Essex County Family Council & Grandmothers as Caregivers
Strong, powerful, unified families and compassionate, understanding professionals
Working with families to challenge and advocate for changes in current policies and systems that affect our lives
Training Families & Advocates
The Essex County Family Council (ECFC)
The ECFC is composed of parents and grandparents of children, youth, and young adults in Essex County.
The Vision: Partnership between strong, powerful, unified families and compassionate, understanding professionals in systems that are accountable and meet the needs of all children and families. In unity, the ECFC works with empowered families to challenge and advocate for changes in current policies and systems that affect our lives.
Grandmothers as Caregivers
Grandmothers as Caregivers is a committee of the ECFC. Its members organize and facilitate an annual “Grandmothers as Caregivers: Taking Care of You!” conference each year to provide information and support around health and mental health, including healthy eating and nutrition, exercise, and emotional support.
More Information
Useful Links & Websites
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren | NJ Department of Children and Families web page for grandparents and relatives raising children
Partnership for Children of Essex | Resources for families of Essex County, NJ
Embrella (formerly formerly Foster and Adoptive Family Services) | Provides services, support and training opportunities for foster, adoptive, and kinship families; offers programs to support foster children from childhood to young adulthood
NJ Department of Children and Family–Kinship Care | Information on kinship care, including grandparents raising their grandchildren
NJ Departamento de Niños y Familias–Cuidado por Parientes | Información sobre cuidado por parientes, incluyendo los abuelos que crían a sus nietos
NJ Department of Children and Family Kinship Subsidy Program | Information on kinship care subsidies, including for grandparents raising their grandchildren
NJ Department of Children and Family Resource Family Information | Resource Family Handbook, including information for grandparents raising their grandchildren
Support and Advocacy Resources for Kinship Families | Information on support and advocacy resources for kinship families, including for grandparents raising their grandchildren
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren | Resources for grandparents raising grandchildren, including state-specific links
Child Welfare Information Gateway | A service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; provides access to print and electronic publications, websites, databases, and online learning tools for improving child welfare practice, including resources that can be shared with families
TESTIMONIALS
What Our Families Say
We are proud to say that our participation in the recruiting parents to participate in the Department of Children’s and Families’ Statewide Parent Focus Groups resulted in Essex County’s representation’s being the strongest among the six regional focus groups, with almost 40 parents in attendance!” —Diana Ausby, EFC Co-Chair
Contact Us
Shirley Johnson
This project is funded by the NJ State Bar Foundation.