Day of the Child

Presented in cooperation with the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and Embrella 

 "Each child belongs to all of us and they will bring us a tomorrow in direct relation to the responsibility we have shown to them." – Dr. Maya Angelou 

The NJSBA, the NJSBF and Embrella are proud to present the Second Annual Day of the Child, a program that focuses on the most vulnerable and precious members of our society. This inspiring, full-day program brings together attorneys, educators, clinicians, child welfare professionals, advocates, resource parents, caregivers and community members who share a commitment to supporting children and strengthening the child welfare system. Through powerful personal stories, practical guidance, legal presentations and expert discussion, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges children in foster care face and the collective role we all play in helping them thrive. 

Because of the importance of this topic, registration has been specially discounted to encourage broad participation. 

This year’s program features a presentation by Tawanna Brown, a New Jersey native and nationally recognized youth advocate, mentor, coach and motivational speaker with lived experience in the child welfare system. She and her four siblings were removed from their home when she was 12 and her four siblings are still in the system. She will share her story and her experiences that led to her advocacy today on issues including the 2023 Siblings Bill of Rights for which she advocated, and her participation with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Youth Council. She provides a powerful inside look at what life is like growing up in foster care and the unique challenges of transitioning from the child welfare system to independence so that anyone who wants to help those children, including lawyers, have a better idea of their needs and struggles.   

There will also be a presentation of the second annual report of the Staffing and Oversight Review Subcommittee of the Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, the statutory entity charged with reviewing, analyzing, and making recommendations to the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) on child welfare issues. The program will also highlight services and support for youth aging out of foster care, including discussions on available resources, assistance for families of youth transitioning out of DCPP care, and extended foster care. Learn about updates to the law concerning Social Security benefits for children in out-of-home placement and benchmark hearings. 
 
This program welcomes practitioners in child welfare, family law, resource parents, advocates, and youth in foster care. Continuing legal education credits are available as well as resource parent credits. 

This program will be particularly valuable for anyone who is interested or involved in pool attorney work for the Office of the Public Defender. However, even if you practice in an unrelated area of law, treat yourself to this one-of-a-kind inspirational program 

Program Agenda:

• 9 | Introduction 

• 9:05 | Featured presentation by Tawanna Brown 
  Tawanna Brown, is a New Jersey native and nationally recognized youth advocate, mentor, coach and motivational speaker with lived experience in the child welfare system. She and her four siblings were removed from their home when Ms. Brown was 12 and her four siblings are still in the system. She will share her powerful story and experiences that led to her advocacy today on issues including the 2023 Siblings Bill of Rights for which she advocated, and her participation on the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Youth Council. She will provide a unique, inside look at what life is like growing up in foster care and the challenges that come with aging-out of the child welfare system. Her insights will help resource parents and advocates better understand and respond to the unique needs and struggles of foster youth. 

• 9:55 | Resources for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
  Roundtable discussion on resources for older foster youth on wraparound services. How to coordinate with youth and stakeholders including the case worker, law guardian and service providers to ensure services are built into the overall case plan to support youth’s transition to independence. 

  Moderator:
  Hon. Daniel D’Alessandro, J.S.C. (Ret.), Tanya Freeman Law, LLC

  Panelists:
  Amanah Qureshi, Former Foster Youth
  Rachel Barth, NJ Department of Children and Families, Office of Adolescent Services
  Ebony Lenard, Embrella, Director of Scholarship Programs
  Angie Waters, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) New Jersey, Executive Director
  Daisy Williamson, Esq., Assistant Deputy Public Defender, Office of Law Guardian
  Kenya Torres-Ramirez, Investigator, Office of Law Guardian

• 11:15 | New Jersey and the Numbers 
  Members of the Staffing and Oversight Review Subcommittee of the Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect discuss this year’s annual report of New Jersey’s child welfare system. Review the state of child welfare relative to parent child visits, kinship care, wellness, and sibling care. Panelists will discuss the priorities going into next year’s report including mental health, education and aging out foster youth. 

  Moderator:
  Lisa Chapland, Esq., Co-Chair, Staffing and Oversight Review Subcommittee of the NJ Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect
  
  Panelists:
  Clinton Page, Esq., Deputy Commissioner, NJ Department of Children and Families, Division of Child Protection and Permanency
  Wendy Zeitlin, MSW, PhD, Professor, Montclair State University
  Svetlana Shpiegel, MSW, PhD, Professor, Montclair State University
  Emily Douglass, PhD, Professor, Montclair State University
  Mary Coogan, Esq., President and CEO, Advocates for Children of New Jersey
  Traci Telemaque, Esq., Assistant Public Defender, NJOPD, Office of Law Guardian,
  Lynette Rente, Esq., Assistant Public Defender, NJOPD, Office of Parental Representation

• 12:45 | Lunch

• 1:30 | Social Security and the Child Welfare System 
  P.L. 2025, c. 162, effective on Dec. 1, 2026, prohibits use of property or benefits belonging to a child for resource care maintenance costs. The legislation addresses specific issues related to children with Social Security benefits, including but not limited DCF’s establishment of ABLE accounts for disabled foster youth receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits. This presentation will walk through the new law and provide an overview of its provisions and practical implications. 
  • Overview of new laws to preserve benefits of foster youth - Alexis Pollock, Esq. and Neha Gogate, Esq.
  • Video from national experts - Amy Harfeld, Children’s Advocacy Institute at San Diego University and Ian Marx, former foster youth
  • Panel discussion

Moderator:
Alexis Pollock, Esq., Deputy Public Defender, NJOPD Office of Law Guardian

Panelists:
Neha Gogate, Esq., Assistant Deputy Public Defender, NJOPD Office of Law Guardian
Francesca Blanco, Esq., Assistant Deputy Public Defender, NJOPD Office of Parental Representation
Clarence Whittaker, Esq., Legal Specialist, NJ Department of Children and Families, Office of Legal Affairs
Pat Gentile,  Kinship Resource Parent
Nicole Lugo-Fowler, Manager of Representative Payee Team, Disability Rights of New Jersey

• 2:45 | Best Practices for Practitioners in Benchmark Hearings 
  The Revised Benchmark Hearings Protocol and Checklist provides a roadmap for aging out youth to ensure they have what they need to succeed in life after foster care. The panelists talk about best practices in preparing for these hearings to ensure a successful outcome for older youth in foster care. 

  Moderator and Overview of Protocol:
  Nichole Lane, Esq., NJ Office of the Public Defender, Office of Law Guardian, Deputy Public Defender

  Panelists:
  Hon. Jane Gallina Mecca, P.J.S.C., Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Part, Bergen County
  Jacklyn Rapaport, Esq., NJ Office of the Public Defender, Office of Law Guardian, Assistant Deputy Public Defender
  Nikki Raia, New Jersey Superior Court, Family Part, Bergen County, Administrative Specialist 

• 4 | Adjourn