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Committee advances grant to map mental-health services for children; advocates urge focus on unhoused youth
Summary
The Appropriations Committee favorably released A4970, a grant-funded study to map child mental-health resources statewide. Witnesses urged attention to children experiencing homelessness and highlighted long wait times and transportation barriers that limit access.
The Assembly Appropriations Committee on Oct. 24 favorably released Assembly Bill 4970, which provides a grant to study and map mental-health care resources for children across New Jersey.
Raissa Rubin Stankiewicz of the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness urged the committee to ensure the study—s stakeholder group includes shelter-service providers and families with lived experience. "Unhoused children face higher rates of behavioral health needs," she said, adding that a study the coalition conducted found long wait times and transportation barriers: "60.7 percent ... cited long wait times for appointments" and "75 percent ... cited transportation as a barrier."
Kate Shamszad of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute said the state—s child mental-health system is fragmented across multiple agencies and provider networks and that mapping and integration would help policy makers allocate resources effectively. "The initiative you are here to weigh in on today will allow policy makers to make data-driven decisions for allocation of resources, addressing gaps and services," Shamszad said.
Witnesses from children's hospitals, advocacy groups and providers registered in support. The Office provided an estimate that implementing the bill would result in an indeterminate increase in state expenditures due to potential growth in families qualifying for services; the fiscal estimate noted an average annual cost per child under the existing program of approximately $11,576 for FY2025.
The committee voted to release the bill; supporters said the mapping work should explicitly examine barriers faced by children experiencing homelessness and include service providers and families with lived experience on stakeholder panels.
Next steps: A4970 will proceed to further legislative consideration; advocates urged staff to ensure the study—s stakeholder list and scope include unhoused children and transportation barriers.
