Innovative Parenting NJ

05/05/2026

New Jersey’s health policy landscape has changed and families deserve to understand what this means.

Join us next week for an important community conversation on recent legislative and regulatory changes in New Jersey, the growing role of data tracking in public health, public messaging, institutional trust, and what these shifts could mean for families across our state.

📍 Elks Lodge
523 Kinderkamack Rd, Westwood, NJ

📅 Tuesday, May 12, 2026
⏰ 6:30–8:30 PM

Featuring:
• Melanie Dragone, MSW ~ & Innovative Parenting NJ
• Maria Quigley ~
• Lori Sebastian ~ .childrenshealthdefense

This event is for parents, healthcare professionals, educators, and engaged citizens who want to get informed, ask questions, and understand what is happening in New Jersey beyond the headlines.

💥New Blog Post: 🔗 https://open.substack.com/pub/innovativeparentingnj/p/understanding-new-jerseys-health?r=pa30d&utm_medium=ios

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04/17/2026

Meet Alex Zdan, New Jersey’s MAHA candidate for U.S. Senate.

He’s building momentum, showing up, and speaking directly with voters across the state.

If health freedom matters to you, this is a candidate to watch.

He’ll be in Colts Neck next Thursday for a LIVE event with Senator Michael Testa, Alexandra Bougher & a LIVE address by Aaron Siri, Esq.! We shared all the details in our latest blog post.

Read it now: https://open.substack.com/pub/innovativeparentingnj/p/meet-alex-zdan-njs-maha-candidate?r=pa30d&utm_medium=ios

04/03/2026

When did asking questions become grounds for losing your pediatrician?

More NJ families are being pressured, dismissed, or threatened with removal from pediatric practices for wanting a slower schedule, asking questions, or seeking a more individualized approach. That should concern every parent.

NEW BLOG POST: https://open.substack.com/pub/innovativeparentingnj/p/when-pediatric-care-comes-with-conditions?r=pa30d&utm_medium=ios

Informed consent is not real if parents feel pressured into compliance.

NJ parents deserve pediatric care with room for questions, nuance, and respectful decision-making.

If this happened to you, call into the Bill Spadea Morning Show on NJ 101.5 this Monday 4/6/26 from 7:05–8:25 AM. Sharing a name and town only: 1-800-283-1015.

04/03/2026

‼️NEW BLOG POST ‼️

As more NJ families face pressure over vaccine decisions, parents are being forced to ask where medical guidance ends and coercion begins. Have a personal story to share? Read post for details!

04/01/2026

As parents, we know these conversations matter so much. Whether you felt pressured, dismissed, unable to ask questions about vaccine risks and benefits, were told a slower schedule would not be honored, were asked to sign a form, or had concerns from a prior 🧁 brushed aside or whether you had a pediatrician who treated you with respect and welcomed open, honest discussion, your story matters!

We are looking for parents to call 📱into the NJ 101.5 morning show on Monday, April 6th to share their experiences.

We want to hear from families who felt they could not stay in a practice because there was no room for informed, respectful conversation, and also from families whose practitioners made space 🩷 for mutual respect, questions, and true partnership in care.

📱We are seeking 5-7 committed parent callers, sign up here: 🔗https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1j01B2gZnO3VHwYgZkaO3Hd8VRoB1-W3pXXH7ke92O5Y/edit

📞 Calls needed Monday 4/6 between 7:05–8:25 AM
800-283-1015

03/24/2026

🤔

FDA admits jab "may not protect all vaccine recipients."

03/22/2026

This article tries to sound balanced, but the message is still clear: parents can ask questions only up to the point that they disagree with their pediatrician 🤯

🤔 When did informed consent become:
“comply or lose care”?

Parents are not wrong for asking about:
family history,
genetic factors,
prior reactions,
religious beliefs,
or individualized risk.

Notably, Innovative Parenting NJ is quoted in the article, highlighting how difficult it can be for families to find pediatric care where they can ask questions openly, have real dialogue, and pursue an individualized approach without fear of dismissal.

Pediatric care should be built on conversation, respect, and true informed consent, not pressure, fear of dismissal, or medical dictation.

A child’s access to care should not depend on whether a parent is “compliant enough.”

🔗Link: https://www.nj.com/healthfit/2026/03/more-nj-parents-are-skipping-childhood-vaccines-doctors-are-refusing-to-see-their-kids.html

03/11/2026

Will you be in Trenton tomorrow?

🔗 https://open.substack.com/pub/innovativeparentingnj/p/who-will-lead-public-health-in-new?r=pa30d&utm_medium=ios

03/11/2026

❓WHO WILL LEAD NJ PUBLIC HEALTH?

This Thursday (March 12 at 10 AM), the Senate Judiciary Committee will interview Dr. Raynard Washington, nominated to become Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health.

📍 State House Annex: Committee Room 4, Trenton
👥 The public is invited to attend.

The Commissioner of Health oversees policies that impact every New Jersey resident, from public health regulations and emergency responses to medical policy decisions that affect families across our state.

Before someone is confirmed to this powerful position, the Senate Judiciary Committee is responsible for asking the critical questions that matter to the people they represent.

📣 That’s where the public comes in.

New Jersey residents should consider reaching out to members of the Judiciary Committee to share their concerns, priorities, and questions they want addressed during the interview.

Your voice helps ensure that the nominee is fully vetted and that the issues important to NJ families are part of the conversation.

If you care about the direction of health policy in New Jersey, now is the time to pay attention, engage, and make your voice heard.

Committee Members: .gopal

02/25/2026

Are parents getting the full picture?

New Jersey is suing over changes to federal immunization policy but what does that mean for families? How are these decisions made, who influences them, and what evidence are they based on?

At Innovative Parenting NJ, we believe empowered parents ask informed questions.

❗️Transparency matters.

❗️Open dialogue matters.

❗️Your child’s health decisions deserve thoughtful consideration.

We break it down in our latest blog.

🔥Informed parents are empowered parents.
Link: https://open.substack.com/pub/innovativeparentingnj/p/is-new-jerseys-lawsuit-against-rfk?utm_source=app-post-stats-page&r=pa30d&utm_medium=ios