Posted on October 1, 2025
ACNJ leading the charge to Start Strong NJ, a campaign fighting for affordable child care for all.
Child care has reached a breaking point. Infant care averages nearly $20,000 a year. Preschool? Almost $19,000. For many families, child care costs more than their mortgage — and, here’s the striking part, more than the average cost of in-state college tuition.
But this isn’t just a family hardship. It’s an economic problem. When parents can’t afford reliable child care, they reduce hours, turn down promotions, or leave the workforce altogether. Employers lose talent. Businesses lose productivity. New Jersey loses growth.
ACNJ along with the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children (NJAEYC) are leading the charge to Start Strong NJ, a campaign of the First 1,000 Days NJ Policy Coalition, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, providers, parents, and advocates committed to making affordable, high-quality child care available to every family in the state. The campaign’s policy agenda emphasizes affordability, a stable workforce, and lasting public investment to strengthen New Jersey’s economy and secure a strong future for children.
Here’s what else we know: If we want families to stay in New Jersey, grandparents to remain connected, and our workforce to thrive, we must treat child care as essential infrastructure.
After the November gubernatorial election, Start Strong NJ will present the new governor with a blueprint — a roadmap of actionable steps they can take in their first year. And this coalition will be the go-to resource for every question on early care and education in New Jersey.
New Jersey has a choice. We can continue patching a broken system with small fixes — or we can reimagine child care as the public good it truly is.
That means:
- Expanding access to the Child Care Assistance Program.
- Incentivizing employers to help cover the cost.
- Enhancing tax credits for families.
- Strengthening and expanding paid family leave.
- And making bold public investments so child care teachers earn professional wages.
So the question for New Jersey’s next governor isn’t “Can we afford to invest in child care?”
The question is: “Can we afford not to?”
Because if we want a stronger economy, stronger communities, and a stronger future for our children — then bold investment in our child care infrastructure must remain a top priority for the next administration.
Start Strong NJ releases blueprint to make affordable, quality child care available to every family in the state that needs it.
