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

Newark Future Policymakers Advocacy Training Class of 2026 Fellows

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date May 15, 2026

Posted on May 15, 2026

The Newark Future Policymakers Program, in its fifth year now, is an immersive advocacy training initiative that empowers local youth to shape civic policies. Fellows analyze real-world urban issues, build professional organizing skills, and drive meaningful, community-led change. Read about the fellows in this year's cohort.

Sheguyma Bazile

Kaysi Charrington

Nathan Duguid

Manpreet Kaur

Kaley Klapisch

Lakita Lloyd

Sehar Mehnoor

Yasmina Ouedraogo

Liyalani Roebuck

Deonte Savage

Jocelyn Tapia

Mohamad Wattar

Reflecting on the State of Preschool

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date May 14, 2026

Posted on May 14, 2026

Winifred Smith-Jenkins
Director of Early Learning Policy and Advocacy

The State of Preschool 2025 by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) once again recognizes New Jersey as a national leader in public preschool; an achievement worth celebrating. While NJ consistently meets 9 out of 10 of its quality indicators, now is a good time to consider how preschool expansion intersects with the broader child care system that families rely on.

New Jersey’s success reflects decades of bipartisan investment and commitment to young children. The Governor and Legislature deserve tremendous credit for expanding access to public preschool and fully funding the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), reflecting a growing recognition that early care and education are essential to children’s development, family stability, and the state’s economic future.

As New Jersey continues to build on this progress, there is an important opportunity to think more broadly about how the entire early childhood system functions.

Too often, preschool, child care, subsidy programs, and workforce policies are discussed as separate issues. Families, however, experience them as one connected system. Parents are simply trying to find stable, affordable, high-quality care that supports their children and allows them to work.

That broader perspective matters because CCAP is not just a birth-to-five program. It supports children from infancy through age 13, and up to age 19 for children who are mentally or physically incapable of self-care or who are under the supervision of the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P). CCAP helps families access care before and after school, during holidays, and throughout the summer. Community-based providers are often the backbone of that continuum, offering infant and toddler care, preschool, wraparound care, and school-age programming under one roof.

At the same time, infant and toddler care remains one of the most fragile parts of the system.

A 2023 report from Advocates for Children of New Jersey, Still No Room for Babies: Child Care Staffing Crisis Impacts Supply of Infant-Toddler Child Care, found that licensed child care centers in New Jersey have the capacity to serve only about one-third of infants and toddlers likely to need care because their parents work. In 57 percent of former Abbott communities, qualify as infant-toddler child care deserts.

These shortages are not caused by a lack of demand. Providers and parents consistently report a strong need for infant and toddler care. The challenge is that infant and toddler classrooms are among the most expensive to operate due to staffing ratios and the intensive level of care required, while current funding structures often do not fully cover those costs.

Many community-based providers rely on preschool enrollment to help stabilize the financial viability of infant and toddler classrooms. However, based on calculations using information from the Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026 Report to the New Jersey State Legislature on Preschool Expansion and Mixed Delivery, 87 percent of new state-funded preschool seats were added in district and charter school classrooms. Community child care providers accounted for only 507 of the 2,913 new preschool seats added statewide — approximately 17 percent — while Head Start seats decreased by 4 percent.

As public preschool expansion continues, it will be important to ensure that growth strengthens, rather than unintentionally destabilizes, the broader early childhood infrastructure families rely on.

That is one reason New Jersey’s mixed-delivery model remains so important. Mixed delivery enables school districts, Head Start programs, and community child care providers to collaborate to serve public preschool children across multiple settings. At its best, it preserves family choice and recognizes that different settings meet different family needs.

As the system continues to evolve, there is an opportunity to strengthen these partnerships even further.

Moving forward, the focus cannot only be on creating more preschool seats. It must also include strengthening the broader ecosystem that supports children and families from infancy through school age.

New Jersey has already demonstrated what sustained investment in early childhood can accomplish. The next opportunity is to ensure that preschool expansion, child care, workforce development, and family supports are aligned to create a stronger, more sustainable system for children, families, and communities statewide.

Myths and Misconceptions about Doulas

Post author By Aisha Khan
Post date May 6, 2026

Posted on May 6, 2026

By Rose-Anne Uwague
Parent Ambassador, ACNJ Parent Leadership Council

In a healthcare system that is often criticized for feeling rushed, impersonal, or even unsafe, especially for Black and brown families, there’s someone whose only role is to be fully present for you. A doula!

When I called to learn if my insurance company offers doulas, the customer service representative informed me that there was no one by the name of “Adoula” working there. Welp! Many people have never heard of doulas, and those who have often believe myths, like doulas are just for home births, or that they replace doctors, or that only wealthy families can afford them.

