What’s New?

Share with Legislators ACNJ president’s Op-ed supporting legislative bills to invest in child care.

Posted on April 21, 2022

It's time to address the long-time child care crisis in New Jersey.  The pandemic didn’t create it – it exposed it.

Let's urge legislators to support Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz's comprehensive package of bills that would help parents, strengthen programs and support staff. One bill, S-2476 (pending introduction), incentivizes the development of child care for infants and toddlers, the most difficult for families to find.

Share the op-ed authored by ACNJ President Cecilia Zalkind describing this historic proposal.

The package comes with a $360 million price tag. But we need to tell state leaders that this is an investment we cannot afford not to make.

Read the Op-Ed

New Jersey's commitment to children has led to extraordinary advances, putting the state ahead of the rest of the country and most importantly, improving the lives and well-being of newborns and preschool-age children.

But we are still missing the babies.

Let's make some noise for child care  and take a moment to send a message to your state leaders that this is a critical investment for children, families and for our economy.

During this legislative session, ACNJ is calling on the state to:

  • Improve access to infant/toddler care by increasing the number of available child care programs;
  • Expand child care assistance for parents of very young children; and
  • Support the child care workforce, who have historically been underfunded and underappreciated
reimagine-child-care

Unlocking Potential: Our Ambitious Roadmap to Close Inequities for NJ Babies

Posted on June 24, 2020

In order to give all children a strong and equitable start in life, New Jersey must begin with an intentional focus on eliminating racial inequities and disparities in access to essential supports, according to a new report, Unlocking Potential, released today by Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ).

Read Unlocking Potential, A Roadmap to Making New Jersey the Safest, Healthiest and Most Supportive Place to Give Birth and Raise a Family

The statewide plan, funded by the Pritzker Children's Initiative (PCI), provides the action steps needed to achieve concrete targets related to early childhood development with the goal of ensuring an additional 25 percent of low-income infants and toddlers - 27,000 young children - will have access to high-quality services by 2023. These supports include access to quality child care, home visiting, health and mental health services.

Unlocking Potential is based on the belief that we all have a role to play in achieving equity and that supporting equal opportunities at the start of a child’s life is the first step in eliminating disparities that impact outcomes for babies, families and communities. The foundation for change is in place; the opportunity is now!

 

Learn More

Celebrating Fathers All Week Long

Posted on June 9, 2026

Healthier beginnings and stronger families depend on supporting fathers, too. Join us for these upcoming webinars to share ideas, learn from other fathers, and explore solutions that help children and families thrive.

Tuesday, June 16 at 2:00 PM

What do fathers need to ensure their children and families thrive?
Join us as fathers from diverse backgrounds share the joys of fatherhood, the pressures that go unseen, and the tradeoffs they navigate every day. Hear directly from dads about what they need to support their families.

Wednesday, June 17 at 12:00 PM

What's the economic and social impact of the absence of fathers on families, communities and public systems?
Join the Lunch & Learn to discuss how supporting fathers and strong families can improve child outcomes, reduce poverty, and strengthen communities.

NJ Ranks First in Education, 6th Overall in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book

Posted on June 8, 2026

NJ Ranks First in Education, 6th Overall in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book
But More Work Needed on Economic Well-Being

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey leads the nation in education, ranking first for two consecutive years, according to the 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids are faring nationwide. But beneath the high overall ranking lies a sobering reality: the state’s children are still falling short of grade-level benchmarks in reading and math and fewer high school students are graduating on time.

For the first time this year, states receive a comprehensive score (from 0 to 1,000) in the Data Book, not just a ranking. The scores track 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — over a five-year period from 2019 to 2024. The new scoring system shows whether policies and public investment are actually improving children’s lives, not merely how states compare to each other. New Jersey received a score of 715, above the national score of 547, with high score in health at 776, education at 731, and family and community at 724 and lowest in economic well-being at 629.

The education data reveal a gap between ranking and reality. In 2024, 62% of New Jersey fourth graders were not reading at grade level — a rate unchanged from 2022, and up from 58% in 2019. And although there is marked improvement from the previous year at 67%, 63% of eighth graders scored below proficiency in math. Another concern is the high school graduation rate: 12% of NJ students did not graduate on time in the 2023–2024 school year, compared to 9% in 2018–2019. New Jersey’s graduation ranking has dropped from 3rd in the nation to 18th in just five years.

The Garden State ranks 6th overall in child well-being, much higher than its neighboring states of Delaware (#31), New York (#30) and Pennsylvania (#18). However, a closer look also shows that New Jersey is near bottom in the nation at 43rd for housing cost burden with 33% – or 675,000 – children in households that spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

“On the surface, New Jersey children are ahead of many of their peers and ranking first in education is something our state should be proud of. Except a top ranking is only meaningful if it reflects real progress for every child. When nearly two-thirds of our fourth graders cannot read at grade level, and fewer students are finishing high school on time, the number alone is not enough," said Mary Coogan, president and CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey, the state's grantee member of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT network. "All children deserve to have their basic needs met and policymakers are accountable for making smart and fair policy choices to ensure they are. If we fail to provide for our children today, the consequences will ripple for generations — weakening our workforce, driving up public costs, and compromising our shared future."

