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Child Care in New Jersey: Why Everyone Should Care

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date June 23, 2025

Posted on June 23, 2025

Child Care is Everyone's Business

Winifred Smith-Jenkins
Director of Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy

For more information on this topic, contact Winifred at wsmith-jenkins@acnj.org.

Child care is not just a concern for families with young children–it’s everyone’s concern. Every child deserves a strong start in life. Every parent deserves the opportunity to work, go to school, and build a stable future knowing their child is being cared for in a safe and nurturing environment. But in New Jersey, child care is out of reach for far too many families, and it's costing us all.

This election year, voters have the power to demand action. It’s time to ask: What’s your plan to provide safe and stable care for all our babies?

The Real Cost of Inaction
Inadequate child care isn’t just a burden on families. It’s a billion-dollar public economic challenge:

Let's make children and their
families the center of the
2025 Election Campaign.

Partner with us!
Engage with candidates!

Multiple studies have shown that high-quality child care for young children yields significant long-term economic benefits. New Jersey loses $3.6 billion every year in lost earnings, productivity, and tax revenue due to child care challenges (ReadyNation, 2023).
Without reliable child care, parents miss work. Businesses suffer absenteeism, lose workers, and lose their investments in worker training. The economy measurably suffers, and New Jersey is less prosperous.
Parents who cannot work because of lack of child care place additional, costly burdens on the social welfare system.
Without reliable high-quality child care children are less safe and miss out on early learning that prepares them for school and adult life as citizens and contributors to the state’s prosperity.

What Families in New Jersey Need
New Jersey families need leaders who will:

Expand access to affordable, high-quality child care.
Invest in the child care workforce so providers can stay open and staffed
Support family choice: from centers to in-home providers.
Ensure funds reach those who need them most.

What Are the Types of Child Care in New Jersey

State-funded preschool.
Free, full-day programs for 3- and 4-year-olds in participating districts.
Head Start and Early Head Start
Comprehensive early learning and family support programs for low-income families, serving children from birth to age 5 and pregnant women.
Child Care Centers
Licensed care for six or more children, typically offering structured learning environments for infants through school-aged children.
Family Child Care (Home-Based)
Small group care in a provider’s home. Some are registered and subsidy-eligible; others operate privately.
In-Home and Family, Friend, Neighbor (FFN) Care
Trusted individuals who provide care in the child’s home or their own. Some may be eligible for subsidies under specific requirements.
Summer Youth Camps
Seasonal care for school-aged children. Certified camps may qualify for subsidies.

Why Should Everyone Care?
Consider the impact on:

Children
- Builds early brain development, social-emotional skills, and school readiness.
- Lays the foundation for lifelong success.
Parents
- Supports participation in the workforce or higher education.
- Reduces stress and supports family well-being.
Grandparents
- Allows older adults raising or helping raise grandchildren to pursue their own personal, health, or financial goals.
Employers
- Increases employee retention, reduces absenteeism, and improves productivity.
- Strengthens the local workforce.
Community and Economy
- Reduces future costs for education, health, and social services.
- Builds a stronger, more inclusive economy by supporting working families
  Ensures all children, regardless of background, have a chance to thrive.

Why Public Investment Matters Now

High-quality child care is too expensive for most families and unsustainable for most providers.
On average, most centers in NJ operate around 70% of their licensed capacity. Many programs are operating below capacity due to workforce shortages and underfunding.
New Jersey loses $3.6 billion every year in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue due to the lack of accessible child care (ReadyNation, 2023).
Without public investment, parents, providers, and the economy will continue to suffer.

What You Can Do

Partner with us and engage with candidates.
Ask candidates:
“What is your plan to expand access to affordable, quality child care in New Jersey?”
Share your story to help others understand what’s at stake. Use #NJVotes4Kids on social media to join the conversation on making children’s issues a priority in the state elections.
Support public funding for child care as part of a thriving, equitable New Jersey.

Read the latest updates on our child care efforts.

