Additional Resources
NJ 2-1-1
Just dial 2-1-1 or www.nj211.org
2-1-1 is a convenient way to assist individual’s access information or self-screen for many of programs supported by DHS/DFD. It will prompt you to answer a few questions about your household, income and other expenses which will then identify other programs for which you may qualify.
Affordable Care Act
1-800-318-2596 or www.healthcare.gov
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides affordable health insurance for millions of New Jerseyans. Click here for more information on the Affordable Care Act.
Child Care Help Line
1-800-332-9227
Connects families to the local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies to help families determine if they are eligible for New Jersey’s Subsidy Program, find and locate quality child care services and other child care options.
Child Support Hotline
1-877-NJ KIDS1 (1-877-655-4371) or www.njchildsupport.org
Regardless of their living situation or relationship, both parents should provide the financial, medical and emotional support a child needs to grow into a responsible adult. New Jersey’s Child Support Program can help.
Department of Education Pre-K Programs
www.nj.gov/education/
The focus of the Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE) is to enhance social, emotional, physical, and academic development of New Jersey’s children — preschool through third grade — by providing leadership, resources, and professional development in support of high-quality early childhood programs within a comprehensive, collaborative program.
Early Intervention Services (Birth to Age Three)
1-888-653-4463 or www.nj.gov/health/fhs/eis/
The New Jersey Early Intervention System (NJEIS), under the Division of Family Health Services, for infants and toddlers, birth to age three, with developmental delays or disabilities, and their families.
Early Intervention Services (Over Age Three)
1-800-322-8174 or www.nj.gov/health/fhs/eis/
New Jersey Early Intervention System Project Child Find – Assist families of preschoolers ages 3 through 5 concerned about their child’s development.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Federal: 1-800-929-1040 / State: 1-888-895-8179 or www.NJEITC.org
EITC – is a federal and state tax credit benefit for individuals and families who earn low-to moderate incomes in NJ.
Family First Discovery Pass
www.FamiliesFirstDiscoveryPass.com
This program provides families and individuals enrolled in state assistance programs with free or highly discounted admission to arts and history organizations, venues, and programs – both in-person and virtual. Residents who receive benefits through SNAP, WFNJ, child care assistance and/or WIC are eligible for free or steeply discounted cultural programs throughout the state.
Family Help Line
1-800-THE KIDS (1-800-843-5437)
24 hours a day – 7 days a week
If you’re feeling stressed out, call the Family Help Line and work through your frustrations before a crisis occurs. You’ll speak to sensitive, trained volunteers of Parents Anonymous who provide empathic listening about parenting and refer you to resources in your community.
FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts
You can visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website for a list of safety alerts and market withdrawals including recalls for the past three years. Food, drugs, dietary supplements, biologics, medical devices, tobacco products and cosmetics are listed. The list below provides information gathered from press releases and other public notices about certain recalls of FDA-regulated products. Not all recalls have press releases or are posted on this page. See Additional information about recalls for a more complete listing.
Grow NJ Kids
https://www.grownjkids.gov
Grow NJ Kids is a state-sponsored initiative to raise the quality of child care and early learning throughout New Jersey.
Head Start
https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/
The Office of Head Start (OHS) promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through local programs. Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the mental, social, and emotional development of children from birth to age 5. Click here to locate Head Start near you.
Home Visitation Services
609-888-7400 or http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/families/early/visitation/
Home Visitation provides helpful information and support to pregnant woman, new mothers or fathers, or other caregivers in the comfort and privacy of their home to ensure that babies and young children grow up healthy, happy and safe.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
http://idea.ed.gov
Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families can receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth (ages 3-21) can receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B.
Licensed Child Care Center Explorer
childcareexplorer.njccis.com/portal/
An online resource provided by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families | Office of Licensing. Through this online portal, New Jersey residents are able to access up-to-date information regarding the safety, health and regulatory compliance of licensed child care centers throughout the Garden State.
Licensed Child Care Center Explorer Historical Purpose
https://www.childcarenj.gov/Provider-Search
An online resource provided by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families | Office of Licensing. Through this online portal, New Jersey residents are able to access historical information regarding the safety, health and regulatory compliance of licensed child care centers throughout the Garden State.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP)
1-800-510-3102 or http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/hea.html
The Home Energy Assistance Program helps very low-income residents with their heating and cooling bills, and makes provisions for emergency heating system services and emergency fuel assistance within the Home Energy Assistance Program.
NJ FamilyCare
1-800-701-0710 (TTY: 1-800-701-0720) or www.njfamilycare.org
New Jersey’s publicly funded health insurance program – includes CHIP, Medicaid and Medicaid expansion populations. That means qualified NJ residents of any age may be eligible for free or low cost health insurance that covers doctor visits, prescriptions, vision, dental care, mental health and substance use services and even hospitalization.
