Helping Families Achieve 'Success'

Officials Saturday gathered at the John F. Kennedy Recreation Center to celebrate “Family Success Day,” putting a spotlight on the city’s Family Success centers and the 10,000 city residents who have used them since the program’s founding in 2007.

Youngsters skipped rope and twirled hula hoops in the gymnasium, where a number of volunteer groups, including New Community Corp. and La Casa de Don Pedro, had set up information stalls. Those groups and a host of others help run 15 Family Success centers in Newark, while Newark Now, another community service group, coordinates their activities.

“I just feel so blessed to be here and be amongst everyone here because this organization, Newark Now, and every partnering organization are doing great things every day,” Mayor Cory Booker said.

“When we have strong families, we have strong children, and when we have strong children we build strong neighborhoods,” said Lisa von Pier, director of the state Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships.    

Paid for with a mix of public and private funds, there are centers in every one of the state’s counties, although most are located in cities like Atlantic City and Camden. Newark, where the program began, has more centers than any other city in the state, von Pier said.

The centers provide families with all manner of assistance -- everything from parenting tips to advice on getting medical assistance to help with writing a resume, von Pier said.

The centers are also intended to be more welcoming than the typical government office, said Rich Valdes, another official with the Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships. Participants enter an environment “like a living room” where they get advice not just from government workers, but fellow parents, who also help run the centers.

All families, regardless of economic status, are welcome, Valdes added.

“Think of it this way: this is a neighborhood place where families can gather. It’s not necessarily for needy families only,” Valdes said. “The goal is to promote safe and healthy parenting.”

For more information, visit www.forfamilysuccess.org or www.nj.gov/dcf.