Programs for Parents Celebrates “Leaders & Legends” Gala After Two-Year Hiatus

After a two-year hiatus due to Covid, Programs for Parents (PfP) is pleased to announce that it will be celebrating its biannual gala, Leaders and Legends. “Celebrating Champions for Children” is the theme of this year’s gala, which will be held on Wednesday, October 26 from 6 pm – 10 pm at The Valley Regency (1129 Valley Road, Clifton, NJ). There will be a “VIP Experience” cocktail hour from 5 pm – 6 pm when guests can mix with the honorees.

The Leaders & Legends will be honored for their contributions to the development of young children through quality care and advocacy. The honorees include “Legends”: Cecilia Zalkind, President & CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ); Debra Jennings, consultant and retired nonprofit executive with JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion); and Dr. Beverly Lynn, CEO of Programs for Parents (PfP) who recently announced her retirement after 15 years at the helm of PfP. The “Leaders” are Theresa Blount, Family Child Care Provider at Little Angels; Theresa Ayers, Executive Director of Dove Community Child Care Academy; and Carolyn Lofton-Simpson, Supervisor with the East Orange School District.

For almost four decades, Programs for Parents has been a leading child care champion working to meet the ever-increasing need to help nurture children in their formative years. The Leaders & Legends Gala is an important event that will allow PfP to advance its mission of giving children the best possible start in life. To show your support for children, families, and early care educators, we would be honored if your agency would be a sponsor of our 2022 Leaders and Legends Gala. For information on sponsorship, click here or please contact Diane Anglin at [email protected] or at (973)733-4052. To purchase individual tickets and/or a digital souvenir journal ad, click here. 

Here are the bios of the honorees:

Legend: Cecilia Zalkind, President & CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), has an extensive background in public policy advocacy for children. Her 25 years in leadership roles at ACNJ have helped produce key policy advances in child welfare, early care and education, and health care in New Jersey. She has led important coalitions such as the Early Care and Education Coalition and the New Jersey BUILD initiative that have advanced high-quality early care and education in the state. Zalkind has argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court on preschool standards in Abbott v. Burke, the landmark educational equity case, and on the issue of permanency for foster children in several child welfare cases. She serves on various national leadership committees and holds a B.A. and M.A. from New York University and a J.D. from Rutgers Law School.

Legend: Debra Jennings, a nonprofit leader and equity advocate, is nationally known for organizing and supporting parent advocacy organizations committed to impacting general and special education issues. For 20 years, she served as Executive Co-Director of Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), an organization that empowers the diversity of family voices as changemakers in the systems that serve them. Jennings was influential in increasing the impact and influence of SPAN, regionally, nationally and internationally through innovative program expansion, collaborative partnerships, and substantial grant acquisitions. After retiring from SPAN, Jennings has deepened her practices around educational justice, substantive family engagement, and increased diversity in nonprofit leadership, providing consulting and coaching for individuals, nonprofits and government entities. With core commitments to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, her efforts ensure that the diverse voices of families and communities are represented in arenas where practices and policies impacting children and families are determined.

Legend: Dr. Beverly Lynn was appointed CEO of Programs for Parents (PfP) in 2008 and currently leads the agency. PfP is the largest child care resource and referral agency in the state of New Jersey. It provides services to over 1,200 child care providers in Essex County and financial assistance to help pay for child care services for over 10,000 children monthly. PfP also offers professional development opportunities for individuals working in the field of early care and education, and training and support services for parents of young children. Previously, Dr. Lynn served as the Executive Director of Newark Preschool Council (NPC) and as the State Child Care Administrator for the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) for six years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Rutgers University, a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, and an EdD from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.

Leader: Theresa Blount has been the owner of Little Angels, LLC for 15 years. Blount makes important connections on behalf of children and families in just about everything she does. During the pandemic, she networked with other family child care providers to ensure that they knew where to purchase difficult to find essentials, such as PPE. She is a Grow NJ Kids-rated provider which means she met the standards of New Jersey’s Quality Rating Improvement System. In addition, she recently received the Child Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Professional Certification, a special designation for those who are committed to continually learning best practices and keeping up with changing trends in the child care field. She participates in Programs for Parents’ Wonderschool cohort where she works to enhance her child care operation. She is also the Vice President of a new family child care association, F.A.I.T.H., which launched this year.  

Leader: Theresa Ayers has been the Executive Director of Dove Community Child Care Academy (now known as Harvest Children’s Academy) for the last 24 years. She is also the Director of Maggie’s Kidz Early Learning and Enrichment Christian Academy (named after her mother, the late Magdalene Barnes). Ayers also serves as the Senior Pastor of Holy Dove-City Harvest International Family Worship Ministries. She has been honored by The National Association of Professional Women, NJ State Educational Leaders, and The North Carolina Department of Corrections. She is also the recipient of the “Hands” Community Leadership Award. Ayers is a frequent guest speaker for many Christian services and women’s conferences. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Lighthouse University and has attended Essex County College, Thomas Edison University and Bloomfield College where she majored in early childhood education.     

Leader: Carolyn Lofton-Simpson has been the Supervisor of the Early Childhood Department (ECD) of the East Orange School District since 2015. In her position, she collaborates with preschool principals and child care directors to ensure the proper implementation of the New Jersey Department of Education/Early Childhood Division’s Preschool Standards. Lofton-Simpson also works closely with early childhood supervisors and directors to share challenges and understand the required policies and procedures to manage state-funded preschool programs. She has been President of the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children (NJAEYC) Board of Directors from 2009 – 2016 and currently serves as its board member. Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman once visited her kindergarten classroom to observe best practices in early childhood education. Simpson has been a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority since 1986.