HUDSON COUNTY – After 20 years in operation serving the needs of nearly 500 at-risk babies, a non-profit organization called Hudson Cradle has announced that it will close its doors.
The closure goes into effect Friday, July 8.
Hudson Cradle was opened in Jersey City in 1991 to alleviate what was known at the time as the “border baby” crisis in Hudson County.
Boarder babies are infants who are born with special health needs. Typically they are infants who were exposed to drugs or alcohol during pregnancy, or who were born prematurely, or with low birth weight. Some were also prenatally exposed to HIV. Many of these babies had no safe home to go to once they were discharged from the hospital after their births. Since the foster care system couldn’t accommodate their complicated health needs, Hudson Cradle was launched to give these infants a place to go after they left the hospital.
Changes in the child welfare system overt the last decade, however, have made Hudson Cradle obsolete. Due to changes in state public policy, an increasing number of babies with acute medical needs are now able to be placed in foster homes, leaving fewer children being sent to Hudson Cradle.
“In Many ways, this is a victory for all those who dedicated their time and resources to Hudson Cradle,” said Daniel E. Horgan, chairman of the program.
“Hudson Cradle was a community response to a troubling crisis facing our most vulnerable children. With the changes in priorities and policies at the Division of Youth and Family Services, our services are not needed at this time. Hopefully, they will never be needed again.”
In the two decades the program was in operation, Hudson Cradle was recognized for its work with at risk infants, including awards from the Points of Light Foundation and Jersey Cares.