MSU's Naome Dunnell honored for child care advocacy

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) honored parent advocate Naome Dunnell, Clinical Specialist in the Teaching and Learning Department at Montclair State University, at its Annual Breakfast on December 4, 2019, recognizing her efforts to make quality child care accessible to working families across the state.

Back in May 2019, Dunnell was among the hundreds of parents and child care providers who participated in Strolling Thunder NJ and rallied at the State House for increased investments for New Jersey’s infants and toddlers.

View Strolling Thunder NJ video

At the time, the minimum wage increase was fast approaching, but no additional aid was available to help child care providers offset the rising operational costs, meaning many would be forced to close their doors. At the rally, Dunnell spoke as parent, about having to choose between quality child care for her young son and putting food on the table. Her story, which resonates with the plight of many working families, helped ACNJ secure $24 million in additional child care funding in this year’s state budget.

ACNJ’s breakfast celebration also focused on the upcoming 2020 Census and the need to ensure that every resident in our state is counted, especially our youngest residents. In New Jersey, 27,000 children (5 percent) under age 5 were missed by the 2010 Census.

A major way our communities get money for child and family programs is by participating in the U.S. Census, which occurs once every 10 years. In fact, nearly $23 billion in federal funding for New Jersey depends on Census counts, including Medicaid, hospital funding, Title I school funding, child care, student loans, highway and transportation funding and school meals programs.

To learn more, visit http://census2020nj.org/.

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Advocates for Children of New Jersey is a statewide child research and action organization, putting children’s needs first for nearly 40 years. Our work results in better laws and policies, more effective funding and stronger services for children and families. And it means that more children are given the chance to grow up safe, healthy, and educated. For more information, visit www.acnj.org.