Our Programs

CHI Triennial Needs Assessment Results

In 2023, we performed our most recent Needs Assessment. Every three (3) years, Children’s Hope Initiative (CHI) Board members meet with more than fifteen (15) Somerset County youth-serving organizations (YSO’s) to identify the unmet needs of abused and neglected children and their families, so that we can determine which needs CHI will endeavor to meet in the following years. This year’s needs assessment, coming after Covid and the disruption of schools and social programing, was especially difficult and eye-opening. Here is a summary:

Needs of abused, neglected, and traumatized children, in order of importance and priority are:

  • Mental Health/Therapy
  • Mentoring/Development of Life Skills (for Children and Parents)
  • Learning Gaps (Tutoring and scholarships)
  • Unmet Physical Needs (diapers, beds, food insecurity, one unexpected crisis can force them into homelessness and losing child)
  • Need for Regular Sibling Visits for children who are removed from their homes
  • Immigrant Children
  • Fun activities
  • Support for YSO’s and Information Center for Kids and Caregivers
  • Transportation

In terms of unmet mental health needs, we were struck by the almost universal findings of those working with youth that school age children are STILL experiencing GRIEF from the losses they suffered during Covid with resulting educational and social disruptions. This results in acting out behaviors, becoming withdrawn, loss of self-esteem, and difficulty in meeting developmental milestones. The situation is made worse because of the shortage of health care professionals and how difficult it is to find available in-person services. Some YSO’s are resorting to group therapy for young people who otherwise would have and need individual therapy, just so they have something now. Others are simply not getting the services they need.

Oue next triennial needs assessment will be conducted in 2026.

Our 2025 Program Partners

1. Middle Earth: Continue to work with Middle Earth to support mentoring and fun opportunities: lunchtime mentoring, “fun trips”, “Visions Plus Program.” and “Promise Plus.” In 2025, we offered arts and pet therapy. Middle Earth Report for 2025.

2. Family & Community Services of Somerset County: Work with mental health providers to cut waiting times for children needing mental health counseling and medicines by providing $4,000. Family and Community Services 2025 Report.

3. CASA SHaW: Support tutoring program that helps abused and neglected children, especially those who are in out of home placements and have fallen behind educationally and need special attention to catch-up. We also gave two $4,000 scholarships to allow two CASA young adults attend college. CASA SHaW Report for 2025.

4. Resilient Youth of Somerset County: Support the efforts of Resilient Youth of Somerset County to educate youth stakeholders about the pervasive effects of chronic trauma and to develop positive parenting program. Please see the new parenting program at https://www.youtube.com/@casashaw3959

5. Visions and Pathways: In 2025 we partnered with Visions and Pathways by giving $10,000 for behavioral health programming and direct costs for school activities. Visions and Pathways 2025 Report.

6. Jewish Family Services: Two new initiatives. First, paying the cost of training for a staff member to be trained in “Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions.” That staff member is currently working with 25 families and will work with an additional 75 families during the program year. The plan is to offer a “train the trainer” program led by Jewish Family Services as a resource for Somerset County mental health providers. Second, our funds allowed a second support group for teens to learn skills for coping with stress and regulating emotions. Jewish Family Services Report 2025.

7. Holiday Gifts for children in the care of the Division. Gifts for more than 295 children over the years.

8. Shop-Rite Gift Cards: In 2025, we gave $6,000 in food gift cards to Middle Earth, DCPP, Visions and Pathways, and CASA-SHAW to meet the emergency food needs of families caring for abused and neglected children.

New Initiatives in 2026: Please see https://childrenshopeinitiative.org/what-we-want-to-do-in-2026/

  • Services for children who have suffered abuse/neglect
  • Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Child Abuse Statistics

Services for children who have suffered abuse/neglect

Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect

Child Abuse Statistics

Children who experience abuse and neglect are 11 times more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 2.7 times more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 3.1 times more likely to commit a violent crime. (1)

About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse. (1)

Five children die every day as a result of child abuse in America. (2)

A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds. (3)

4,154 New Jersey children were in out-of-home placements and not in their own homes in October 2020 (4)

NOTES:

(1) https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/statistics/can/can-stats/

(2) http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11599.pdf (at page 1)

(3) http://www.childhelp.org

(4) https://www.nj.gov/dcf/childdata/continuous/Commissioners.Monthly.Report_10.20.pdf

US Government Statistics on Child Abuse & Neglect
Using information collected through various monitoring and reporting systems, the Children’s Bureau analyzes and reports data on a variety of topics, including adoption, foster care, child abuse, and neglect.
https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/statistics/

New Jersey Child Abuse & Neglect Statistics
Here you will find helpful information about the types of children involved with the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, DCP&P (formerly the Division of Youth and Family Services), including kids who are served in the homes of their birth parents and those who had to be removed into an out-of-home placement. You will also find up-to-date information about efforts to recruit new foster and adoptive families.
http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/ (look at “Data” tab)