A 4295 — Establishes Council for Community Recovery and Family Success.*

A4295 1R [First Reprint] ASSEMBLY, No.

HAIDER District 37 (Bergen)    Co-Sponsored  by:   SYNOPSIS      Establishes Council for Community Recovery and Family Success;

appropriatesAssemblywoman $4.0Bagolie million.        SYNOPSIS      Establishes Council for Community Recovery and Family Success.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      As introduced.reported by the Assembly State and Local Government Committee on June 23, 2026, with amendments.

   An Act establishing the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success, 1and1 supplementing Title 9 of the Revised Statutes,Statutes 1[, and making an appropriation.appropriation]1.

     d.    It is therefore in the best interests of the State to invest in and implement programs,1[programs, whichwhich] services and supports designed and delivered by community-based service networks.  Each network will be responsible for developing a plan to address family and childhood success and develop supportive and early intervention services that1 promote prevention,1[prevention, early intervention, andand]1 the well-being of infants, children, youth, and families in order to improve the1[the] life1 outcomes for all infants, children, youth, and families who reside in New Jersey.

     b.    The council shall consist of 251[25] 171 members as follows:

     (1)   the Commissioners of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Corrections,1[Corrections,]1 Education, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio;

     (2)   131[13 public members appointed by the Governor, which members shall include representatives of children’s advocacy and family support, juvenile justice advocacy, behavioral health, housing support and homelessness prevention, and early childhood supports and education organizations, an organization providing support for family financial security, business and commerce, the faith-based community, a community leader, and parents or guardians whose children are receiving State funded services;

and      (4)   two public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom shall be a representative of county government, and one of whom shall be a resident of an underserved community.community.] eight public members appointed by the Governor, which members shall include a representative of county government, a representative of municipal government, and representatives from:  children’s advocacy and family support organizations;

    behavioral c.    health Vacanciesorganizations; in the membership of the council shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments.  The members of the council shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties, within the limits of funds made available to the council for these purposes.

housing support and homelessness prevention organizations;

early childhood supports and education organizations;

organizations providing support for family financial security, business and commerce;

the faith-based community;

community leaders;

and parents or guardians whose children are receiving State-funded services;

     (3)   one public member appointed by the Senate President, which public member shall be a resident of an underserved community;

and      (4)   one public member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, which public member shall be a resident of an underserved community.1      c.     Vacancies in the membership of the council shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments.  The members of the council shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties, within the limits of funds made available to the council for these purposes.

     g.    The council shall annually prepare its administrative budget and work plan in conformance with its duties, and shall secure staff services from the Departments of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Corrections,1[Corrections,]1 Education, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, the Juvenile Justice Commission, other council member organizations, and from other contracted professional staffing and support services, as may be necessary for the council to carry out its duties under this act.

       3.   1h.   a. All Thefunds purposeprovided ofto the councilcouncil, shallincluding beappropriations toor guidegrants andfrom overseefederal, theState, developmentor andlocal implementationgovernment, ofprivate asector Statewidedonations, initiativeor focusingphilanthropic ongifts theshall socialbe andheld economicby well-being of infants, children, youth, and families,administered andby the provisionCommunity Foundation of holistic,New ageJersey andor developmentallysimilar appropriatenon-governmental, servicesnonprofit thatentity.1 support  a     child’s3.    developmenta. from birth to young adulthood.  The initiative shall be based on the four pillars of family success:

The purpose of the council shall be to 1[guide and]1 oversee 1and support1 the development 1[and implementation]1 of 1[a Statewide initiative focusing on] community-based service networks in communities throughout the State with priority attention to those communities of greatest need.  These community-based service networks will be place-based partnerships that may include, but are not limited to, local residents, local governmental authorities, local education agencies, community-based nonprofit organizations, local leaders, business leaders, health systems, and other partners.  Each community-based service network will include a lead agency, which will be responsible for fiscal and administrative management of the network and fostering collaboration among all network members.  The mission of each community-based service network is to enhance1 the social and economic well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and the provision of holistic, age and developmentally appropriate services that support a child’s development from birth to young adulthood.  The initiative shall be based on the four pillars of family success:

     (b)   identify1support policies,community-based procedures,service practices,network and financial priorities relating to preventive services forthat at-riskpromote infants,family children,economic youth,security, andlifelong familieseducation, andgood thehealth gaps in those policies, procedures, practices, and financialwell-being, priorities, and developsafe strategies to promote the well-being of infants, children, youth, and familiesthriving andcommunities; encourage family success;

