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
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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

New Poll Reveals a Lack of Child Care Leads to Stunted Entrepreneurship

Posted on April 12, 2024

Running a business is a time-consuming endeavor, and if you have kids, you actually have two job titles: business owner and parent. Since you can’t be in two places at once, securing reliable and quality child care is often a must. However, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, the child care industry has been struggling and their services are becoming increasingly difficult to find, let alone access. This has taken a major toll on entrepreneurship.

According to opinion poll findings released this week, Small Business Majority revealed that a lack of access to quality, affordable child care is holding back many entrepreneurs from establishing or fostering their business.

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2024-SBM-Childcare-Poll1

In a national survey conducted in January 2024 of 566 small business owners who are parents and/or have employees with children:

  • 59% of small business owners felt that a lack of affordable child care is an obstacle to the growth of their business.
  • 92% of the poll’s respondents were parents, and out of those respondents, 56% of them stated that their own child care issues forced them to take significant time away from their business, while 39% missed out on business opportunities and 26% were even forced to shutter their business for good.

Even when business owners don’t have child care issues of their own, they have reported that their employees’ lack of child care options have negatively impacted their business:

  • 62% said decreased child care led to unexpected employee absences, while 30% reported having had an employee leaving their jobs over child care needs.
  • 61% believe their employees’ child care issues have adversely affected their ability to efficiently do their job.

With the child care industry struggling after the federal Child Care Stabilization Grant expired at the end of September 2023, many business owners are in support of new federal legislation that could provide more funding to aid workers in the child care sector. The poll found that more than two thirds are in favor of policymakers renewing the Stabilization program specifically.

Our local communities thrive when there are more small businesses, but until quality child care becomes affordable and bountiful for the average entrepreneur, our local and national economies will never be the same.

Did you know good oral health care starts even before the age of 3?

Posted on April 9, 2024

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By Olivia Carrara Leontine Young Fellow

Did You Know Blog Banner

It's not uncommon to think that an infant does not need to visit a dentist until age 3, but this is far from the truth. In fact, caregivers should identify a dental home for little ones by the age of 1, or at the appearance of their first tooth. This helps establish a primary location for their dental hygiene and allows caregivers access to important oral health  information. While most people know that we should brush our teeth twice a day and floss often, it may be less known that babies also require their gums and teeth to be wiped down regularly after breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. Furthermore, babies should not be sleeping with a bottle or on a breast, as this lets the milk sit in the mouth for prolonged periods. It is also not recommended to give children 100% juice before age 1, and juice consumption should be limited until the age of 3. 

For pregnant individuals, poor oral health and periodontal disease can lead to premature births and an increased risk of dental caries in infants and children. Early childhood dental caries is a public health concern as its prevalence continues to be upwards of 24%. In childhood, it can lead to speech and pronunciation differences throughout life. For individuals of all ages, poor oral health can have detrimental impacts on mental health, physical health, nutrition, as well as health issues like diabetes, heart disease, respiratory infections, and dementia. Good overall health cannot be achieved without good oral health. 

While oral health is crucial for children and adults, a number of obstacles prevent individuals from access to care. The largest of these obstacles is a lack of insurance in general, or a lack of dental coverage specifically. Oftentimes, dental insurance is separate from health insurance and this complication prevents too many individuals from accessing oral care--as a visit to the dentist without coverage can cost hundreds of dollars. Additionally, while a parent’s health insurance can cover children through the age of 26, dental care may only cover children through the age of 19. A number of other obstacles exist, including lack of transportation, lack of convenient hours, language barriers, and issues due to immigration status. Dentists are typically only open during the week during normal business hours. This makes them inaccessible to many who may not be able to miss work or lack child care. The barriers to dental care lead to a number of disparities for Black and Hispanic children, as well as for those with lower socioeconomic statuses. 

Recently, the MOM Project Bill was introduced to establish a three-year pilot program under the Department of Health, focused on providing eligible mothers with oral health education. After the completion of this educational program, the mother, infant, and children would receive oral health treatment for one year. This bill would help decrease maternal periodontal disease, thereby reducing the likelihood of preterm birth and low birthweight. The one year of treatment for mothers and children would help set the foundation for excellent oral health, which would be further supported by the knowledge the mothers would gain from the educational training. 

