“If you can prevent a family from sliding into poverty or you can shore up families early on and position them well, they are much more likely to succeed and withstand other challenges.”
“In a very disjointed healthcare infrastructure, the doula is seen as this clothespin to bring all of it together.”
“If there’s one thing I wish people understood about the wealth gap, both here and nationally, it would be that it was created that way. The gap was created. It was designed. The gap exists because it was made.”
“I’m always thankful for people who share their stories because it’s lending a voice to this issue and really elevating it on a more public-facing platform. It helps normalize these conversations.”
“The physical, behavioral, and mental health of children and adults are built on this foundation of relational health. Relational health serves as the foundation of the well-being of a person, a family, or an entire community.”
“At Reach Out and Read, we see books as the tools to create moments that matter. Without that book, without that connection over the words, we can’t get to the moments when relational health is being built.”
“We can’t continue trying to solve this problem from the grave. Figuring out what went wrong after somebody dies can’t be our best approach.”
“Rarely do children admit they have an incarcerated parent. Only now are we beginning to see people acknowledge this about themselves, and I would attribute a lot of it to the strides WE GOT US NOW has made. We’ve helped children and families understand that they don’t have to feel shame or stigma – they didn’t do anything wrong — and that it’s okay to love your parent. People make mistakes.”
“New Jersey is on the road to becoming the safest and most equitable place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby, and I hope one day our country will have that same label in the world.”
“Our report talks about reciprocity, which means that for Early Relational Health to grow, we must understand not only the benefit of these relationships to children but also to caregivers and to the community. These benefits are equally important and they’re tied to each other. You can’t isolate the children from the family, and you can’t isolate the family from all the supports and resources in the community.”
