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Essex County commissioners back resolution urging restoration of Wynonna’s House state funding cut
Summary
The Essex County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution urging state leaders to restore nearly $575,000 cut from Wynonna’s House child advocacy funding in the FY26 New Jersey budget.
The Essex County Board of County Commissioners on a voice vote approved a resolution urging restoration of state funding for Wynonna’s House, a Newark-based child advocacy center facing an approximate $575,000 cut in the FY26 New Jersey state budget.
Wynonna’s House leaders and county commissioners said the center provides wraparound services for child victims of abuse across Essex County and asked state lawmakers and the governor to restore the grant. "We are facing a dire situation of nearly $575,000 in funding being cut from the state budget," Danielle Torok, vice president of the Winona's House board of trustees, told commissioners during public comment.
The resolution, introduced by Commissioner Christopher Gill and seconded by Commissioner Seibold, was moved by acclamation. In presenting the item, Gill noted the center serves "over 950 cases annually providing wraparound services to child victims of abuse across the 22 municipalities of Essex County and offers prevention services reaching over 3,000 community members each year." The roll call on the motion recorded yes votes from Commissioners Gill, Luciano, Marie Thomas, Richardson, Seibold, Vice President Cooper and President Palmeiras; Commissioners Mercado and Sermons were absent.
Kristan Bautista, director of prevention services at Wynonna’s House, described the center’s casework and offered an example of a family the center served, saying the organization connected a homeless family to housing and job resources: "This family today is living in their own apartment. Mom has been connected with job resources. She's working. The family is sustaining themselves," Bautista said. Commissioners said they would use the resolution to signal to the county’s state delegation and the governor the local urgency of restoring funding.
The resolution expresses the board’s support for restoring the appropriation in the state budget; it does not appropriate county funds. Commissioners said they aim to send a message to state officials before the budget is finalized. No county appropriation or direct funding commitment was adopted at the meeting.
The board took a photograph with Wynonna’s House representatives after the vote and deferred extended comments until the public-comment portion of the meeting.
