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Dear Friends,
New Jersey families got some welcome news last month. Under a multistate settlement with Meta, our state will receive at least $525 million, and Meta has agreed to new protections for young people on Facebook and Instagram, including limits on late-night use and on time spent on the apps during the school day. The agreement still needs a judge's approval, but it is a real step forward. I'm grateful to Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and her team for leading this effort and for keeping kids at the center of it. Read the announcement.
My work on the New Jersey Opioid Remediation and Recovery Advisory Council has taught me that settlement money has to be spent with care. The totals sound large, but they will never match the harm families and communities have lived through. That's exactly why every dollar needs to count.
My hope is that this money goes toward children's mental health, from the earliest years through high school. In practice, that means reaching parents and caregivers early, helping kids build confidence and healthy friendships, and making sure someone is there when a child is struggling. No family should have to wait until things feel out of control before they can find help.
We don't have to build that from scratch. New Jersey already has strong programs and dedicated people doing this work every day. At Prevention Links, we see it in our Family Success Centers and in the schools we serve: when a family has one trusted person to call, circumstances change. Investing in what already works lets us reach more children sooner, and sharing training and resources across organizations stretches each dollar further than starting over would.
I applaud Attorney General Davenport for this win, and I hope it's only the beginning. Other companies have also exposed children to harmful, age-inappropriate content online, and they should be held accountable too.
We have a rare chance to make a lasting difference for New Jersey's kids. Let's use it well, so more children grow up feeling supported, connected, and hopeful about what's ahead.
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