01/09/2026
Wrapping up the first full week of 2026 feeling really proud — and really hopeful for New Jersey birthing parents, mothers, and families.
We ended 2025 having honest, important conversations - our CEO Robyn D'Oria joined panelists at the ACNJ Annual Breakfast (first photo) for an extended Q&A about what moms, babies, and families actually need to thrive.
Those conversations didn’t stop there — they rolled right into the new year.
This week, New Jersey took another big step forward with the signing of four bills that support pregnant workers, improve lead screening, give families more time to get newborns covered, and lift up doulas and midwives. This is the kind of progress that makes a real difference in everyday lives — and it’s exactly why this work matters. We are re-sharing photos from January 2025's Maternal Health Awareness Day, the bills signed this week show just how much has been accomplished in just one year!
We’re especially proud of our CEO, Robyn D’Oria, for continuing to bring prevention, equity, and real-world experience into these conversations — not only as our amazing leader and CEO at CJFHC, but also as the Chair of the Board of Directors of National Preeclampsia Foundation.
“Preeclampsia or high blood pressure during pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in NJ,” she said in reference to Bill A4848/S3616, one of the four signed this week, that will require lead screening on pregnant persons in certain situations, “Knowing early in pregnancy if a person has elevated lead levels can give us an early warning sign of the risk for preeclampsia and allow us to monitor and treat the disease before severe complications occur.”
As we close out the first full week of 2026, we are reminded of this: when community voices, policy, and care come together, change does happen. And we’re just getting started.
