes early childhood health, development, early learning, parenting and family support resources. Family milestone topics include pre-conceptual/prenatal health, kindergarten readiness, back to work/staying at home and parenting older siblings.

Educational and promotional materials for the site are downloadable, including the NJ Parent Link homepage, designed as a teaching tool for new parents.

Community building features include: tailored subscription services; easy access county contacts/local links listings; continuing education/leadership postings; video testimonials, a children's art gallery; an En Espanol feature and a translation service with over 50 languages.

Website linkages are quite comprehensive and are designed to facilitate parents' and professionals' ease of use and engagement with government services and stakeholder resources. The website's breakout categories are designed to fulfill key requirements for early childhood systems building and provide the necessary framework for interdepartmental collaboration.

Data collection and quality assurance markers are weaved throughout the website to maximize assessment capabilities, facilitate real time opportunities for collaboration within the early childhood community, provide support for shared statewide goals and better coordinate resources. NJ State inter-departmental service algorithms and mailing lists have also been developed and include a distribution list of over 15,000 NJ based licensed/certified health, education, child care and social service agencies/contact points.

Website Administration

Jamie Anderson, Management Improvement Specialist, New Jersey Department of Health, is the
NJ Parent Link creative and administrative lead.

Administrative assistance for the NJ Parent Link website is provided by the Department of Health, Department of Banking & Insurance, Department of Children & Families, Department of Corrections, Department of Education, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Human Services, Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Department of Law & Public Safety, Department of Transportation, and Department of the Treasury (State OIT).

Promotion of the NJ Parent Link website is facilitated via Friends of NJ Parent Link, NJ State and community partners vested in the early childhood and parenting community. Friends of NJ Parent Link provide and sustain the outreach and communications linkages necessary to support New Jersey's early childhood health, development and early learning goals.

For further information, please contact:

Jamie Anderson, RNC, IBCLC
NJ Parent Link Administrator
Division of Family Health Services
NJ Department of Health
609-633-1363
jamie.anderson@doh.nj.gov