Senate Vote Today Clears Commissioner to be Sworn in by Governor Murphy

TRENTON – New Jersey Department of Children and Families Commissioner Designate Christine Norbut Beyer today released the following statement upon receiving a unanimous vote from the New Jersey State Senate to confirm her nomination to lead the department:

“I am grateful to the members of the Senate for their confidence and trust in our vision for the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, and for the future of child and family services in the Garden State.

“Our vision is that the women, children and families we serve are safe, healthy and connected. That we are working together to ensure that children are protected and families are preserved. That we are preventing adverse childhood experiences and promoting protective factors and individual and family resilience.

“With today’s vote, we can continue the hard work of making that vision a reality for the thousands of children, families and women we serve, each and every day.

“To become the child-serving agency that our State’s children and families deserve, we must make sure we’re responsive to the voice of the parents and the families with which we interact. We cannot operate in a bubble, and we have to elevate the discussion on how to be our best, because New Jersey’s vulnerable children deserve our very best.

“Over the course of the next several months, we plan to hold a Statewide listening tour to hear from the people we serve, so we can get unvarnished opinions about what works and what needs improvement. We want to invite critics and allies alike, to share their stories and inform our progress.

“As we look to the path ahead, we know that, in order to meet the demands of child welfare in the 21st Century, we will need to collaborate with our partners in the field and on the federal, State, county and local levels – from caseworkers to provider agencies, local elected officials to State policymakers. We have to bring in stakeholders from all areas who have an interest in contributing to a seamless safety net for vulnerable children and families struggling to succeed.

“None of this work is easy. Absolutely all of it is vital, to enhance our ability to protect children and support families in the Garden State.

“Finally, as we shift into this next phase of my tenure at the Department of Children and Families, I want to thank the dedicated men and women who work, each and every day, in support of New Jersey’s children and families. Your commitment to those who need us most is commendable.

“Thank you, and now, let’s get back to work.”