New Jersey Association of Community Providers - NJACP

05/08/2026

👏 THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP FOR THE IDD COMMUNITY! 👏

This past week, advocates, providers, families, and supporters came together at the New Jersey Assembly and Senate Budget Hearings to stand united for the IDD community and support a 3% COLA.

The turnout, conversations, and visible support made an impact — and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to attend, speak up, and stand together for individuals who rely on these critical services every day.

🗓 NOW… MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

📍 NJACP Advocacy Day 2026
🗓 Monday, June 1, 2026
📍 New Jersey State House – Trenton, NJ

Next week, we’ll begin sharing: ✔️ Registration information
✔️ Event details and schedules
✔️ Advocacy tips and preparation materials
✔️ Ways to make your voice heard professionally and effectively
✔️ Fun ways to show unity and community spirit throughout the day

Together, we continue to advocate for dignity, care, inclusion, and sustainable funding for the IDD community.

05/07/2026

Live from Statehouse

05/07/2026

🎉 Congratulations to JESPY House on officially breaking ground on The Hub!

What an incredible milestone for the IDD community and for the future of independent living opportunities in New Jersey. 💙

The Hub will create 20 new residential opportunities for young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, while also providing innovative spaces for learning, recreation, technology, and life skills development.

Every step forward like this helps build a more inclusive, supportive, and empowering future for individuals and families across our communities.

Congratulations to the entire JESPY House team, supporters, families, and advocates who helped make this vision a reality! 👏

05/06/2026

Thank you Alternatives, Inc. for showing up and standing up for a 3% COLA in FY27. Your advocacy matters!!

05/06/2026

EVERY YEAR THE STARS SHINE!

The mission of the New Jersey Association of Community Providers STARS Program is to recognize and celebrate the incredible individuals who inspire us all to be better every single day.

⭐ 2026 MISSION: To discover the individuals who inspire us all to be better!

📅 NOMINATION DEADLINE: May 22, 2026

Submit your nomination today:
https://bit.ly/NJACP_STARS_NOMINATIONFORM

05/05/2026

05/04/2026

Nothing is more important than protecting the health, safety, and dignity of individuals with I/DD. Congratulations to Dr. Shanay Rowe on this critically important appointment...

We’re proud to share that Shanay Rowe, Ed. D, Bancroft’s Senior Director of Risk & Compliance, has been appointed by the NJ Department of Human Services to the Disability Mortality and Abuse Prevention Advisory Committee.

Her leadership will help advance efforts to strengthen protections and improve outcomes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across New Jersey.

We’re grateful to Commissioner Cha and Deputy Commissioner Kaylee McGuire for the opportunity. Shanay’s dedication to protecting those we support reflects Bancroft’s commitment to improving the lives of every member of the disability community.

🔗 https://www.bancroft.org/blog/shanay-rowe-appointed-nj-committee/

05/04/2026

A LOT HAPPENED IN APRIL!

Another month wraps up, but ADVOCACY is just getting STARTED!

This month, NJACP is in full force advocating for a much needed 3% COLA increase in FY27—because for providers, this isn’t a bonus… it's a necessity.

With 5,000+ individuals on the residential waiting list and growing demand for services, sustainable funding is critical to support our community.

NJACP can’t say it enough… YOUR VOICE MATTERS MORE THAN EVER.

📅 GET INVOLVED:
✔️ May 4 – Assembly Budget Hearing - Hot in Action Today
✔️ May 7 – Senate Budget Hearing - Thursday
✔️ June 1 – Advocacy Day at the State House – Monday – SAVE THE DATE

Show up. Be heard. Make an impact.

🔗 Other Ways to Engage:
• Send a message to legislators (quick + easy!) https://bit.ly/NJACP_ADVOCACY_TAKE_ACTION_STEPS
• Join us for the May 21 Membership Meeting
• Take advantage of upcoming trainings + workshops
• Subscribe to our NJACP YouTube and Podcast Channel
👉https://bit.ly/ProviderPerspectivesPodcast_YTChannel

We are here to support YOU. Your Membership is an investment and we’re committed to investing right back into you!

Let’s keep building momentum together. Thank you Libby Swanke Vinson

05/01/2026

We applaud Governor Mikie Sherrill for recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month in New Jersey. This acknowledgment is an important reminder that mental health is fundamental to overall well-being and must be a priority for all communities.

For individuals with IDD, this recognition carries even greater weight. Nearly half of individuals with IDD have a co-occurring mental health condition, yet too often their needs go underrecognized or unmet.

As we mark Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s critical that we continue to advance policies and investments that ensure access to appropriate, timely, and specialized supports. Individuals with IDD deserve a system that fully understands and responds to the complexity of their needs and we look forward to working with the Sherrill Administration to continue to move NJ closer this a reality.

Governor Mikie Sherrill has officially proclaimed that May is in NJ! NJ Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services oversees a number of programs and services that help people living with mental illness get the assistance they need. 🔗 https://bit.ly/4t3AytV

04/30/2026

Thank you Senator Anthony M. Bucco for taking the time to meet with CEO Libby Vinson, Avidd Community Services of NJ CEO Terry McKeon & Director of Residential Services Kristy Laird yesterday to discuss the need for a 3% COLA for IDD services in FY27. Your unwavering commitment to individuals with IDD, their families and the agencies that support them is so appreciated. You understand the issues and how we are — and for that we are grateful!

04/27/2026

Take a watch of this compelling video that shares what individuals and their families experience in making very difficult choices about care and support. member New Concepts for Living is a dedicated partner providing services for one of the families featured in the piece.

Federal law entitles students with disabilities to special education services until they turn 21. What happens next is what many caregivers call "the transition cliff." CBS News New York's Jennifer Bisram reports.