Need help finding child care or applying for financial assistance?
Visit www.ChildCareNJ.gov or call 1-800-332-9227.

The Missing Curriculum: Why Social Emotional Character Development (SECD) Matters

Post author By Eloisa Hernandez-Ramos
Post date June 19, 2025

Posted on June 19, 2025

Authored by:
Adriana Bland
Deborah T. Poritz Summer Public Interest Legal Fellowship Program, LSNJ

For more information on positive youth development efforts, contact Isaiah Fudge at Ifudge@acnj.org.

Social Emotional Character Development is a Whole-Child Approach to Youth Success

Social Emotional Character Development (SECD) is a whole-child approach designed to help youth form strong, healthy relationships, manage emotions effectively, and develop the necessary skills to thrive in life. Rather than cultivating entirely new skills, SECD extracts and strengthens the emotional and interpersonal skills that youth already possess, helping them navigate their positive life purpose with confidence, compassion, and control. Key competencies such as emotional awareness, self-regulation, and collaboration are at the heart of SECD. Encouraging and inspiring these abilities not only supports youth in academic success, but also empowers them to make thoughtful and positive choices about their futures. Without this clear sense of purpose, many youth make poor decisions that can have lasting negative effects. This is why SECD is so critical–it builds resilience and emotional well-being.

Let's make children and their
families the center of the
2025 Election Campaign.

Partner with us!
Engage with candidates!

SECD is a powerful strategy for youth success but, it is important to understand that this method is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each youth is unique. As such, the approaches used must be flexible and meet youth where they are.

Watch our Lunch and Learn on Social Emotional Learning featuring Dr. Maurice Elias, Professor of Psychology and Director of The Collaborative, Rutgers Center for Community-Based Research, Service, and Public Scholarship

While academic achievement often takes center stage in youth development, social and emotional skills are embedded in everything we do, further underscoring the need to incorporate SECD before problems arise, not after. As Dr. Maurice J. Elias notes in his recent Lunch & Learn Webinar, “A test score does not give a kid a future, but a future can motivate a kid to improve a test score.” By prioritizing SECD, we are not just equipping young people for academic success, we are preparing them for life.

SECD Key Takeaways:

Success in school and life is dependent on healthy social and emotional development.
Strong relationships with trustworthy adults can aid in young people’s development of important skills.
A unified SECD approach addresses five core competencies in young people: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness.
While SECD programs exist, adults often do not have adequate training to effectively lead and maintain them.
Social emotional character development often begins at home, where its influence is both earliest and strongest.
Mental health depends largely on one’s social emotional competencies.
It does take a village to raise a child.

Resources:

Academy for SEL in Schools- Getting Serious about SECD

How Parents Can Address Their Children’s Social-Emotional Needs in Stressful Times, by Dr. Maurice J. Elias

How Parents Can Address Their Children’s Social-Emotional Needs in Stressful Times, by Dr. Maurice J. Elias (SPANISH)

Resources for Adding SEL/SECD into Curriculum and Instruction and Improving Classroom and School Climate, by Dr. Maurice J. Elias

Read our latest updates on Positive Youth Development efforts.

Why Maternal and Infant Health Must Be a Top Priority for New Jersey’s Next Governor

Post author By Aisha Khan
Post date June 16, 2025

Posted on June 16, 2025

Our Families Deserve Better. Our Future Depends on it.

Co-authored by:

Winifred Smith-Jenkins
Director of Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy

Alena Siddiqui
Data Analyst

For more information on this topic, contact Winifred at wsmith-jenkins@acnj.org.

New Jersey is facing a maternal health crisis–one that is hitting Black mothers and babies the hardest. Many of these tragedies are preventable. In fact, according to the CDC, three in five pregnancy-related deaths could be prevented. New Jersey’s own data underscores this reality. Between 2016 and 2018, there were 44 pregnancy-related deaths in the state, and over 90% were deemed preventable by the New Jersey Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Our next governor must take action!

