Vol. 2, No. 2, January 16, 2004
The executive director news is published specifically for the employees of the Somerset Home.
Somerset Home 401(k) Retirement Program
On January 28, 2004 at 5:30 at the next agency wide staff meeting, a representative from our 401 (k) plan will be here to explain the program and enroll participants. Please try to attend this important meeting.
January 9, 2004 marked the last day for June Oakes who served as our Bookkeeper for 3 1/2 years. June came into the agency before we had computerized our accounting and helped to set up the in-house accounting system. It is hard to imagine doing it any other way! We welcome Ellen Horn who has taken June's place and has hit the ground running, just in time to close out the fiscal year!
June Oakes, third from left, celebrating 3 1/2 years with the Somerset Home for Temporarily Displaced Children at her farewell luncheon on January 9, 2004.
During the month of March 2004 we will be having our annual facility inspections conducted for fire and health. During March, it will seem like we have inspectors here every day for one thing or another. If you notice anything in the vehicles or facilities that needs attention please contact the program director and let them know of your concern. Our goal is to provide healthy and safe environments for all youth and staff.
An added benefit to our payroll administration is "direct deposit". This method of payment has been available to all staff for more than a year now and by March 1, 2004 we will finally have everyone signed up for this much easier method of getting paid. No more trips to the bank to make your deposit! No more long lines or having identification checked. Funds are immediately available on payday. Please see Alex Ciccone, Jessica Jordan, Melissa Wilkin, or Sarah Smith for the appropriate forms. Enrollment forms need to be turned in to the business office with a voided copy of a check from your checking account as soon as possible.
Did you know that Somerset Home has realized thousand of dollars during the past year from EBay Sales. Donated items that are either in surplus supply or not appropriate for our kids can be sold on EBay to support our programs. Please keep this in mind when processing donations. Check Somerset Home's items for sale at http://www.ebay.com. Our merchant name is somersethome (one word).
There are so many changes coming out of Trenton to help repair DYFS (N.J. Division of Youth and Family Services) that it is mind boggling to say the least. During the next few months I will highlight news coming out of Trenton and some of the biggest changes taking place within DYFS.
DYFS now has 63,500 open cases which exceeds the previous all time high set last month of 61,000 open cases.
The short term agenda for this month includes the following new initiatives: $3.7 million for hiring new aides to transport children, $1.2 million for overtime so that supervisors can stay late and finish closing some of the 6,000 backlogged cases, $1.5 million to private foster parent groups to recruit new foster families, $2.5 million to revisit 6,000 children in substitute care including shelters, group homes and foster homes to conduct "safety assessments" by June 30, 2004, $1.75 million for nurses for each DYFS office to conduct physicals so that DYFS workers don't have to sit in hospital emergency rooms waiting to get physicals for youth who need physicals before they can be placed, $500,000 to coordinate placements for "boarder babies" from UNDNJ to relatives. (Boarder babies are those infants left at the hospital as unwanted or whose mothers are unwilling or unable to care for them.) Next month a special panel will be announcing many more changes and a long term plan for the restructuring and rebuilding of the child welfare system which is likely to include significantly increased resources.
Thank you to all who have filled in or switched shifts to help out during the current staffing shortages. As always, thank you all for your continued hard work on behalf of our youth.
Sincerely,
