MEASURE ENHANCING SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS
OF CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT PASSES ASSEMBLY
Bill Expands Mission of State's Two Decade-Old Task Force on Abuse and Neglect To Foster Greater State-Local Cooperation

(TRENTON) - Legislation Assembly members Sheila Y. Oliver, Jack Conners, and Valerie Vainieri Huttle sponsored to enhance the ability of state and local service organizations that reach out to victims of child abuse and neglect was passed today by the General Assembly.

The bill (S-1217/A-1526) would expand the responsibilities of the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect to include broad-based community outreach to foster relationships and greater coordination between organizations that help victims of maltreatment.

"To properly help victims of abuse and neglect, we must ensure that service organizations at all levels of government are working together in an efficient and effective manner," said Oliver (D-Essex).  "We must seal whatever cracks exist in our child welfare system."

The task force was first created by executive order in 1983 by then-Governor Thomas Kean and permanently established by statute 13 years later.  The task force is charged with recommending possible improvements to the state's system of responding to reports of child abuse or neglect and educating communities and professionals about prevention and treatment.

The task force also has studied the overall quality and scope of New Jersey's child protection system, including practices within the state Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS).

"We must seize this chance to build on the task force's success in watching over a system that is dealing with thousands of reported cases of abuse and neglect," said Conners (D-Camden).

"This is an opportunity that cannot be passed up to reach into our communities and help abused kids get a second chance at childhood," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen).

The bill - also sponsored by Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-Union) - passed 79-0.  It now heads to the Governor, who may sign it, veto it, or modify it in the form of a conditional veto.

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