From our nation’s earliest days, the health and care of pregnant women and their infants have reflected deep inequalities. Historically, white women in early America often received rest and care during pregnancy and childbirth, while enslaved Black women were forced to keep working through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery. Their health and lives, along with the lives of their children, were disregarded, setting the stage for disparities that persist even now.

Let's make children and their
families the center of the
2025 Election Campaign.

Partner with us!
Engage with candidates!

The legacy of unequal care continues to shape worse health outcomes for Black mothers and babies today.

In New Jersey, Black mothers are 18 times more likely to suffer from heavy bleeding after giving birth, known as postpartum hemorrhage. They are also seven times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white mothers. Black infants are more than two times as likely to die before their first birthday. These risks remain high regardless of income, education, or insurance status. The long-standing inequalities in our health care system are deeply rooted in systemic racism and unconscious bias and have significant consequences on how doctors treat women of color.

This is not just a health issue. It’s a human rights issue.

Many of these deaths are preventable. They happen because too many mothers are ignored when they voice pain, mistreated during labor, or denied the prenatal and postpartum care they need. Nationally, one in six women report mistreatment during childbirth, including being shouted at, ignored, or denied help. Black women report these experiences at even higher rates.

We cannot be silent.

Improving maternal and infant health is about restoring dignity, respect, and equity. It is about recognizing that maternal health care is essential health care, and ensuring every mother, regardless of race, zip code, or income, has access to the support, care, and compassion she needs to safely bring a child into the world.

New Jersey’s next governor must have a plan with input from those most impacted.

In this election year, we urge every voter to ask the candidates:

What will you do to improve care for Black mothers and babies in New Jersey?
How will you ensure access to respectful, culturally sensitive prenatal and postpartum care?
Will you support midwives, doulas, and local programs that serve families?
What steps will you take to tackle the stress and life challenges—like racism, housing, and hunger—that affect maternal health?

Our state’s future depends on healthy beginnings. Let’s demand a future where all mothers and babies thrive.

Read our latest updates on maternal and infant health.

Fewer Than 30% of New Jersey Paid Family Leave Claims for Newborn Bonding Are From Dads

Post author By Aisha Khan
Post date June 13, 2025

Posted on June 13, 2025

By Naomi Engelhard Leontine Young Fellow

For more information on this topic, contact Diane Dellanno at ddellanno@acnj.org

Despite the fact that New Jersey’s Paid Family Leave Insurance (NJ FLI) program is generally available to both parents, fathers made up only 29.7% of bonding claimants in 2023. NJ FLI provides cash benefits to bond with a newborn, newly adopted or newly placed foster child, or to provide care for a seriously ill or injured family member. NJ’s program was signed into law in 2009 and has since been improved and expanded. As of 2019, eligible residents can take up to 12 consecutive weeks of Paid Family Leave, with a maximum benefit of 85% of wages (which is subject to a state-imposed cap).

Why Aren’t More Fathers Taking Advantage of Paid Family Leave?
Recent research highlights several barriers for fathers when considering parental leave, such as, external pressures from peers and employers, concern for career trajectory, and overall lack of awareness. Economic constraints were also among the obstacles fathers faced when considering taking leave. In New Jersey, while workers can receive up to 85% of their average weekly wage, the actual amount they receive is limited by a maximum benefit amount imposed by the state. This means that if an expectant parent's average weekly wage exceeds a certain threshold, they will only receive the maximum allowable benefit.

"There is a very real stigma dads can face when taking leave to bond with their new children,” says Yarrow Willman-Cole of the NJ Time to Care Coalition. "But New Jersey's Family Leave Insurance is available to both dads and moms equally. However, because NJ's program lacks robust job protections, the fear of job loss is a major reason for dads opting not to take leave, along with low benefits and affordability. What fathers need as part of our paid family leave program is job guarantee so they can count on having stability in wages and employment after leave. After all, what good is paid family leave if your job is not there for you when you go back?”

