General Seminar Information

Seminar Moderator: Atiya Weiss has been the first Executive Director of the Burke Foundation, a leading philanthropy based in Princeton, New Jersey that was endowed by long-time Johnson and Johnson CEO Jim Burke, since 2017. She leads efforts to invest in the most promising and transformative programs and policies to foster the health, well-being, and resilience of children and families in New Jersey.

In her previous role as executive director of JP Morgan’s Philanthropy Center, she advised high net worth families across the country on philanthropic strategies and spent eleven years with the Pfizer and Foundation leading their global health grantmaking. Atiya is 2021 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow and is passionate about collaborating with leaders across sectors to tackle the social problems facing underserved children and their families, firmly believing that effective partnerships can unlock the potential of communities and create meaningful, lasting change. She is looking forward to moderating the panel to help advance 2 generation public policies that help take stressors off of families for lifelong health and well-being.

atiya@burkefoundation.org

The 2023 New Jersey Family Impact Seminar was held at Montclair State University.

Nydia Y. Monagas, PsyD
Director, New Jersey Family Impact Seminar
Montclair State University, Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy
monagasn@montclair.edu

Making Sense of Poverty Metrics

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What Works: Lessons from a 25-Year Decline in Child Poverty

Presenter: Dana Thomson, PhD, is a senior research scientist at Child Trends who studies child poverty, policies and practices that create more equitable access to economic mobility, and conditions that support family wellbeing. Dr. Thomson’s most recent work, Lessons from a Historic Decline in Child Poverty, investigates the economic, demographic, and policy forces that led to a nearly 60 percent reduction in child poverty over the last quarter century.

Dr. Thomson highlighted recent trends in child poverty and some of the most effective programs and strategies for lifting children out of poverty. She also identified key opportunities and challenges for policymakers to ensure that all families have access to needed supports.

dthomson@childtrends.org

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Two Generations, One Solution

Presenter: Marjorie Sims is the Managing Director of Ascend at the Aspen Institute. She has more than 20 years of experience in advancing the status of women and families at local, state, national, and international levels.

Ms. Sims shared the five key principles of a modern two-generation (2Gen) approach for addressing childhood poverty, which focuses on simultaneously creating better outcomes for both children and their caretakers. She shared her research detailing how states across the country are implementing 2Gen policies to strengthen the well-being of families for generations.

marjorie.sims@aspeninstitute.org

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The Strengthening Families Initiative in Southern NJ

Presenter: Kristin Curtis is an Associate Director of Research at the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs (WRI) at Rutgers University. She has spent 15 years at the institute leading research investigating public health, criminal justice and healthcare.

Ms. Curtis discussed the findings from a decade-long evaluation of the Southern NJ Strengthening Families Initiative. WRI’s research shows stronger family relationships, a reduction in financial challenges over time, and improved educational outcomes. The study also highlights the role and impact of hyper-local support through collaborative nonprofit networks and strategies to reduce barriers for families seeking critical community services.

krcurtis@camden.rutgers.edug

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