Somerset Home for Temporarily Displaced Children
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NEWS
Jeffrey Fetzko, ACSW, LSW, CFRE
Vol. 2, No. 14, July 1, 2004
The executive director news is published specifically for the employees of the Somerset Home. This issue and past issues of this newsletter are available on our web site at http://www.somersethome.org/main/pages/employee_newsletter.htm.
School's Out!
Proud students present Mrs. Bender (above) with gifts on the last day of school to show their appreciation. The "end of the school year" picnics at Passages and the Somerset Youth Shelter mark the transition to the shelter's summer schedule and two of our Passages residents leaving for college. We are very proud of all of the academic achievements of our hard working students this past year!
DYFS to Launch Statewide Hotline for Child Abuse July 1, 2004
For more than 31 years, DYFS has operated the 1-800-792-8610 child abuse hotline in New Jersey. However, during business hours referrals were to be made to the local district offices of DYFS throughout the state.
As part of the "New Beginnings" child welfare reform initiative, effective July 1, 2004, DYFS will begin using the current "evening and weekend hotline" as a "24-hour hotline" and as a "centralized referral screening" filter.
However, DYFS will be adopting a tougher standard. In 1976, the federal government redefined child abuse as posing "serious harm" rather than "harm" to children. This is the new standard that will be used to screen child abuse referrals. New Jersey officials say by more precisely defining abuse and neglect, the state can reduce the current caseload by as much as 15 percent.
Last year, DYFS received 88,985 calls to the hotline. DYFS currently has 2,000 caseworkers and monitors 61,000 children.
Mrs. Vanessa Bruno
On June 18, 2004, Vanessa Wilkin, our fabulous Pathways school-based life-skills educator, became Mrs. Vanessa Bruno. Melissa Wilkin, residential services manager at Passages and the bride's sister was the maid of honor. We wish Chris and Vanessa congratulations!
Happy 4th of July!
The 4th of July falls on a Sunday this year and therefore the holiday will be recognized on Monday, July 5th. Have a safe weekend!
As always, thank you all for your continued hard work on behalf of our youth.
