Senate Approves Bill Expanding Definition of Child Abuse and Neglect to Protect Youth Up to Age 21

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Cryan and Senator Joe Vitale to expand the definition of child abuse and neglect to include individuals up to age 21 in certain regulated care settings was approved by the Senate today. 

The bill, S-3751, would revise the statutory definition of a “child” to include any person under 21 years of age who has been abused, neglected, or exploited by a teacher, employee, contractor, or volunteer of an institution responsible for that person’s care or supervision, as regulated by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). This includes day schools and other facilities under DCF oversight.

Currently, state law limits DCF’s investigatory authority to individuals under 18. Under the bill, DCF would assume full responsibility for investigating abuse and neglect cases involving youth up to age 21 within its regulated facilities and programs.

“Every young person in a state-regulated setting deserves to be safe, supported and treated with dignity,” said Senator Cryan (D-Union). “This bill ensures that our responsibility to protect doesn’t end on a child’s eighteenth birthday. Extending these protections is about closing gaps in the system and reaffirming our duty to those still depending on our care.” 

“For too long, young adults in state-regulated care have fallen into a gray area where accountability was unclear,” said Senator Vitale (D-Middlesex). “This legislation would make it clear that every individual under DCF supervision, whether eight or 20, has the same right to safety, protection, and justice when abuse or neglect occurs.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four girls and one in 13 boys in the U.S. will experience child abuse. If left unaddressed, the trauma can result in lasting mental, behavioral, and physical health consequences. Data from Child Trends shows that among older youth in foster care in New Jersey, significant percentages continue to enter the system due to neglect, abandonment, or abuse; issues that persist as they approach adulthood.

With this bill, New Jersey would join states like Illinois and Ohio in expanding the scope of child welfare protections for young adults who remain in state-regulated care or transitional support programs.

The bill would also realign departmental oversight by transferring full investigatory responsibility for individuals up to age 21 in DCF-regulated settings from the Department of Human Services to DCF. This ensures continuity of care and accountability across all age groups served by DCF.

The Senate vote was 38-0.