I will be blatantly candid in this post regarding my son Aidan and the ongoing struggles he and other group home residents unnecessarily face throughout New Jersey. If you read my last post, you are aware that Aidan has continuously suffered injuries at the hands of another resident within his group home.
On December 14th, an injury that staff members referred to as a harmless “self-inflicted scratch” led to multiple appointments with medical professionals and hours spent at an urgent care center. Later that week, my son showed symptoms of nausea at school, leading faculty members to the conclusion that he may have suffered a concussion.
Approximately two months prior, on October 28th, Aidan had sustained multiple injuries inflicted by the same aggressor. The investigation into this incident began on October 29th; however, I was not made aware that the investigation was completed until after I reached out to Aidan’s group home regarding the recent attack in mid-December. The belated investigation results concluded that there was a 50% chance that my son inflicted the injuries on himself.
I refuse to let a weighted coin toss determine the future well-being of my son or any other New Jersey group home resident. So, how can we resolve this statewide problem, helping ensure the safety of those with special needs while providing peace of mind to their families and loved ones?
Pass Billy Cray’s Law
Are group homes and the agencies running them pushing back on this legislation because they fear people will witness their negligence and inadequacies? Is it a monetary issue? It most definitely is not the latter, as I personally offered to pay for the cameras in Aidan’s group home. Surprisingly, much of the opposition’s uproar relates to what they claim is an invasion of privacy. But the fact is that Billy Cray’s Law solely takes power out of the hands of private organizations, putting it into the hands of parents and legal guardians. And the guardians’ decision to place cameras in a group home’s common areas must be unanimous.
Passing Billy Cray’s Law is common sense. Join me in advocating for the safety of group home residents throughout New Jersey.
Two Simple Steps for Change
Step One
Copy these words:
I am advocating to pass Billy Cray’s Law (Bill A2483/S1897), and Senator Vitale NEEDS to release the bill from his committee for a public hearing.
Step Two