Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey offers two types of programs: primary prevention programs such as public education, prevention awareness efforts, parent education and workshops and professional training; and secondary prevention programs that target “at-risk” and overburdened families in their homes and other community settings, such as child care centers, faith-based organizations and schools. Our prevention programs help communities meet the specific needs of their families to ensure that they are capable of nurturing, encouraging and keeping their children healthy. This is especially true for parents who are vulnerable or already in crisis.

Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey’s core programs include:

Healthy Families New Jersey - TIP, a statewide network of intensive, long-term home visiting programs that identify and intervene with 3,100 vulnerable families before abuse or harm ever occurs. Healthy Families reaches out to new and expectant parents to identify those who may be overburdened and at-risk of child maltreatment. Those families who could benefit from additional support are connected with a caring professional who visits the family weekly in their home to ensure they nurture their baby. Home visitors teach parents about safe baby care, educate them about normal child development, model how to manage a child’s different needs and temperaments, and facilitate access to health care and community services that keep them healthy and out-of-crisis.

Rigorous evaluations demonstrate the model’s efficacy in preventing child maltreatment, ensuring healthy child development and use of primary health care resources like prenatal care, immunizations and well-baby visits, encouraging school readiness, creating family self-sufficiency; and promoting positive parenting and disciplinary practices.

Parents as Teachers, an international early childhood program that has served 1,250 New Jersey children works with parents of very young children to promote healthy child development and early literacy. Parents As Teachers is build on the philosophy that a parent is a child’s first and most influential teacher and recognizes that the early years from 0-5 are the most critical for brain development and future learning. Parents As Teachers offers home visits, parent group meetings and developmental screenings.

National evaluations consistently reveal the program’s ability to increase parental involvement in the child’s education, strengthen the bond between parents and their children, identify and remediate developmental delays early, promote early literacy skills, improve kindergarten readiness and long-term standardized measures of reading, math and language, and increase parental involvement in schooling.

The Parent Linking Program gives 250 teen parents the opportunity to complete their high school education while getting the support and skills to grow as responsible parents. The program offers school-based parenting education through workshops and peer support groups, high-quality child care and life skills training that educates them on subject areas that include budgeting, decision-making and anger management. In order to participate in the program, teen moms and dads must maintain strict attendance and academic performance, and make a commitment to delay future pregnancies.

This nationally-recognized program, developed by PCANJ in New Jersey, has received accolades for its effectiveness at keeping adolescent parents in school, raising their grades and attendance rates, strengthening their ability to responsibly parent and nurture their baby, and postponing second pregnancies.

Every Person Influences Children (EPIC) offers parent education, family literacy and character education. These nationally-recognized programs target the three major influences in a child’s life: home, school and community to ensure that each provide children with strong support and direction. EPIC reaches 3,000 families every year. Our work includes a successful project to give incarcerated mothers strong parenting skills.

Research reveals that EPIC participants increase their parenting skills, improve family cohesion, improve parent/child relationships, increase involvement in their child’s school and reduce their family stress which can lead to child abuse.

The Family Outreach Program promotes academic achievement and educational equality in the state’s poorest communities. By providing families with access to health care and community resources, and empowering them with knowledge of how their children learn and grow, the Family Outreach Program builds strong learners and healthy families in communities where childhood outcomes may otherwise be challenged by economic barriers. Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey currently oversees a network of clinic professionals supporting 600 local staff who work with 30,000 pre-school families. We have also been selected to serve as the technical assistance center for a statewide network of 19 agencies employing 600 staff who work with more than 10,000 pre-school families.

Research has proven that children participating in these programs perform better in language, reading and math than their classmates who didn't attend the program.

The New Jersey State Parent Information and Resource Center (NJPIRC) promotes parental involvement by teaching a child’s home and school community how to work together to promote learning and educational success. NJPIRC partners with schools, libraries and regional districts to give training, technical assistance and concrete resources that help bridge the gap between a child’s home and educational life. By teaching families how to be active in their child’s education, NJPIRC is promoting literacy and academic success, particularly among low-income, special needs and minority students. The initiative provides intensive support to high-needs school districts to help engage the most isolated and disenfranchised families. Last year NJPIRC reached 30,000 families!

Research consistently demonstrates that parental involvement is a key factor in long-term educational success, particularly for high-risk students.

During Child Abuse Prevention Month in April we distribute educational tools and campaign materials which enable advocates to host events and educate local neighborhood about making a difference for children. In 2009 we engaged 290 community-based organizations to empower thousands of persons with more than 5,000 pieces of literature and 25,000 pinwheels, our visible pledge to a happy, healthy childhood.

Our Community Education and Professional Training services educate thousands of citizens and community leaders, and professionals about their potential to support families and prevent child maltreatment. Our training classes for professionals increase the skills and knowledge of those who touch the lives of children in topics that include: Post-Partum Depression, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Positive Discipline and Promoting Health Infant Mental Health. In 2008, we educated over 8,500 individuals to empower them with the knowledge of prevention and build knowledge and skills.