Why is Paternal Leave So Important?
Recent research has revealed the neurological and hormonal changes that take place in fathers that result in more effective and engaging parenting. One study found how oxytocin, a hormone typically discussed in the maternal context, is also a key ingredient in promoting father-infant bonding and is produced through contact and connection with the newborn.

Teal And White Modern Quote Of The Day Instagram Post (5)

Equally important, a father's active involvement in child care and household responsibilities can help ease the transition into parenthood and help the entire family adjust more smoothly when welcoming additional children. Other benefits include reduced risk of maternal postpartum health complications and improved maternal mental health, increased confidence in parenting, and higher level of parental involvement. When dads take leave to care for their newborns it can establish a foundation for life.

Moving Forward: What Can Be Done To Support Dads?

1. Ensure full pay for parental leave
Governor Murphy’s 2025 State of the State Address emphasized his commitment to delivering economic security and opportunity to all New Jersyans. Included in this effort is to provide 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave to every state employee welcoming a new child. In his 2025 budget, the Governor made good on this promise by allocating $10 million to provide state employees with full pay while they are on family leave caring for a newborn. He stated "Nobody should ever have to sacrifice their economic security in order to be a present and engaged parent."

Although not specifically for fathers, this policy benefits them by allowing them to take time off to care for their newborn without the concern of lost income. It also promotes gender equality through incentivising both parents to take time off equally, enabling fathers to play a more active role in their child’s early life, and support their partners. While this change will only impact the state’s public sector workers, it is hoped it will eventually become the norm for all.

Many employers, including ACNJ, have implemented this practice of making workers' salaries whole while they are on leave, and we hope this move by the state leads the way for more employers to adopt a similar policy to create a fairer and healthier workforce.

2. End the stigma
While Governor Murphy’s proposed increase in the percentage of wages may increase the uptake for fathers in the state’s public sector, social barriers-–such as stigma— still create obstacles for fathers considering leave. We need a cultural shift in how we view fathers staying home with their families during this crucial moment. Research indicates that employers must also play a role in this shift by emphasizing the value of bonding with newborns and supporting maternal health.

3. Guarantee job protection
Employers must consider incorporating job protection into paid leave policies, ensuring that fathers can take time off without the fear of losing their jobs. By offering job security alongside paid leave, companies not only support family well-being but also contribute to a more equitable and supportive workplace for all employees.

Let's Normalize Shared Caregiving
While NJ FLI is a great resource, there is clearly much more to be done to truly and effectively support all families. Caregiving is not just a mom's job and unfortunately, fathers fear taking parental leave to share that responsibility. If we do not address the barriers that prevent fathers from taking advantage of the paid leave, we continue to deprive them from bonding with their children--and that is a loss that affects not only them, but the whole family.

Dads, we want to hear from you!

Your stories matter--let's create change TOGETHER! Please take a few minutes to share your experiences with Paid Family Leave (whether or not you took it) to help shape future advocacy efforts.

Read our latest updates on maternal and infant health.

Happy Healthy Dads = Happy Healthy Children

Post author By Aisha Khan
Post date June 12, 2025

Posted on June 12, 2025

By Keith Hadad
Staff Writer

For more information on this topic (or for more dad jokes!), contact Isaiah at ifudge@acnj.org.

This Father’s Day, let’s take time to appreciate how much love, joy, and fun fathers bring into the lives of their families. Being the best superhero, teacher, and role model a kid could ask for is certainly important and warrants recognition. Fathers, just like mothers, deserve to be supported and seen, and when they are, their health and positivity are reflected in the health and well-being of their children.

Children thrive with the positive presence of fathers and the stability they bring to their homes. The Society for Research in Child Development says that “children with more engaged fathers have higher levels of cognitive skills and academic grades, more positive peer relationships, and fewer behavior and mental health problems.” Studies, like this one by UC Irvine, also found that having a harsh or absent father greatly raises the chances of a youth entering the criminal justice system.

