New Mission and Vision for Children’s Aid and Family Services
Dear Friends,
We just completed our 125th anniversary year, and I thank you for your incredible support and friendship to the agency. Throughout our history, we’ve continuously evolved and grown to better serve the community. This past year alone, we launched NJ4S (New Jersey Student Support Services) and AKLG (Adoption Kinship Legal Guardianship Clinical Services), two programs that are already making a significant impact in Bergen County schools and statewide among adoptive and kinship families. We were also awarded a five-year grant to collaborate with five Bergen County colleges on drug and alcohol prevention, recognizing our extensive experience providing prevention work across K-12 schools. We’re proud to extend this important work to students at all educational levels.
For the past 18 months, we have been working with a non-profit consulting firm to craft a five-year strategic plan to guide us into 2029, and we are excited to announce its implementation. This comprehensive roadmap outlines our organization’s goals, objectives, and strategies for advancing our mission and vision through the end of the decade.
During the process of creating the strategic plan, we updated our Mission and Vision to better reflect who we are as an agency today:
New Mission Statement
Children’s Aid and Family Services empowers individuals, strengthens families, and supports healthier communities.
New Vision Statement
We envision a community where every individual is safe, strong, and thriving and can reach their innate potential.
Our updated mission highlights the importance of community, showcasing the reach and inclusivity of our three lines of service. We are dedicated to empowering individuals, strengthening families, and supporting healthier communities through our Disability Support Services, Children’s Services, and The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources.
The Mission and Vision statements are posted on our website https://cafsnj.org/. These are not just words on paper; they are a reflection of our dedication and commitment. They guide every decision we make and every action we take, ensuring that we remain focused on making a positive impact in the lives of those we serve. They also remind us of the incredible impact we make by working together toward a common goal.
Thank you for your unwavering support and partnership. Together, we will continue to empower individuals, strengthen families, and support healthier communities.
With gratitude,
Shavonda E. Sumter
President & CEO