     (c)  (c)  reviewin thecollaboration programs,with policies,community-based andservice initiativesnetworks,1 ofidentify the1and Departmentsevaluate1 ofpolicies, Childrenprocedures, andpractices, Families, Community Affairs, Corrections, Education, Health, Human Services, Labor and Workforcefinancial Development,priorities andrelating Lawto and1[preventive] Publicsupportive1 Safety,services andfor anyat-risk otherinfants, departmentschildren, ofyouth, State government and anyfamilies community-based1[and organizationsthe] as; may be appropriate, and make recommendations that will enable such departments and organizations to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of the department’s or organization’s programs, policies, and initiatives;

eliminate any1 gaps in those policies, procedures, practices, and financial priorities, and develop strategies to 1further1 promote the well-being of infants, children, youth, and families 1[and encourage family success]1;

     1[(c)  review the programs, policies, and initiatives of the Departments of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Corrections, Education, Health, Human Services, Labor and Workforce Development, and Law and Public Safety, and any other departments of State government and any community-based organizations as may be appropriate, and make recommendations that will enable such departments and organizations to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of the department’s or organization’s programs, policies, and initiatives;

     (e)  (e)] (d)1     explore strategies to maximize and effectively utilize all State, county, municipal, and federal funding sources, as well as any funds from business and philanthropic investments as may be available, for the purpose of providing supportive and preventive services for infants, children, youth, and families and to improve family success outcomes;

and      (f)  1[(f)  establish community recovery and family success councils, which shallshall] (e)  provide funding, technical support, and oversight of the community-based service networks, which may1 include members of existing councils, boards, and task forces where1[where indicated, in each county of the State,State]1, which councils1[councils] networks1 shall:

and      (iii)    develop methods that support innovative preventive services for at-risk infants, children, youth, and families and the development of local family success initiatives.

     c.     Subject1[Subject to the availability of funds, the council shall implement the Statewide initiative pursuant to this section over the course of the next three fiscal years. years.]1  The council shall establish criteria for the allocation of funds made available to the council, assigning priority based on both the total child population and percentage of child poverty in each eligible jurisdiction.  The initial findings of local1[local family success councilscouncils] each community-based service network1 shall be based on an assessment of need and1[and county readiness.readiness] , collective impact, and readiness to implement or expand family success programs1.

       6.   1[6. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success the sum of $4,000,000 to implement the provisions of this act.  Unexpended amounts appropriated to the council pursuant to this section shall not be returned to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year, and shall be retained by the council in the succeeding fiscal year for the purposes of implementing the provisions of this act.  The council shall be authorized to invest unexpended funds appropriated pursuant to this section, and to use dividends and interest earned on the amount invested for the purposes of implementing the provisions of this act.

There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success the sum of $4,000,000 to implement the provisions of this act.  Unexpended amounts appropriated to the council pursuant to this section shall not be returned to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year, and shall be retained by the council in the succeeding fiscal year for the purposes of implementing the provisions of this act.  The council shall be authorized to invest unexpended funds appropriated pursuant to this section, and to use dividends and interest earned on the amount invested for the purposes of implementing the provisions of this act.]1        7.   1[7.] 6.1  This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT        This bill establishes the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success in, but not of, the Department of Community Affairs, which will develop strategies to promote the well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and encourage family success.       The council will consist of 25 members, including the Commissioners of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Corrections, Education, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or their designees, who will serve ex officio, and 17 public members, who will be representatives of certain entities that provide services to children and families, or have certain experience with receiving family services in New Jersey.       The council will manage the development and implementation of a Statewide initiative concerning the social and economic well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and the provision of holistic, age and developmentally appropriate services that support a child’s development from birth to young adulthood.       In order to implement the Statewide initiative, the council will:

     (1)   advocate for a State Bill of Rights for Infants, Children, Youth, and Families, which will provide a framework for the initiative;

     (2)   identify and develop policies, strategies, and financial priorities that promote family success;

     (3)   recommend policies to improve the efficacy of existing State and community-based services and programs;

     (4)   explore strategies to leverage public and private funding to provide preventive services;

and      (5)   establish community recovery and family success councils in each county.

     The goal of the Statewide initiative will be to:  promote positive family relationships, community connections, and preventive services to ensure financial security, quality education, health, safety, and permanency for infants, children, youth, and families through an integrated service planning and delivery system.       The bill defines “distress services” to mean services to remediate circumstances that endanger the safety, permanency, health, and well-being of infants, children, and youth;

and “preventative services” as those services that promote the safety, permanency, health, and well-being of the target populations and divert the need for distress services.