In its 37th year of publication, the KIDS COUNT® Data Book provides reliable statewide numbers to help leaders see where progress is being made, where greater support is needed and which strategies are making a difference. ACNJ encourages lawmakers and officials in New Jersey to use this detailed information to unite across party lines and respond with initiatives that invest in young people. By offering a local road map, the Data Book equips policymakers, advocates and communities with the information they need to make decisions that help kids and young people thrive.

###

RELEASE INFORMATION
The 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book will be available at www.aecf.org/databook. Journalists interested in creating maps, graphs and rankings in stories about the Data Book can use the KIDS COUNT Data Center at datacenter.aecf.org.

ABOUT THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION
The Annie E. Casey Foundation creates a brighter future for the nation’s young people by developing solutions to strengthen families, build paths to economic opportunity and transform struggling communities into safer and healthier places to live, work and grow. For more information, visit www.aecf.org. KIDS COUNT is a registered trademark of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Public Hearing on Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards

Posted on June 4, 2026

The New Jersey Department of Education will hold three public hearings to receive comments on the draft revisions to the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards. We encourage all early childhood professionals to participate in this important process to share their input as experienced leaders in the field who do this hands-on work with children and teachers every day. It is their chance to have a lasting impact on the growth and development of young children by informing our state standards, requirements, and expectations.

The proposed revised Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards can be found on the State Board of Education’s webpage (official version and unofficial version).

Your voice and expertise as early childhood education advocates are invaluable in shaping standards that will impact young learners across New Jersey. Whether you choose to testify in person at one of the regional hearings or submit written comments, we hope you will take this opportunity to make your perspective heard.

Submit Written Comments regarding the draft revisions to the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards to njptlsreview@doe.nj.gov

Participate in one of three regional hearings:

    1. Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 6pm

      2. Hudson County Community College
      4800 Kennedy Boulevard
      Union City, NJ 07306
      Second floor, Room N203.

      Members of the public seeking to testify in person may register online by noon on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

    2. Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 11am

      3. Camden County College
      200 College Drive
      Blackwood, NJ 08012
      Connector Building, Room 105, Civic Hall.

      Members of the public seeking to testify in person may register online by noon on Thursday, June 18, 2026.

    3. Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 1pm

      4. Department of Education
      100 Riverview Plaza,
      Trenton, NJ 08625
      First floor conference room.

      Members of the public seeking to testify in person may register online by noon on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

More Than a Grocery Store: How A Better Market Is Transforming Food Access

Posted on June 4, 2026

Blog-headline
image of Habibah Johnson

By Habibah Johnson
ACNJ Parent Leadership Council, Co-Chair

What if every community had a better market?

I recently had a conversation with Shana Manradge, CEO of A Better Market, and it left me thinking about something we don’t talk about enough: food access isn’t just about having a store nearby. It’s about whether families can actually afford what’s inside.

Shana didn’t plan to open a grocery store. Her journey started with a moment that honestly feels all too familiar. During COVID, she ran into a corner store to grab cereal and saw a box priced at $9.54. Instead of brushing it off, she stopped and asked a bigger question: How is this normal for families?

That question turned into action.

In her hometown of Paterson, she saw what many families already knew. Stores were there, but access wasn’t. Shelves were filled with processed foods, while fresh produce was limited, expensive, or poor quality. For families already balancing rent, childcare, and everyday expenses, healthy food wasn’t just a choice. It was often out of reach.

So, she created something different.

A Better Market isn’t your typical grocery store. About 85% of what you’ll find there is fresh produce. It’s intentional. It’s focused. And it’s built around what families actually need.

But what really makes it stand out is how it addresses the gaps that systems often miss.

For SNAP recipients, the store participates in Good Food Bucks, offering 50% off produce. That alone is huge. But Shana didn’t stop there. She talked about what she calls the “SNAP Gap”: families who work hard, earn just above the eligibility threshold, and still struggle to afford healthy food.

Those families are often left out of the conversation.

So, she built something for them, too: $10 produce bags filled with $20–25 worth of fresh food. Families plan around them. Budget around them. Rely on them. That’s not just a program. It’s a lifeline.

And then there are the everyday moments that show what’s really changing.

A little girl runs into the store, excitedly asking for fruit like it’s the most normal thing in the world. Because for her, it is.

A parent learns how to make fresh juice at home after attending a class and realizes healthy options were within reach all along.

These moments might seem small, but they point to something bigger: when access improves, habits change. Health changes. Communities change.

What’s happening at A Better Market is about more than food. It’s about dignity. It’s about making sure families don’t have to stand in the aisle doing mental math and deciding what they can afford to put back.

It’s also a reminder that solutions like this shouldn’t be rare.

We should be asking: Why doesn’t every community have something like this? Why are families still navigating systems that make healthy food harder to access?

Shana’s vision is clear. This model should be replicated. Healthy corner stores should actually be healthy. Fresh food should be accessible without long drives or impossible price tags. And families should never have to choose between affordability and nutrition. That’s not unrealistic. It’s necessary.

Shana shares her story in creating A Better Market for the Paterson community.

RELATED STORIES

VIDEO | Parent Voices: How NJ Policymakers Can Address the Challenges of Raising a Family

BLOG  | Parent voices are key in making change for our youngest