Fathering not only boosts the mental health of children, it can equally boost the mental health of the fathers themselves. According to Psychology Today, “Fathers’ and babies’ brains function symbiotically, neuroscientists are finding, each party benefiting in some way from the other’s cognitive influence.” The happiness that fathers can feel from the act of parenting–the love they feel from their child, or from vicariously experiencing the joy and wonder of their little ones–can often bring sunshine to even the grayest of days. This is certainly true for Richard Santangelo, ACNJ’s Fundraising Manager and father of two, who says that his favorite aspect of fathering is watching his children discover the world. “Seeing things through their eyes, sharing in their wonder, and witnessing their growth over time–it’s a mix of joy, pride, and responsibility that evolves every day,” Santangelo said.

Similarly, ACNJ’s Positive Youth Development Director, Isaiah Fudge, a father of a 12-year-old daughter, says his favorite aspect of being a dad is the fun he has with his daughter. “I am the dad joke king, and my daughter gets a kick out of my corniness, even though she won't admit it. I brag that I am the first person to ever make her laugh! I love it!”

While being a father is a rewarding and positively transformative experience, some new dads might have a difficult time adjusting to their role. When it comes to raising children, no matter if you’re the father or mother, there can be a great deal of pressure, and that stress could easily lead to increased levels of cortisol in the body, which can contribute to or exacerbate symptoms of depression and/or irritability.

According to a study on paternal mental health, one in 10 fathers will experience prenatal and postpartum depression. Meanwhile, a study on paternal anxiety during the prenatal and postpartum period found that prenatal/postpartum anxiety is present in rates that are considerably higher than the global WHO regional average for anxiety amongst men. Untreated depression and anxiety can lead to increased hostility at home, resentment towards your children, and ultimately, negative behavior and emotional problems with your kids.

In a study by Dave, Nazareth, Sherr, and Senior, an association was found between paternal postpartum depression and negative infant temperament, which is the foundation for future child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. This means that a father’s poor mental health could indeed affect the moods and behaviors of his children.

So what can fathers in New Jersey do if they’re having a difficult time adjusting to being a parent or grappling with their mental health? Thankfully, there are several resources that dads in the state can take advantage of when they need the help:

- - - Fathers Care Network (FCN) - https://avanzarnow.org/programs-and-services/fatherhood-services/
      A 26-session program offered in Atlantic City aimed at equipping men with the skills and resources necessary to become strong, nurturing, and supportive fathers.
    - Fatherhood Support Group - https://www.passaicresourcenet.org/search/fatherhood-support-group/
      The Catholic Charities Diocese of Paterson hosts an in-person paternal support group that focuses on understanding the self, fathering versus parenting, and how to be a better father.
    - F.E.L.L.A.S - Fatherhood Program of Essex https://pmch.org/fellas/
      A free program that engages fathers in Essex County to promote healthy relationships, strengthen parenting skills, and increase economic stability through employment training, support groups, and individualized support.
    - Hey Black Dad - https://www.heyblackdads.com/
      Peter Bullock, a dad doula, provides support for new dads through courses and in-person and virtual coaching sessions to educate them on how to best support their birthing partner through their prenatal and postpartum pregnancy journey.
    - NJ Family Alliance - https://www.njfamilyalliance.org/
      New Jersey's Family Support Organizations are community-based, family-led, non-profit agencies whose mission is to offer support, education and advocacy to families and caregivers of children with emotional, behavioral and mental health needs.
    - Parents Inc. of New Jersey - Father Time - https://parentsincofnj.org/programs/fathertime/
      A free program by dads for dads that includes professionally facilitated peer-led community-based support groups, the National Fatherhood Initiative Fatherhood Program 24/7 DAD™ curriculum and community-wide family activities.
    - The Fathers Center of New Jersey - https://thefathercenter.org/
      A community organization that offers everything from stress management training and anger management programs to adult vocational classes aimed at giving fathers in the life skills they need to best support their families

If you know of other paternal support groups, please let us know in the comments of our social media posts. Thank you dads of New Jersey, we appreciate you!

Read our latest updates on Maternal and Infant Health