ASSEMBLY CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4365

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 10, 2025

      The Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4365.

      This bill establishes the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success in, but not of, the Department of Community Affairs, which will develop strategies to promote the well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and encourage family success. 

      The council will consist of 25 members, including the Commissioners of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Corrections, Education, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or their designees, who will serve ex officio, and 17 public members, who will be representatives of certain entities that provide services to children and families, or have certain experience with receiving family services in New Jersey. 

      The council will manage the development and implementation of a Statewide initiative concerning the social and economic well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and the provision of holistic, age and developmentally appropriate services that support a child’s development from birth to young adulthood. 

      In order to implement the Statewide initiative, the council will:

      (1)  advocate for a State Bill of Rights for Infants, Children, Youth, and Families, which will provide a framework for the initiative;

      (2)  identify and develop policies, strategies, and financial priorities that promote family success;

      (3)  recommend policies to improve the efficacy of existing State and community-based services and programs;

      (4)  explore strategies to leverage public and private funding to provide preventive services; and

      (5)  establish community recovery and family success councils in each county.

      The goal of the Statewide initiative will be to:  promote positive family relationships, community connections, and preventive services to ensure financial security, quality education, health, safety, and permanency for infants, children, youth, and families through an integrated service planning and delivery system. 

      The bill defines “distress services” to mean services to remediate circumstances that endanger the safety, permanency, health, and well-being of infants, children, and youth; and “preventative services” as those services that promote the safety, permanency, health, and well-being of the target populations and divert the need for distress services.

      The council will submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature that will include recommendations for legislative and administrative actions on the use of public and private resources to support family success initiatives and preventive services for all families.

      The bill appropriates $4.0 million from the General Fund to the council to implement the provisions of the bill, and provides that the council may use any unexpended appropriations in the succeeding fiscal year.