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!

 

Did you know nearly 10% of New Jersey’s population is food insecure?

Posted on March 11, 2024

headshot Alena

By Alena Siddiqui
Data Analyst

For more information on this topic or kids count data, contact Alena at asiddiqui@acnj.org

Did You Know Blog Banner

Towards the end of 2023, the New Jersey Food Security Initiative (NJFSI) was launched. The initiative is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is being led by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). The purpose of this program is to not only improve food security in the Garden State but to create equitable access for healthier food for all. In 2023, the average rate for food insufficiency in New Jersey was almost 10% according to FRAC. Food insufficiency (or food insecurity) means that households may sometimes or frequently not have enough to eat. When broken down by race and ethnicity, it is apparent that Black and Latinx households are experiencing higher rates of food insufficiency compared to White households.

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Food insecurity has long been an issue in the United States, and as with many other issues, the COVID-19 pandemic shed a light on this long ignored problem. In 2020, an estimated 9%, or 175,830 children in New Jersey were determined to be food insecure (New Jersey Kids Count 2023) and this estimated number has risen to 197,280, or 9.8%, in 2021 (Feeding America).  Food insecurity can be caused by a variety of factors such as unemployment, poverty, lack of affordable housing, and not living in areas that have access to healthy foods.

In 2020, the number
of children in NJ
determined to be
food insecure:

175,830

In 2021, that number
increased to

197,280

The cost of living in New Jersey is quite high. In 2022, 50% of New Jersey households were spending 30% or more of their income on rent. Many counties reported even higher percentages than the state, as is the case in Passaic (56%) and Salem (55%). It is generally recommended that households aim to spend less than 30% of their income on rent as this allows for the rest of the income to cover other necessary expenses as well as saving for the future.

Screenshot 2024-03-11 135158

The New Jersey Food Security Initiative is currently expected to run for three years. The effort plans to also support already established food insecurity-related initiatives throughout the state by issuing resources, additional funding opportunities, and more. To learn more, visit NJFSI.

Governor’s Proposed FY25 Budget Includes Big Wins for Kids and Families

Posted on February 29, 2024

On February 27, Governor Murphy delivered the annual state budget address to the State Legislature, presenting his proposed spending plan for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget.

The Governor’s budget outlines his key initiatives which include “lowering costs for our families, increasing opportunities in every community, and investing in the lifelong success of every child,” to “ensure New Jersey retains its proud reputation as the best place, anywhere, to raise a family.”

Read the State of NJ Budget in Brief

The $55.9 billion proposed budget includes measures to fully fund the state pension system, fund property tax relief programs, and invest in NJ Transit. The FY25 Budget also consists of essential investments to support children and families.

Highlights of these investments include:

Child Care and Child Tax Credit

  • $3.6 million in wage increases for child care providers
  • $15 million in federal funds to NJ Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) for child care facilities improvements
  • Subsidy payments based on enrollment through December 31, 2024
  • Direct relief to families, including continuation of the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

Preschool Aid

  • $124 million to fully fund pre-K programs that started in FY24, including $20 million to expand pre-K programs to new districts

Education

  • $908 million to fully fund school aid formula
  • Continued funding for the Student Teacher Stipend Program
  • $1 million for the High Poverty School District Minority Teacher Recruitment Program
  • Increase funding for Teacher Loan Redemption Program

Hunger and Food Insecurity

  • $30 million to expand access to free school meals, to cover children in families making under 225% of the federal poverty level
  • $2.8 million in State funding for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Program, to provide meals to children who cannot get school meals during the summer
  • Continued funding support for food banks and emergency feeding organizations
  • Continued minimum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits
  • Support funding to cover grocery delivery fees for WIC participants

Maternal and Child Health

  • Continued investment in the Statewide Universal Newborn Home Nurse Visitation Program, including $4 million increase to expand Family Connects NJ to six more counties
  • $2.2 million for the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority
  • Expand the Cover All Kids Program for an additional 41,000 children

Youth Mental Health

  • $43 million for the NJ Statewide Student Support Services Network (NJ4S)
  • $7.3 million for DCF’s Children’s System of Care which provides care management and connections to mental health services for youth under 21 years of age

Following the budget address, the Legislature will begin the process of reviewing and refining the proposed budget to adopt the final FY25 Budget which must be signed into law by June 30th.

ACNJ will continue to provide updates on the budget and legislative proceedings to ensure that children and families have a voice in this process.

Did you know ARP Stabilization Funds had profound effects on the Child Care Industry and the Families that depend on it?

Posted on February 26, 2024

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By Olivia Carrara
Leontine Young Fellow

For more information on this topic, contact Olivia at ocarrara@acnj.org

Did You Know Blog Banner

ACNJ has always believed that investments in child care would have multiple positive impacts on the child care industry, and now we have more proof! ACNJ has previously established the importance of the child care stabilization grants through surveys and focus groups with child care providers, and now a new study by the White House confirms that, and so much more. During the Covid-19 pandemic, child care employment fell by approximately 30% as numerous child care centers were forced to close their doors. This decline in child care availability forced countless mothers out of the workplace due to their inability to find care for their children. As a remedy, the Biden Administration invested $24 billion in funding for child care providers in March of 2021. These American Rescue Plan (ARP) Stabilization funds were provided in an effort to keep child care centers from closing by issuing grants to assist with paying staff and facility fees, and maintaining the centers through periods of closures and shutdowns. While it was widely believed that these stabilization funds led to an increase in child care access, the new study revealed evidence to in fact affirm this belief, and further suggested that these funds reduced price increases, increased the number of child care workers, raised their wages, and even increased maternal participation in the labor force.

The study published by the White House used comparison groups to identify the impact of the stabilization funds. The study first estimated the effect the funds had on child care prices and found that, on average, families saved roughly $1,200 per year when stabilization funds were provided. Evidence showed, following the disbursement of stabilization funds, that wages for child care workers increased by 10% and child care employment increased by about 7%. The study used this information to conclude that the stabilization funds were primarily spent on decreasing child care prices for families, while simultaneously increasing child care wages and employment.

On average, the ARP Stabilization funds saved families roughly
$1200
in child care costs 
per year.

Wages for child care
workers increased by
10%

Child care
employment
increased
by approximately

7%

The study went further to investigate whether the stabilization funds led to changes in the maternal labor force. The researchers examined employment patterns in mothers of young children compared to women with older children and those without children, thereby showing the effects child care access may have on maternal workforce participation. The trends were similar prior to the pandemic and stabilization funds, indicating that the groups can be compared. The stabilization funds led to a 2% increase in labor force participation within 6 months. After two years, it was revealed that the participation of mothers with young children in the labor force increased by approximately 3%. The participation rates did not change for mothers with older children, revealing that an outside influence led to the other increases.

With all of the information gathered from the study, researchers were able to conclude that stabilization funds can have profound effects on child care supply, and increasing child care availability can have impacts on the labor market. The data suggests that the ARP stabilization funds had a benefit-cost ratio of roughly 2:1. The success of the ARP stabilization funds reveal the countless benefits that can result from investing in, and supporting, the child care industry. Funding child care can decrease child care prices, increase wages for child care workers, close the employment gap, and increase the number of mothers in the labor force--all factors that contribute to a better functioning and more successful society.

New Jersey Legislative Fact Sheet 2024 – Early Learning

Posted on February 22, 2024