Doulas have deep roots in community care and birth traditions, and today they’re part of a growing movement to make birth safer, more empowering, and more equitable. So today, we want to clear up the confusion, bust a few myths, and spotlight how doulas are transforming birth and postpartum experiences right here in New Jersey.

➤ Doulas replace doctors or midwives.

False. Doulas provide non-medical support. They complement the medical team, not replace them. Simply put, doulas are not doctors. Doulas are not midwives.

➤ Doulas only support natural or home births.

False. Doulas can support all types of births from hospital, home, birthing centers, epidurals, C-sections, VBACs (vaginal birth after C-section), inductions, etc.

➤ Only wealthy people hire doulas.

False. Many community-based doulas serve low-income families. Medicaid reimbursement and nonprofit programs are expanding access.

➤ Doulas make decisions for you or speak for you.

False. Doulas empower, support decision-making, and self-advocacy, but don’t speak on behalf of the mother unless explicitly asked.

➤ Doulas are just for mothers.

False. Doulas support the whole family, offering reassurance and practical help.There are even sibling doulas who work primarily with the other children to explain the process!

Now let's get into some stereotypes…

➤ Many people think that doulas are white, hippie women, but this actually erases the deep roots of birthwork in Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities. Many doulas of color and culturally specific doulas are leading birth justice movements.

➤ Doulas push anti-hospital or anti-intervention agendas. The role of a doula is to educate and support, not to force their beliefs upon their clients. Some doulas work within hospitals and support informed choice, not one specific outcome.

As you can see, doulas play a critical role, so when I hear the myth that doulas are not professional, I have to debunk it. Doulas are trained, certified, and often part of professional organizations. Many also complete continuing education, have ethical codes, and follow best practices. There are so many other misconceptions but I hope this cleared up the more common ones and that you will share what you learned.

==========================
Rose-Anne Uwague is a productivity coach, maternal health and child wellness advocate, and New Jersey-based mom of three. She was appointed by New Jersey Governor Murphy to serve as a board member on the Maternal Care Quality Collaborative. She is the Chair of the Parent Leadership Council and the Co-Chair of New Jersey’s Unlocking Potential 2.0 Leadership Team composed of multidisciplinary providers.

She shares her motherhood story to spread awareness, ignite hope, and provoke change. Her goal is to uplift the voices of others, encourage them to advocate for their positive health outcomes, and partner with legislators to promote positive change. Her advocacy work in infant and maternal health stemmed from noticing that the challenges her clients were facing were not limited to the woman, but a deeply flawed and broken system. As a productivity coach and life strategist, she helps women redefine productivity so they can experience wellness and total well-being. She was featured in Forbes weighing in on the pandemic productivity debate.

Read the latest on maternal and infant health.

MIECHV Family Home Visits in New Jersey by Congressional District, 2025 Data

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date April 22, 2026

Posted on April 22, 2026

Download State Page

HomeVisitation2026NJ

Find out how many families of children under 3 years old received a home visit in the cities in your district. Share the fact sheets with your federal congressional representatives.

Congressional District
Fact Sheets

Select District

Brick by Brick: The History Behind Today’s Upside-Down Food Pyramid and it’s Impact on Food Assistance Programs

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date April 13, 2026

Posted on April 13, 2026

By Keith Hadad
ACNJ, Staff Writer

Earlier this year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), along with an updated food pyramid. The changes, represented by an upside-down pyramid, emphasize protein intake, recommend full-fat dairy options, and encourage limiting highly processed foods and added sugars. These guidelines govern nutritional standards for school meals, feeding 27.2 million students every day; and in some part informs the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to 42.6 million people throughout the US. While the logistics and guidance are still in flux, the recent DGA updates will eventually create significant shifts in how the nation’s students and underserved eat. But how did we get here?

History of Federal Dietary Guidelines

First introduced in 1980, the Federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans have shaped national nutrition policy and standards for generations. Updated every five years by the USDA and HHS, these guidelines provide the policy and scientific basis for federal food assistance programs, including school meals and SNAP benefits. In 1992, the USDA introduced the Food Guide Pyramid, its first widely accepted graphic to illustrate a healthy diet. The Pyramid, with grains at the base and fats and sweets at the top, was designed to communicate recommended daily servings and reinforce the Dietary Guidelines.

Over the years, the government’s nutritional guidelines and the Pyramid itself have evolved in response to the nation’s changing needs and our expanding understanding of nutritional science, thereby directly shaping school meal standards.

