UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL JERSEY INC
UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL JERSEY INC
UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL JERSEY INC
Programs
Program 1 [2020]
HEALTHNurse Family Partnership The Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program targets low income, first time pregnant women and provides comprehensive health, parenting, and developmental education along with a range of other supportive services from the twelfth week of pregnancy through the child's second birthday. The program consists of an intensive schedule of home visits by registered bachelor-level nurses, and has proven successful in both the short and long term by ensuring that babies get a healthier start even before birth, by helping mothers take better care of themselves and by helping children grow to adolescence with fewer problem outcomes including:- 67% reduction in behavioral and intellectual problems by age 6 -Immunization rates for children in NFP increased by 19% -Pre-term births decreased by 21% -A recent study of over 30,000 NFP families showed that pre-term births cost an average of $54,194 while a full-time healthy birth averages $4,389 a significant cost savingUWCJ is recognized as the NFP implementing organization for Middlesex and Somerset counties since 2005. With support from the NFP National Service Office in 2019 and 2020, UWCJ's NFP program expanded to a full complement of 8 nurse home visitors and incorporated a system of mental health support for both families and program staff.In 2020, UWCJ also utilized a $15,000 grant from the NJ State Department of Faith-based Initiatives to create a cohort of NFP mothers to assist them in enrolling in a local community college. 2020 Dental Initiative - A unique initiative deployed in 2020 was UWCJ's use of a grant from the NJ State Department of Health to create a sustainable system of dental care for young children and their families at a local elementary school.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.2MProgram 2 [2020]
EDUCATIONUWCJ continues its initiatives to create a system for academic and life success for Middlesex County children ages 0-5 through its place-based initiatives and its Social Impact Bond project to improve child education and health outcomes.Local Community Pre-School - With New Jersey's expanded support of public pre-school programs, UWCJ is working closely with one local community to add value to its pre-school program by increasing education of the students and their families regarding oral health, as well as increasing opportunities for pre-school STEM education. In collaboration with the local School Board, UWCJ's bi-lingual and bi-cultural master-level staff is assigned to this pre-school program to assist families' transition to their child's formal education, provide needed support services including English-as-a-Second-Language ('ESL') education, and referrals ranging from housing and employment help to rental and food assistance as well as immigration issues. Additionally, in 2020 as a response to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on pre-school learning opportunities - UWCJ funded a summer program to combat "learning loss' for children entering kindergarten. ParentChild+ (PC+) - Since 2008, UWCJ has been the Middlesex County replication site for the evidence-informed ParentChild+ (PC+) program. UWCJ is implementing the family childcare model of PC+, which supports home-based childcare providers in their role of helping young children prepare for school and life success. Educational books and toys along with child-level instructions for providers and parents on effective use of each item are provided to assist young children develop socio-emotional and literacy skills. PC+ works with a maximum of 10 family childcare providers during each 24-week program cycle providing 48 visits and sharing 360 books with the children in care.Empirical evidence suggests that the ParentChild+ program is effective in preparing children for school and improving performance on standardized tests. The positive effects continue through childhood into adolescence, with one study showing that ParentChild+ graduates from low-income families have a 20-30% greater chance of graduating high school compared with their socioeconomic peers.In 2020, UWCJ successfully continued providing PC+ program services after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic via 'virtual home visit' instructional sessions.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$512.4KProgram 3 [2020]
FINANCIAL STABILITYUWCJ assists financially fragile households in 4 leadership capacities.1. Leveraging an IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance ('VITA') grant to provide free tax return preparation service year-round for income-eligible household taxpayers, and limited English proficient and elderly taxpayers. The IRS grant in matched in excess of 1:1 with UWCJ's own resources. The COVID-19 pandemic which hit at the height of the 2020 tax return filing season required UWCJ to develop procedures for 'virtual tax return preparation,' which UWCJ was able to successfully deploy and continue the VITA program. UWCJ's VITA initiative filed over 4,000 returns (federal & state combined) during the 2020 filing season, returning refunds of $2.2 million dollars to tax filers and the community. UWCJ estimates that taxpayers served in 2020 through UWCJ's free VITA tax filing program saved $1 million in tax return preparation and filing service fees. Supplementing the VITA tax return preparation service is UWCJ's Savings Initiative, which encourages taxpayers to set aside part of their tax refund to a savings account. UWCJ's VITA program also prepared ITIN applications/renewals, and prepared prior-year and amended tax returns. 2. Providing administration support to Middlesex County's Local FEMA Board which in 2020 generated $414,230 in FEMA Awards to community organizations providing emergency shelter; rent, mortgage and utility assistance; and emergency food, diapers and infant formula.3. In collaboration with other partners to meaningfully address the challenges faced by vulnerable families with young children: Family Success Institute, Advocates for Children in New Jersey, Middlesex County Workforce Development Board, Middlesex County Human Services Advisory Council and New Brunswick Tomorrow; as well as aligning with United Way Worldwide's Campaign for Grade Level Reading. In 2020, UWCJ did the foundational work for establishing a collaborative network of service providers for young children and their family that builds on the place-based model. 4. Supporting NJ211 the state's multi-lingual telephone and online helpline available 24/7/365 providing information about available services to residents of UWCJ's service area.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$535.1K
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