Let's Talk Kids
Conversations with influential legislators, officials, experts, educators, entrepreneurs, parents, attorneys, and others who want to help give every child a chance to grow up safe, healthy, and educated.
Anticipated Coverage:
Education: Early Childhood Education (ECE); Early Child Care (Daycare); Special Education; School Environment; Education for Children in Foster Care; and Automation in Childhood Education
Protection and Welfare: Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention; Child Welfare Systems; Juvenile Justice; and Positive Youth Development.
Health and Hunger: Health Insurance Access; Mental Health Services; Nutrition and Food Security; and Maternal and Infant Health.
Family Supports and Economic Stability: Economic Mobility; Support for Kin Caregivers; and Affordable Housing
Special Needs: Developmental Services and System Navigation.
Values Based Families: Building Values Based Families; and Religious Institutions, Clerics and Child Advocacy.
Episodes
16 episodes
Why the Y? - How YMCAs Evolved from a Shelter for Young Men into a Community for Everyone!
Dr. Julie Gallanty, CEO of the NJ YMCA State Alliance, discusses the history of the YMCA, all that YMCA's offer, and how they have become an incredible community.Learn more about the NJ YMCA State Alliance below!NJ YMCA State Allian...
Helping Parents Help Each Other to Help Their Children Grow | Let’s Talk Kids
Andrea Breitwieser, Assistant Director of the NJ Division of Family Development, Office of Child Care, explains the purpose of New Jersey Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. Learn more about Child Care Resource and...
What Excellent Afterschool Organization Looks Like | Let’s Talk Kids
Ebony Grace, CEO of New Jersey’s Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Professional Network (NJSACC), explores what makes afterschool learning so special and impactful for the next generation of children. She explains how her organization operates...
How One of the Worst Schools in America Became Top-Tier in Just 10 Years | Let’s Talk Kids
Dr. Christine Johnson, Superintendent of Hoboken Public Schools, takes a deep dive into how she helped to transform the local school system from underperforming academically into one where underprivileged and previously neglected students are r...
Nonprofits MUST Self Promote & Collaborate More Effectively! Here’s How I Do It… | Let’s Talk Kids Podcast
Shavonda E. Sumter, former Assemblywoman and CEO of Children’s Aid and Family Services, discusses her transition from government to CEO of a nonprofit organization and exposes what she feels nonprofits could improve upon when it comes to com...
Stop Teaching Students Without Doing THIS First! | Let’s Talk Kids
Dr. Maurice Elias, Rutgers Psychology Professor and Director of the Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, explains how teachers and administrators can positively enhance their school environment and educational methods in order to eng...
Tooth Truth - The Untold Connection Between Your Teeth & Your Daily Life | Let’s Talk Kids
Nicole McGrath-Barnes DDS FACD, Founder and CEO of KinderSmile Foundation, discusses why dental care for babies and young children is more critical than most parents realize—and why the system is failing them. She shares the story behind buildi...
What Americans NEED to Know About Food Insecurity (Food Bank CEO Reveals All) | Let’s Talk Kids
Elizabeth McCarthy, President and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, explains the purposes and services provided by modern Food Banks in America, as well as the current state of SNAP Benefits, child nutrition programs, and Food Insecu...
Why SNAP Benefits are *NECESSARY* | Let’s Talk Kids
Lisa Pitz, Director of Hunger Free New Jersey, shares unique insights and growing concerns regarding Food Insecurity in the state and country as a whole. This episode covers everything from the inner workings of Food Pantries, to the future ...
Helping Teens *FIGHT STRESS & FIND HOPE* | Let’s Talk Kids
Diane Travers, Senior Director of NJ4S Essex, speaks about how her organization has worked with schools to directly meet the ever-changing mental health needs of the next generation of students as well as their parents and teachers. NJ4S cli...
How Parent’s Health Affects Children’s Health | Let’s Talk Kids
Andrea Martinez-Mejia, Executive Director of the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition, discusses the importance of many aspects of mental and physical well-being that are overlooked in New Jersey and the United States, as well as how Healthca...
Communicating with and Supporting Fathers | Let’s Talk Kids
David Sims, Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Safe Babies Court Team, discusses Child Protective Services and how the system has been improved and can be further improved in its treatment of fathers; what initiatives exist for supporting...
Unifying Government & Community to Support Next Gen | Let’s Talk Kids
Charlie Venti, President of Inventive Strategies LLC and Board Member of the Let’s Talk Kids parent non-profit ACNJ, explores his experiences with how the U.S. and state governments have worked with American communities in the past to suppo...
The Power and Potential of Special Education | Let’s Talk Kids
John Mulholland, an attorney and the Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of Special Education Partner Schools (NJASEPS), sheds light on the incredible advances made for improving the livelihood of kids with learning disabilities...
Empowering Communities and Teens | Let’s Talk Kids
Dashaan Jennings, a member of leadership at Powerful Families Powerful Communities (PFPC) and founder of Str8Up Employment Services, discusses how we can improve the process of Mandated Reporting and educate members of communities to support...
Finding a Foster Child’s Forever Home | Let’s Talk Kids
Davetta Ford, State Coordinator of Safe Babies Court Team, discusses how her team’s approach aims to support parents and children involved in the child welfare system, as well as the impacts of family detachment on infants’ brain development...