To learn more about this important issue view the recording of ACNJ's Lunch and Learn on the importance of oral health, presented by Dr. Michal Herman, COO of KinderSmile Foundation. KinderSmile Foundation provides underserved children with comprehensive dental care and educates children and families on the importance of oral health. Amongst their many services is a Perinatal Health and Wellness Program focused on educating pregnant and new mothers on dental hygiene. It provides free adult dental care following an individual’s attendance at the educational session. KinderSmile Foundation has Community Oral Health Centers in Bloomfield, Newark, and Trenton, and helps eliminate barriers to access in each of these communities.

Information shared in this blog was obtained from KinderSmile's presentation slides.

Read our latest updates on maternal and infant health

Did you know there is a growing movement for play-based learning?

Posted on April 8, 2024

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By Olivia Carrara Leontine Young Fellow

Footnotes:
  1. Tracking the winds of change on the American education policy landscape: The emergence of play-based learning legislation and its implications for the classroom ↵
  2. ibid  ↵
  3.  ibid ↵
  4. Play-Based Learning: Evidence-Based Research to Improve Children’s Learning Experiences in the Kindergarten Classroom ↵
  5. Prioritizing Play: The Importance of Play-based Learning in Early Education↵
  6. Can guidance during play enhance children’s learning and development in educational contexts? A systematic review and meta-analysis↵
  7. State Laws Requiring Play-Based Learning↵
  8.  ibid ↵
  9.  ibid ↵
  10.  ibid ↵
  11.  ibid ↵
  12.  ibid ↵
Did You Know Blog Banner

There has been a recent movement in promoting the use of play-based learning (PBL) beyond the preschool setting. While most preschools and child care centers operate using PBL models, many K-12 schools have shifted their focus to strictly academic learning. In recent decades, the rigor of kindergarten instruction has intensified, with a typical school day consisting of textbooks and worksheets, with just one short recess. This intense commitment to school readiness is often referred to as “schoolification” and leads teachers to focus on math and literacy skills, rather than developmentally appropriate learning.1  For many young learners, developmentally appropriate learning includes a focus on play, socializing, creativity, and collaboration–all components crucial for social and emotional development.2  Not only does this type of learning facilitate social and relational growth, but it also leads to positive academic outcomes and increased language abilities.3 Policymakers are beginning to recognize the importance of play.

Play, in an academic setting, can be either free or guided. While both free and guided play can be beneficial to children, PBL focuses primarily on the use of guided learning. In guided play, early learners are encouraged to make their own choices, direct their own play, and explore their surroundings, all while an educator stands by to facilitate learning.4 The educator can help guide play by asking questions, promoting conversation, and offering ideas for expanding play–all of these can nurture learning. Guided learning can also be used in the form of games. Educators can utilize games to teach their lessons and actively involve their students in the learning process.5 While some individuals argue that direct teaching is more effective than guided play, research has shown that PBL can have positive impacts on executive functioning, social skills, and math literacy, all of which are crucial to a child’s academic progress.6

In an effort to promote the use of PBL, three states have passed legislation surrounding the use of play for kindergarten. New Hampshire was the first state to pass legislation requiring the use of PBL in kindergarten as of 2018.7 In 2023, Connecticut passed legislation mandating PBL in pre-K and public kindergarten, beginning in July 2024.8 Oklahoma, on the other hand, did not pass legislation requiring the use of PBL, but it did prohibit schools from restricting the use of PBL in early childhood education. This law passed in 2021.9

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While each of these laws assists in the promotion of PBL, a number of barriers are keeping them from being implemented properly. The first barrier is funding.10 PBL requires classrooms to have adequate play areas, toys, and supplies to allow for beneficial play. Without funding, teachers and administrators are unable to provide students with the resources they need. A second obstacle is accountability.11 While these laws mandate PBL or prohibit the restriction of such, they do not have pathways that hold schools accountable. There is nothing in place within these states to ensure that schools are following the requirements in their early grades. The laws also do not establish plans to prepare educators or train them on the use of PBL.12 While some education and professional development programs focus on PBL, educators required to use such techniques should be properly trained in the area. The barriers restricting the implementation of these requirements must be addressed, so that our youngest learners can receive their early education in the most efficient ways possible.

Access the following resources for more information on play-based learning:

Play-Based Learning Definition and Benefits

Defining Play-based Learning

Quality - What Does a High Quality Kindergarten Program Look Like

Read our latest updates on early childhood education