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Dear Friends,
Over the past several weeks, we have reached out to you many times about the future of NJ4S, New Jersey’s statewide student support services program. We asked you to contact your legislators, share your stories, respond to action alerts, and help make sure state leaders understood what was at stake for students, families, schools, and communities.
You showed up.
Because of your advocacy, and the advocacy of partners across the state, NJ4S has been funded at $40 million in the final state budget.
This is a tremendous victory for New Jersey’s children and families. It is also a powerful reminder that when communities come together around what young people need, our voices can make a difference.
This outcome was not guaranteed. NJ4S was at real risk, and the possibility of losing these services was deeply concerning for all of us who see the impact of this work every day. At Prevention Links, NJ4S is a lifeline for students who need someone to talk to, for families looking for support, and for schools working hard to meet the growing mental health and wellness needs of their communities.
Thanks to this funding, more young people will have trusted adults to turn to. It means families will continue to be connected to resources. It means schools will not be left to do this work alone.
We are especially grateful to everyone who contacted legislators, shared our messages, spoke up in your communities, and reminded decision makers why prevention and early intervention matter. Every email, phone call, conversation, and story helped move this forward.
We also want to thank the legislators, state leaders, school partners, providers, families, advocates, and young people who stood up for NJ4S. This was truly a collective effort.
There will still be work ahead. We are awaiting additional guidance from the state about the year ahead, and we know we must continue showing the value and impact of NJ4S through strong services, meaningful outcomes, and continued partnership with schools and communities.
But today, we are grateful.
Grateful for your advocacy. Grateful for this investment in New Jersey’s students. Grateful that prevention, early intervention, and youth mental health supports will continue through NJ4S.
Thank you for standing with us and with the young people who are counting on all of us.
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