NJHelps
www.njhelps.org
This site will help to see if you are eligible for food assistance (SNAP), cash assistance (WFNJ/TANF or WFNJ/GA), and health insurance (NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid). From there you can apply for services or learn about additional resources.
NJ Parent Link
www.njparentlink.nj.gov
The focus of NJ Parent Link is to meet the information and resource needs of expectant parents, families with young children (newborns to children entering kindergarten) and professional stakeholders vested in the health and well-being of New Jersey’s children and families. Parenting and support resources for families with older children, school aged to young adulthood, are also available.
NJ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP)
1-800-687-9512 or www.NJSNAP.org
NJ SNAP is New Jersey’s supplemental nutritional assistance program that can help low-income families buy the groceries they need to eat healthy. To apply online visit https://oneapp.dhs.state.nj.us
NJ SNAP-Ed
www.NJSNAP-Ed.gov
NJ SNAP-Ed, a part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a nutrition and fitness education program aimed at teaching NJ residents how to make healthy, budget-friendly food choices and lead more active lives.
ReachNJ
1-844-ReachNJ or https://www.reachnj.gov
ReachNJ connects individuals who need counseling to live, trained addiction experts who answer the 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week hotline and get callers help, regardless of their insurance status.
Ready.gov
https://www.ready.gov/kids
Disasters happen everywhere, and every member of the family can prepare. Preparedness for the future starts today. Whether you’re a kid or teen yourself, a parent or loved one, or work with youth, Ready Kids has tools and information to help before, during and after disasters.
Right from the Start NJ
https://rightfromthestartnj.org
Right From the Start NJ is a public awareness campaign created to educate the public at large and New Jersey policy makers about the critical importance of the early years of child development, from birth to three.
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN)
1-800-654-SPAN or www.spanadvocacy.org
SPAN is an independent organization committed to empowering families as advocates and partners in improving education, health, and mental health outcomes for infants, toddlers, children and youth.
Social Service for the Homeless (SSH)
www.nj.gov/humanservices/dfd/programs/ssh
Provides assistance to New Jersey residents who are at risk of homelessness, but are ineligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families welfare, General Assistance welfare or Supplemental Security Income.
Work First New Jersey (WFNJ)
1-800-792-9773 or www.nj.gov/humanservices/dfd/programs/workfirstnj
The state’s welfare reform program provides temporary cash assistance and many other support services to families through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and to individuals and couples with no dependent children, through the General Assistance (GA) program.
The New Jersey Head Start Association website is up! Please visit: newjerseyheadstartassociation.org
DFD Child Care NJ
http://www.childcarenj.gov/
WIC
https://www.state.nj.us/health/fhs/wic
Kinship Navigator Program
http://www.nj.gov/dcf/families/support/kinship/
NJ Family Care
http://www.njfamilycare.org/default.aspx
Essex County Department of Citizen Services
http://essexcountynj.org/welfare/?doing_wp_cron=1477591957.7662711143493652343750
Child Protection and Permanency
http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/about/divisions/dcpp/
Child Support
http://www.njchildsupport.org/
Licensed Child Care Center Explorer
https://data.nj.gov/childcare_explorer
CCRR Resources
NJ Div of Family Development Child
http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dfd/chldca.html
Child Care Referral Agencies by County
http://www.childcarenj.gov/Parents/CCRR
ZERO TO THREE
A national non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the healthy development of our nation’s infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and those who work on their behalf.
http://www.zerotothree.org
National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
http://www.naccrra.org
New Jersey Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
http://www.njaccrra.org/index.shtml
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care
http://nrckids.org/
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) state chapter
http://www.healthychildcare.org/statecontacts.cfm?state=NJ
The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)is a national clearinghouse and technical assistance center linking parents, providers,
policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and education information.
https://www.icf.com/resources/projects/social-programs/national-child-care-information-center-nccic
The New Jersey Child Assault (NJ CAP) Prevention Project is a statewide network of local projects with over 200 facilitators available
to train in your school and community…training over three million children,
parents and teachers how to be free from abuse and interpersonal
violence. Programs for Parents represents NJ CAP
throughout northern New Jersey.
http://www.njcap.org
Early Childhood Education Programs in NJ
A diploma in early childhood education is the first step towards a rewarding career as an educator of children. This diploma program combines theory and practice to produce a graduate who is qualified to find work in a preschool, elementary school, or other child education and care facility. In an early childhood education diploma program you will learn about the education needs specific to young children and how to go about fulfilling them. Learn about early childhood psychology and behavior and the specific teaching practices that cater to them. Also learn about how to communicate with children and their families to ensure that each child receives the attention he deserves. For a list of programs in New Jersey click here.
Studies and Data Reports
Child Care Aware of New Jersey
Newark Kids Count 2016 A Statewide Profile of Child Well-Being
Essex County Kids Count 2016 Profile
The Cost of Child Care in New Jersey