NJ plan to prevent child abuse- regional mtgs to be held with parents, faith based, community leaders, etc.

The following is a letter from NJ officials seeking your input:


Dear Parents and Community Partners:

We ask for your help with a ground breaking project that will positively impact the lives of many children and families across our state. Governor Jon S. Corzine and the NJ Legislature entrusted the Department of Children and Families'(DCF) Division of Prevention and Community Partnership (DPCP) and the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (NJTFCAN) to create a statewide plan to prevent child abuse and neglect in New Jersey.
We want this plan to reflect as many voices as possible.

To meet this goal, we are gathering vital information from the broadest and most diverse group of New Jersey residents. The active involvement from parents, faith-based and community-based leaders, government officials and other interested child advocates will help us craft this roadmap for strengthening families and preventing the maltreatment of New Jersey's most vulnerable citizens.

Please take 15-20 minutes to complete this web-based survey (see following link) http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=j0gQ01X1_2fn7DhE0A3mcBQg_3d_3d.
(Please note: If the link does not bring you automatically to the online survey, please try to cut and paste the address into your preferred Internet browser.)

If you are a community provider, we ask that you please assist parents and community members to complete the survey if they do not have access to the Internet to complete it themselves. You may also access a printed copy (pdf) of the survey at the following link to assist others: http://nj.gov/dcf/prevention/.
If you utilize the printed survey, please return it to the following address:

CFAR - Center for Applied Research, Inc.
ATTN: Michellana Y. Jester, M.P.P.
44 Brattle Street, 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138

We also ask that you join us at one of four regional meetings designed to get feedback from parents and community partners.
These regional meetings are tentatively scheduled for February 26th, 28th, and March 4th and 6th. All meetings will occur from 2:30-4:30PM and 6:30-8:30 PM. Further details about these regional meetings will be emailed to you and posted on the DCF website.

If you are already not included on DCF’s general communications distribution list, which receives DCF press releases, RFP information, and other important messages, you may add yourself by sending an email to communications@dcf.state.nj.us requesting to be added.

You can also access the link to the survey by visiting the DCF Web site at www.nj.gov/dcf. Please note a Spanish version of the survey will be made available in the near future, and an additional note will be sent when it is available.

We are counting on your voice and support throughout this process. Without contributions from people like you, the statewide prevention plan may lack important ideas and strategies. Should you have any questions about the survey or the prevention planning process, please call DPCP at 609-984-0678.

Again, thank you for your participation and support.

Sincerely,

Darrell Armstrong, Director, Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships

Jonathan Sabin, Executive Director, NJ Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect NJ, Prevention Plan Steering Committee