Spanish

State Denies Appeal by Hispanic Directors

Special Needs Campaign to Shut Down in New Year

The Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey (HDANJ) has suspended a program aimed at identifying and helping at-risk children from 0 to 5 with learning disabilities and other special needs. Nine of HDANJ’s community-based organizations has suspended the program as a result of a decision by the State Department of Human Services (DHS) not to grant HDANJ a $425,000 grant toward the program. The money instead was awarded to the Latino Institute, based in Newark, which will head a coalition of three organizations consisting of the North Ward Center in Newark, the Puerto Rican Congress in Lakewood and the Spanish Speaking Center in Landisville.

English and Spanish-language media have written about HDANJ and its member-agencies efforts and the impact the suspension of the program will have.

In a Dec. 23 article in the Daily Record of Morristown, HDANJ Executive Director Daniel Santo Pietro said, "The decision by the Department of Human Services is flawed on multiple levels …For one, the Latino population is the fastest-growing community throughout the state, and coverage of all areas of New Jersey is crucial." To read the full article, click here.


To read the first press release sent to the media, click here . To read a follow-up press release sent to the media, click here. To read the first press release sent to the media, click here.  To read a follow-up press release sent to the media, click here.