Octavia
11-29-2007, 06:17 AM
Thursday, November 29, 2007 BY BARRY CARTER
Star-Ledger Staff
An initiative to strengthen families in the city of Newark got under way yesterday with the opening of several centers that provide comprehensive social services to prevent crisis.
The Family Success Initiative is a coordinated effort that includes local and state agencies, grassroots community organizations and philanthropic foundations.
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"This is probably one of the greatest things to happen in our city in years," Mayor Cory Booker said yesterday at Ironbound Community Corp. on Elm Street. "This is the fundamental building block of everything we're trying to do in the city of Newark. This is going to help our families succeed."
The centers will be run by eight well-known grassroots agencies at 11 sites in the city. They will address a myriad of family needs from education and employment to parenting classes and information on the earned income tax credit.
Seven centers are currently up and running with the remainder coming on board in February. There are 38 family success centers statewide, but Newark has the most of any city, said Kevin Ryan, commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families.
"Where these programs exist in the country, they have been able to lower the incidents of abuse and neglect by focusing resources on families before they experience harm," Ryan said.
"That's sort of one of the things we're hoping to do here is strengthen families so that kids don't experience abuse and neglect," Ryan said. "This is about solving problems before they occur."
Newark Now, a group founded by Booker to help community organizations improve neighborhoods, is overseeing the operation of the centers.
Executive director Modia Butler said grassroots organizations in the past never really worked together like now to carve out areas of the city to deal with residents in a specific way.
"Everybody kind of did their own thing without a strategic plan," Butler said.
Eight of the centers are funded by the state at a cost of $1.6 million. The remaining three are funded by the Nicholson Foundation for $600,000.
Barry Carter covers Newark. He can be reached at bcarter@starledger.com or (973) 392-1827
Star-Ledger Staff
An initiative to strengthen families in the city of Newark got under way yesterday with the opening of several centers that provide comprehensive social services to prevent crisis.
The Family Success Initiative is a coordinated effort that includes local and state agencies, grassroots community organizations and philanthropic foundations.
http://ads2.udc.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/adstream_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/ne/nex/1466629828/StoryAd/NJONLINE/SmartC03_NJ_News_Rect/448929A.html/61373838386532383437346539663330?_RM_EMPTY_&
http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/ne/nex/@StoryAd?x ("")
"This is probably one of the greatest things to happen in our city in years," Mayor Cory Booker said yesterday at Ironbound Community Corp. on Elm Street. "This is the fundamental building block of everything we're trying to do in the city of Newark. This is going to help our families succeed."
The centers will be run by eight well-known grassroots agencies at 11 sites in the city. They will address a myriad of family needs from education and employment to parenting classes and information on the earned income tax credit.
Seven centers are currently up and running with the remainder coming on board in February. There are 38 family success centers statewide, but Newark has the most of any city, said Kevin Ryan, commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families.
"Where these programs exist in the country, they have been able to lower the incidents of abuse and neglect by focusing resources on families before they experience harm," Ryan said.
"That's sort of one of the things we're hoping to do here is strengthen families so that kids don't experience abuse and neglect," Ryan said. "This is about solving problems before they occur."
Newark Now, a group founded by Booker to help community organizations improve neighborhoods, is overseeing the operation of the centers.
Executive director Modia Butler said grassroots organizations in the past never really worked together like now to carve out areas of the city to deal with residents in a specific way.
"Everybody kind of did their own thing without a strategic plan," Butler said.
Eight of the centers are funded by the state at a cost of $1.6 million. The remaining three are funded by the Nicholson Foundation for $600,000.
Barry Carter covers Newark. He can be reached at bcarter@starledger.com or (973) 392-1827