If someone you care about is struggling with addiction or mental health, New Jersey has resources that can help—no matter their insurance or ability to pay.

For immediate mental health crisis support, call or text 988. The national crisis line connects you to trained counselors 24/7.

For addiction treatment and recovery services, call 1-844-REACHNJ (1-844-732-2465). Trained specialists answer 24/7 and connect callers to local treatment providers and supportive services throughout New Jersey. Every call gets a real referral, regardless of insurance or ability to pay.

To find resources, data, and education about substance use in your community, visit the newly redesigned NJ CARES website. It includes county-level data on how addiction is affecting your area, directories of treatment programs, and locations where you can safely dispose of unused medications year-round.

These resources exist because many New Jersey families are navigating these challenges. You're not alone, and help is available.

Permitting delays slow down housing construction, commercial projects, and clean energy development — and drive up costs for everyone. New Jersey is developing a real-time public dashboard at Permits.NJ.gov to track major permit applications across state agencies, showing exactly where each project stands, what's due, and what's pending.

The goal: more transparency and fewer delays on key projects.

The pilot version of this dashboard launches publicly in June. Once live, permit applicants and the public will be able to see the progress of major projects in the state.

If you're a developer with a qualifying housing, commercial, or solar energy storage project (1 MW or more), you can apply to participate in the pilot now through May 21.

Every teen under 18 in New Jersey must have working papers before starting any job — including summer and seasonal work. The entire process is online at MyWorkingPapers.NJ.gov. Schools are no longer involved.

Here's how it works: once you have a job offer, your employer registers and shares a unique code with you. You complete the online application, your caregiver uploads age verification documents, and you'll get an email when you're approved to start.

You'll need a new application each time, whether you're switching jobs, changing roles, or returning to a seasonal position.

Want to know how the state spends your money? New Jersey just launched the NJ Report Card — a free, interactive website at ReportCard.NJ.Gov that breaks down state spending by agency, category, and program area.

You can see how the state invests in K-12 schools, property tax relief, transportation, food security, higher education, and more. The site also tracks how spending has changed over the past 10 years.

Curious how specific programs are performing? The site includes impact data for individual state-funded programs. Check out this short video to see what it's all about

New Jersey's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is now open to all eligible families. Income-eligible parents who are working, attending school or participating in job training, may be able to get help paying for child care. To give you a sense of whether you might be eligible to receive assistance through CCAP, the maximum yearly income for a family of three (for example, a parent and two children) is $54,640 (for 2026).

To get started, visit ChildCareNJ.gov to learn about the program, additional eligibility requirements and use the income-eligibility calculator to see if you may qualify. When you’re ready, get connected to the State’s secure application system, MyNJHelps, to apply. Eligibility decisions are made within 30 days of submitting all required documents.

If you have Amazon Prime, watch out for emails claiming your payment method is invalid and your membership is about to expire. The emails look real — they include the Amazon Prime logo and appear to come from "Prime Notification." But the actual sender address has nothing to do with Amazon.

Clicking the link takes you to a fake login page built to steal your password, credit card number, and personal information.

If you get one of these emails, don't click anything. Go directly to amazon.com to check your account. If you already clicked and entered information, contact your bank immediately to report potential fraud and change your Amazon password.

New Jersey is still under a Drought Warning, and dry conditions throughout April continue to strain water supplies statewide. Above-average rainfall is needed across the entire state before conditions improve.
With the growing season underway, small changes at home add up. Residents are encouraged to:

• Limit lawn watering
• Use mulch to slow evaporation
• Sweep sidewalks instead of hosing them down
• Check for leaks around your home and yard
• Use a car wash that recycles water
• Install a rain barrel for garden watering

Water supply indicators are updated weekly.

When a crossing guard signals you to stop, New Jersey law requires you to stop. Failing to stop carries expensive fines and can impact your driving privileges. But the real cost is lives—people who walk into traffic every day to protect children getting to school safely.

Distracted driving and bad weather make it harder for crossing guards to be seen and harder for drivers to stop. Slow down in school zones. Watch for high-visibility gear and reflective paddles. Give crossing guards the space and time they need to do their jobs.

Drivers are reminded that State law prohibits the use of handheld devices while driving.