The origins of the Food Pyramid as we know it today began in the 1940s. In 1943, in an effort to help Americans maintain a healthy diet while rationing for the war, the USDA released “The Basic 7,” which grouped sections of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and other foods into a wheel.

By 1955, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health condensed the 7 food groups into The Basic Four, which was adopted by the USDA. While being one of the federal government’s early attempts at messaging about tying diet to national stability, this and the guide that came before it lacked recommendations for appropriate choices of sugars, fats, and overall calorie intake.

In 1977, the first edition of the Dietary Goals for the United States was released, which was the first set of government guidelines that drew a connection between diet and major chronic diseases. The USDA and HHS (then known as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare) formed a Joint Coordinating Committee in 1978 that voluntarily assembled a task force of scientists from both agencies to create nutrition guidance for the public. Their goal was to reflect current understandings of how diet relates to health and disease.

After reviewing evidence from sources such as the Surgeon General’s Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, and other scientific organizations, the task force presented its findings as the 1980 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, based on the prevailing scientific consensus about nutrition and its impact on health. From this point forward, the national Dietary Guidelines would be updated every five years, and this became law in 1990 with the passage of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act. This law also requires all federal nutrition programs, including school meals, to be consistent with these nutritional guidelines.

In 1992, the Food Pyramid that we are all familiar with was introduced to visually communicate recommended servings of the major food groups and to translate nutrition science into a public education tool. The 1995 edition of the DGAs was revised to align with information from the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts Panel. The report also strongly stressed the importance of regular physical activity for maintaining a healthy body weight.

The Food Guide Pyramid then evolved into MyPyramid in 2005, which, with its tagline “Steps to a Healthier You,” further emphasized the importance of physical exercise by depicting a figure scaling the side of the pyramid.The bricks of the pyramid were changed into vertical wedges of color to reflect the DGA’s updated food patterns.

MyPyramid was then replaced in 2011 by First Lady Michelle Obama with a simpler graphic, known as MyPlate. MyPlate was a circular diagram split into two halves: one dedicated to whole fruits and varied vegetables, and the other to grains and diverse protein sources, with dairy placed on the side.

The newest changes to the Dietary Guidelines brought major alterations. Perhaps most evident is that the MyPlate graphic was replaced with an inverted pyramid. The protein, whole dairy, and healthy fats are now at the top, and grains are moved to the bottom.

The new guidelines stress the importance of whole, nutrient-dense foods coupled with a liberal reduction in highly processed foods that are high in added sugars and chemicals, refined carbohydrates, excess sodium, and unhealthy fats.

The Impact on School Meals

For schools to receive federally funded free or low-cost meals through programs such as the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, they must comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A USDA study found that school meals can often be one of the most nutritious sources of food for students. However, improvements are still needed. The DGA indicates that roughly 70–80% of school-aged children consume excessive amounts of added sugar. Similarly,a USDA study found that over 90% of students regularly exceed recommended sodium levels. These gradual changes in the new guidelines aim to improve children’s health and produce meaningful long-term benefits, such as reducing the risk of diet-related conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

The process of developing and implementing these regulations can often span several years, so these updates cannot be rolled out overnight. The USDA must first introduce proposed rules, open them up for public feedback, finalize the regulations, and then allow schools and food providers time to modify recipes and comply with the updated standards. Not all schools have the right equipment, conditions, or trained staff to prepare enough scratch meals to meet these new standards and the needs of their students. A survey released by the School Nutrition Association showed that 79% of school meal program directors nationwide have an urgent need for increased funding to expand scratch cooking and reduce ultraprocessed foods. So schools will have to wait for guidance from the USDA on exactly how to implement the changes necessary to meet the new dietary guidelines.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Currently, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans influence SNAP primarily by guiding nutrition education, program improvements, and policy discussions, rather than directly restricting purchases. SNAP-Ed uses the DGA to promote healthier eating habits, while the guidelines also shape initiatives that encourage the purchase of more nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Although SNAP benefits can still be used for most foods, the DGA continues to inform ongoing debates about incentives and potential restrictions.

Under the leadership of President Trump, the USDA is now allowing states to exercise greater program management by approving SNAP Food Restriction Waivers. These waivers can make non-nutritious items, such as soda and candy, ineligible for SNAP benefits. As of last year, some states, like Nebraska, have removed soda and energy drinks from SNAP, and more changes are expected to follow.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Pyramid have grown and evolved alongside our understanding of nutritional science over the years, and both will assuredly continue to change far into the future. As the new Dietary Guidelines are slowly phased in and further guidance is issued by the USDA, ACNJ will continue to monitor these changes and how they affect programs such as SNAP and the National Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

Read the latest on child health and nutrition.