North Resource Parent Symposium
Agenda & Workshops
Check In & Resource Fair with Exhibitors
Registración y Feria de Recursos con Expositores
9:00am – 9:30am
Start your day by checking in and connecting with a powerful network of support at our Resource Fair!
Caregivers will have the opportunity to meet and engage with a variety of agencies and professionals who serve kinship, adoptive,
and foster families across New Jersey. This is a great opportunity to explore services, ask questions, and build meaningful connections
to support your caregiving journey.
Welcome Address
Discurso de Bienvenida
9:30am – 9:50am
Brandi Harding, Deputy Director, NJ Department of Children and Families
The Welcome Address will set the tone for the day by recognizing the critical role resource parents play in strengthening families and supporting children across New Jersey. Deputy Director Harding will highlight the importance of collaboration between families, community partners, and state systems, and reinforce DCF’s commitment to ensuring resource parents are informed, supported, and connected to services that help families thrive. This opening will frame the symposium’s theme, Stronger Together, and emphasize how shared knowledge and partnerships lead to better outcomes for children and caregivers alike.
Workshop Session I
Understanding the Supports Available to Resource Parents
10:00 – 10:50am
This workshop is designed to provide resource parents with a practical overview of key services and supports they may need throughout their caregiving journey, and how to access them. Presenters from Passaic County CIACC, NJ4S, and Fidelis Care will each highlight their roles, available programs, and referral pathways, with a focus on behavioral and mental health services, school-based supports, and healthcare access. Resource parents will leave with a clearer understanding of who to contact, when to reach out, and how these systems work together to support children and families.
Presenters:
– Clarissa Robles, Senior Community Relations Specialist, Fidelis Care and Resource Parent Council Member
– Jenny Vuksic, Passaic County Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council (CIACC)
– Yesse Foster, Supervising Prevention Consultant, New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S)
Workshop Session II
Resource Panel: Your Questions Answered
11:00am – 11:50am
This interactive panel discussion will center on questions submitted by attendees during registration, ensuring the conversation reflects the real-life concerns and experiences of resource parents. Panelists from CIACC, NJ4S, and the Children’s System of Care will address common challenges, clarify service navigation, and share insights on accessing timely and appropriate supports. This session offers an opportunity for open dialogue, practical guidance, and reassurance that resource parents are not navigating these systems alone.
Presenters:
– Clarissa Robles, Senior Community Relations Specialist, Fidelis Care and Resource Parent Council Member
– Georgina DeRosa, County Services Specialist, CP&P Bergen-Hudson Area Office
– Jenny Vuksic, Passaic County Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council (CIACC)
– Yesse Foster, Supervising Prevention Consultant, New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S)
Taller de Español
10:00am – 11:50am
Abrazar la Autenticidad: Desafíos, Trauma y Permanencia en el Cuidado de Crianza (Embracing Authenticity: Challenges, Trauma, and Permanence in Foster Care)
Este taller está basado en las experiencias personales como padres de recurso en Nueva Jersey y está diseñado para proveer conocimiento, guía y reflejo para los cuidadores navegando esta jornada. Esta presentación tiene la intención de suscitar una discusión, ofrecer conocimiento práctico y proveer un contexto para apoyar auténticamente a los niños mientras que navegan los desafíos del cuidado temporal.
Presentador:
– Eliecer Marte, Periodista, Autor y Líder en Comunicaciones
Lunch & Resource Fair with Exhibitors
Almuerzo y Feria de Recursos con Expositores
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Exhibitors include:
– Children’s Aid & Family Services
– Community Access
– Family Connections
– Family Success Center (Liberty and Palisades)
– La Casa de Don Pedro
Presenters
Brandi Harding
Deputy Director, NJ Dept of Children and Families
Brandi Harding is the Deputy Director Office of Resource Families, Office of Family Licensing, Adoption Operations, NJ Division of Child Protection and Permanency.
Clarissa Robles
Senior Community Relation Specialist at Fidelis Care & Resource Parent Council Member
Clarissa Robles is a health care advocate and senior community relations professional with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families in navigating complex health coverage and care systems. She has extensive experience working with low-income and underserved populations to expand access to health insurance, improve understanding of benefits, and address barriers to care. Her work is guided by a strong commitment to equity, collaboration, and the delivery of clear, actionable health care information to empower families.
Eliecer Marte
Periodista, Autor y Líder en Comunicaciones
Eliecer Marte es un periodista, comunicador, autor y líder en comunicaciones ganador de 12 premios Emmy, originario de Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. Inició su carrera en la televisión desde niño y obtuvo títulos en Periodismo y Economía de la Universidad de Miami, así como en Liderazgo de la Universidad Nova Southeastern.
Con más de 15 años de experiencia en la narración de historias en radio y televisión, Eliecer ha trabajado para importantes medios de comunicación hispanos de Estados Unidos, como Univision y Telemundo, y también ha colaborado en noticieros en inglés con News12 Networks y PIX11 en la ciudad de Nueva York, convirtiéndose en el primer periodista dominicano en los medios hispanos de Estados Unidos en lograr esta transición.
Además de su galardonada trayectoria periodística, Eliecer es autor del libro Confidencias, enfocado en la identidad y la comunicación auténtica, y fundador de EM2 Communications, una firma de comunicaciones estratégicas y desarrollo de contenido.
Jenny Vuksic
Children’s Mental Health Planner
Jenny Vuksic works within the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services under the Passaic County Department of Human Services, where she serves as the Children’s Mental Health Planner. In this role, she partners with the community to ensure that children and families receive needed services and that family voices are meaningfully represented in the system of care.
Jenny coordinates the Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council (CIACC), which serves as the county’s mechanism for overseeing services for children, youth, and young adults with emotional and behavioral health challenges, substance use needs, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. This work is carried out through ongoing collaboration with families, child-serving agencies, and community stakeholders.
Through this coordination, the CIACC identifies service gaps and emerging needs within the community and supports system improvements to better serve children and families.
Georgina DeRosa
MA, MPA
County Services Specialist at the CP&P Bergen-Hudson Area Office
Georgina DeRosa is the County Services Specialist at the CP&P Bergen-Hudson Area Office. She has been with the Division of Child Protection and Permanency for 24 years with experience in investigations, permanency, and resource units as well as supervisory experience.
Georgina has a master’s degree in child advocacy from Montclair State University and a master’s degree in public administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She received a Violence Against Women Certificate from Rutger’s University School of Social Work and is a Data Fellow and Substance Use Disorder Fellow.
She also has personal experience with the child welfare system having aged out over 30 years ago from a kinship home. That has led to a passion to improve the system for all children and families who love them!
Yesse Foster
MA, NBCC, LPC, ACS
Supervising Prevention Consultant at Family Connections
Yesse Foster serves as a Supervising Prevention Consultant at Family Connections. I have experience providing trauma-informed care and have worked closely with survivors of domestic violence and their children before shifting my professional focus to prevention services. My clinical background has allowed me to support individuals and families in building resilience, strengthening coping skills, and improving their overall emotional well-being.
I am trained in evidence-based practices including Motivational Interviewing and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). I hold a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, and I am both a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). I am passionate about prevention work and committed to empowering individuals and communities through education, early intervention, compassionate and client-centered care.
Exhibitors
