Home-based child care: a boon for local families and workforce

Finding reliable and affordable child care can be a daunting task for families… and after COVID-19 it became even more challenging due to the shortage of qualified child care providers. Prior to the pandemic, Monmouth County had 60 registered family child care providers, but as of April 2022, that number of providers dropped to 47 – a decline of 21.7%. This startling statistic, along with an increased number of parents looking for a home-based child care program, prompted the Monmouth ACTS Early Childhood Success Hub to take action. Hub members collaborated to brainstorm a solution. That’s when Hub member Child…
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Monmouth ACTS Announces New Co-Chairs

Peter Boynton and Kathy Collins chosen to lead groundbreaking public-private initiative Peter Boynton, Director of Housing Stability for the Affordable Housing Alliance, will serve as the new Chair of the Monmouth ACTS Advisory Council. FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth ACTS (Assisting Community Through Services) - a public-private partnership initiated by the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners in 2018 - has announced that Peter Boynton, Director of Housing Stability, Affordable Housing Alliance and Kathy Collins, former Executive Director, MonmouthCares, will serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Monmouth ACTS Advisory Council (MAAC) starting this year. Boynton and Collins succeed…
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Community Collaborative Creates Change, Offers Hope for Monmouth County Homeless

Community Collaborative Creates Change, Offers Hope for Monmouth County Homeless

When Pastor Terrence K. Porter, senior minister of Pilgrim Baptist Church (PBC) of Red Bank spearheaded the church’s original “Warming Center,” the mission was simple: Offer a warm, comfortable shelter to homeless men in Monmouth County on Code Blue nights – when temperatures drop to 32 degrees or below. The undertaking proved highly successful – it became the “go-to” warming center, serving an average of 21 guests on Code Blue nights. But when Pastor Porter and other community partners like the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation saw a greater community need, the Warming Center was rebranded to the JBJ &…
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Monmouth ACTS Announces Next Phase to Better Meet Residents’ Needs

Initiative introduces new features including dedicated phone line to connect residents with services FREEHOLD, NJ – Leadership from Monmouth ACTS (Assisting Community Through Services) - a public-private partnership initiated by the Monmouth County Commissioners in 2018 - announced its next phase to better serve, communicate with and respond to residents at a recent retreat. The new phase builds upon Monmouth ACTS’ success in connecting residents to human services within Monmouth County. With a focus on resident voice, the new iteration establishes guiding values that will inform all phases of service planning, implementation and evaluation. It will include: consistent resident and…
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Monmouth ACTS Celebrates Breastfeeding Awareness Month with Events for Families

“If breastfeeding did not already exist, someone who invented it today would deserve a dual Nobel Prize in medicine and economics” ~ Keith Hansen, World Bank (2016) FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth ACTS (Assisting Community Through Services), a public-private partnership initiated by the Monmouth County Commissioners to better serve residents, will celebrate World and National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August by sponsoring several events for families to increase awareness of the importance and benefits of breastfeeding. “According to La Leche League, breastfeeding is an instinctual and natural act, but it is also an art that is learned day by day,” says…
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Not One Person Turned Away at Warming Centers During 2021 “Code Blue” Season

FREEHOLD, NJ – Winter 2021 brought some seriously cold days that turned into bitterly cold nights. While most people were hunkered down safe and warm in their homes, there were others in the community who were not as fortunate. However, no one was turned away from much-needed shelter this past winter season through the collaborative efforts of Monmouth County Office of OEM, MCDSS, the Homeless Systems Collaborative, the Office of Planning and Contracting, Monmouth ACTS and various other community agencies. One place that was instrumental in housing the homeless during any “Code Blue” weather was Pilgrim Baptist Church of Red…
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Monmouth ACTS Financial Recovery Initiative Connects Residents to County Resources

FREEHOLD, NJ – The  COVID-19 pandemic has caused additional pressure for families facing challenges with employment, childcare, housing and more – many of whom are dealing with these challenges for the first time. Monmouth County residents who are feeling the financial strain are encouraged to turn to the Monmouth ACTS Financial Recovery Initiative (FRI) for help. Launched last year by the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, FRI is part of Monmouth ACTS, a unique public/private partnership that brings together county employees and community partners, and the work of its existing Financial Empowerment Hub which provides financial guidance and support.…
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County Organizations Join Forces to Cultivate Funding for Childcare During Pandemic

FREEHOLD, NJ – Flashback to March 2020 when a full shutdown was mandated due to the pandemic. LADACIN Network’s Give and Take Childcare was scrambling to figure out how its teaching staff could continue to support families even though they could no longer be together physically. The nonprofit provides support and services for individuals with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities, in addition to an integrated child care center which serves typically developing children and children with special needs.  Due to decreased enrollment and COVID related costs, revenues were impacted and staff retention was paramount in order to re-open.  LADACIN’s Executive…
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Monmouth County’s First Virtual Youth Town Hall on Racial Justice Sparks a Conversation for Teens

FREEHOLD, NJ - Thought-provoking discussions about racial justice and inequity are taking place around the nation, and here in Monmouth County. Monmouth ACTS recently formed a racial equity ad hoc committee tasked with defining how each of its working groups, or Hubs, look at racial equity in the human services provided to Monmouth County residents. Case in point: the Positive Youth Development (PYD) Hub tackled the difficult conversation, and how they could specifically address issues of racial justice for their population of young children. These discussions sparked an idea to host a youth-led, youth-run virtual town hall event for young…
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RAINE Foundation Hosts Diaper Drive to Support Moms and Children in Need During COVID-19 Pandemic

Hiral Patel and Alicia Maresco of Bayshore Family Success Center in Middletown accept donations of diapers and wipes for Monmouth County mothers in need from Lisa Auletta of the RAINE Foundation. FREEHOLD, NJ – The ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been varied and far-reaching – and distress is not always related to health concerns. Monmouth County Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley recently learned of an unforeseen need amongst the County’s expectant and parenting mothers. On a call for Monmouth ACTS’ Early Childhood Success Hub, Kiley was surprised to learn from leaders of various service organizations that mothers…
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