A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Prevent Child Abuse
New Jersey Chapter, Inc.

Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey (PCA-NJ) is a statewide agency that brings family support and parent education programs to local communities. The agency is serving as a facilitator for parental assistance by bringing together three nationally recognized family support programs -- Parents as Teachers (PAT), Effective Parenting Information for Children (EPIC), and Teens Effective as Mothers (TEAM) -- to local communities. The programs serve families with children ages birth to five years. Through 16 locations, approximately 2,500 families (over a four-year period) will be provided with the necessary tools to effectively teach and nurture their children. Over half of these sites are to be in communities of "special needs school districts" -- New Jersey's most severely educationally and economically disadvantaged regions.

The Prevent Child Abuse program emphasizes the need to strengthen the family unit which plays an important role of ensuring that children receive intellectual stimulation, nutrition, shelter, love and nurturing, safety, healthcare, and instruction to become contributing citizens. PCA-NJ will strengthen family units by providing the following programs to local communities:

1. Parents as Teachers (PAT)
   PCA-NJ is using this grant to establish 3-6 new sites for the PAT program to help 180 families increase their knowledge about child development and learn effective parenting skills. This will include connecting parents to school activities, screening children for developmental delays, and building parenting skills through training, workshops, and home visits.

2. Effective Parenting Information for Children (EPIC)
   By establishing 10 new sites for the Effective Parenting Information for Children (EPIC), 400 families will receive support to increase their parenting skills each year. Each family participates in workshops, receives training materials, and has access to additional resources.

3. Teens Effective As Mothers (TEAM)
   PCA-NJ is using the MELD Young Moms curriculum for 72 families in three new locations. This curriculum is targeted to teenage parents and includes support groups, child care and a meal during group meetings, instruction and materials about child development and parenting, and access to additional parenting resources. Teen parents also receive assistance in working out their relationship with their local school including problem solving regarding school-related matters, assistance in entering a GED program, or assistance in gaining resources for their child.

• Newark Office of Children
• Plainfield Bilingual Center
• City of Trenton, Division of Health
• Family-to-Family Network of New Jersey
• Old Bridge Board of Education

Director:
Sharon J.B. Copeland
Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey
35 Halsey St. Suite 300
Newark, NJ 07102-3031
Phone: (201) 643-3710
FAX: (201) 643-9222
Award: $358,304
Affiliation: PAT

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