Clinton Township Newsletter

8 d e c e m b e r 2 0 2 0 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M t h e W o r k - F a M i l y C o n n e C t i o n b e F o r e & a F t e r s C h o o l e n r i C h M e n t P r o g r a M s i s o P e n ! WFC would like to extend heartfelt appreciation to our school administrators for all of their hard work over the last few months, especially the last few weeks! We understand how much pressure has come along with the reopening of schools this year and all of the uncertainties. We know how difficult it is to please everyone while also keeping the students' safety as the #1 priority. Our school administrators are doing a great job! In response to the continuously evolving current events, WFC has created new program options to assist our community and our district personnel! These offerings include: • Our same, high-quality Before School, After School, & Pre-K/K Wrap Enrichment programs • NEW! Remote Learning Support Centers – When student cohorts are on virtual days, WFC supervises and assists students in their virtual learning sessions. • NEW! Programs for District Staff's Students – This program allows staff and teachers to work, while their children are supervised and supported during their base school's remote learning sessions. This program has provided relief and peace of mind for our district administrators and their staff, whose home districts have gone 100% virtual leaving teachers in a child-care bind. For more information on our programs or to register, visit: www.WorkFamily.org or email Christa Claytor at: cclaytor@ theworkfamilyconnection.org. b o y s C o u t s o F a M e r i C a P r o g r a M s Boy Scouts of America programs in our County, the Hunterdon Arrowhead District, are active and accepting new members! Families with daughters and sons who are interested can find a unit near them by visiting www.BeAScout.org. The B.S.A. organization offers five programs designed to develop character in youth while engaging in hands-on/outdoor activities and exploring career paths. • Cub Scouts, for youth (boys or girls) grades K-5 • Scouts BSA, Youth (boys or girls) 11-17 years • Venturing, Co-ed 14-20 years old • Sea Scouts, Co-ed 14-20 years old • Exploring, Co-ed 10-20 years old For more information about Hunterdon Arrowhead District and Washington Crossing Council, visit: www.BSAWCC.org. t h e F r i e n d s o F t h e h C l i b r a r y Do you love the library like we do? The Friends of the Hunterdon County Library (FOHCL) is always looking for new members and support. For more information, visit: www.hclibrary.us/friends.htm or email: fohclfriends@gmail.com. C a s a s h a W h o s t i n g r a C i a l e q u i t y C i r C l e s Court Appointed Special Advocates of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties (CASA SHaW) has announced that the nonprofit is hosting a series of racial equity circles for volunteers, board, and staff members. The organization has been working for the last few years to understand and dismantle systemic and internal racism to ensure quality advocacy for children in foster care and to diversify the organization's board and volunteer pool so they better reflect the children who are served. This focus was the result of learning that a disproportionate number of black and brown children have long been overrepresented in the foster care system, despite data that suggests that child abuse and neglect is no greater in African American or Latino families than in White families. "We are proud to have been at the forefront of this pressing community issue that deeply affects the children and families we serve. We have provided our advocates, board, staff, and community stakeholders with multiple opportunities to engage in anti-bias trainings. Now, the next step for us is to create safe and respectful spaces to talk and learn about these issues from each other," said Tracey Heisler, Executive Director of CASA SHaW. "The multi-faceted issues that surround racial equity have been placed front and center this year; I'm glad we've been ahead of the curve," said Heisler. From November to March, peer leaders are hosting monthly discussion groups that will focus on a specific race-based subject. The first area of focus is the Black experience, with Hispanic, White, Asian, Native American, and multi- racial experiences to follow. "The idea behind the racial equity circles is that if we as individuals take time to understand one another's experiences in an intimate and respectful way, we will be better advocates for the foster children that are served," Heisler explained. The county-based meetings will be held via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions, with a group solely for African Americans for the first few meetings. Heisler says, "We want to protect our friends' hearts from any more trauma and give them some space to process their own experiences while the rest of us explore our own understandings and feelings. This is one step in the process of how we can all do our part to promote racial equity." CASA of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties is part of a statewide network of community-based, non-profit programs that recruit, screen, train and supervise volunteers to "Speak Up for a Child" removed from home due to abuse or neglect. CASA is the only program in New Jersey that uses trained volunteers to work one-on-one with children, ensuring that each one gets the services needed and achieves permanency in a safe, nurturing home. To find a local CASA program in your county, visit: www.CASAofNJ.org.

• Cover