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Testimony to NJ State Board of Education on New Jersey’s Public Preschool System

Posted on September 7, 2024

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Cindy testifies on New Jersey's preschool mixed delivery system.

TO:        Members of the New Jersey State Board of Education

FROM:  Cindy Shields, Senior Policy Analyst for Early Care & Education

             Advocates for Children of New Jersey

DATE:  September 4, 2024

RE:       New Jersey’s Public Preschool System

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on New Jersey’s public education system as it relates to the well-being and success of our youngest residents. ACNJ is committed to ensuring that all children have access to high-quality education in safe and enriching environments as their fundamental right. We aim to ensure that systems serving children uphold standards that support healthy development and provide pathways to academic, economic, and social success.

New Jersey has been a national model of Preschool education for decades, and has since strengthened and built the program to include over 200 school districts in the state. Some of the most robust programs include a mixed delivery model that includes private providers as well as public schools as the educational home for 3- and 4-year-olds. Mixed delivery is a national best practice and has numerous advantages, parental choice and family circumstances as a deciding factor in a child’s education being the most important.

A true mixed delivery system has numerous benefits, some of which are:

  • Private child care providers have extensive experience providing early care and education services in their respective communities. Communities that they are often deeply rooted in and well respected by;
  • Private child care centers can effectively address the needs of working parents who may need full-day, full-year services for their children. Providing preschool in child care centers can be more convenient for parents and less disruptive for children, because they do not have to be moved from one location to another each day and during the summer. If a parent also has an infant or toddler, private centers may also provide care in the same facility, thereby strengthening the family unit and offering even more supports to the family as a whole;
  • Utilizing space in existing child care centers can facilitate the rapid expansion of classrooms and will also reduce tax-payer investment by eliminating the need to expend funds for renovation of current classrooms or the construction of additional rooms in public school buildings;
  • Successful involvement of child care centers in preschool initiatives aligns preschool programs within a birth-through-third-grade continuum of services and creates sustainable programs by coordinating existing early learning funds. It also promotes collaboration among schools, child care providers, other early care and education programs and parents, enabling them all to take advantage of the expertise each partner brings and to make effective use of early childhood resources. Such collaboration can lead to joint efforts not only on preschool expansion but also on the full array of supports and services that children and their families require;
  • Avoids the serious, negative financial impact on child care of centers of losing three & four year olds, which threatens the availability and quality of local early care and education for children from birth through age 3. We have already seen the system (as it stands) create “Infant Toddler Care deserts”, areas in which there is not sufficient licensed child care to meet the needs of the community. This leads to children being in unregulated, possibly hazardous and inconsistent, care, as well as, inhibiting the parents’ ability to fully and reliably participate in the workforce. Early care and education programs are the backbone of our economy, the workforce behind the workforce, supporting many industries, including the PK-12 system in NJ. Without it, the economy suffers, along with the child and their family.

I often speak with providers in Abbott and Expansion districts across the state, in my role at ACNJ as well as sitting President of the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children (NJAEYC).  As Preschool Expansion in New Jersey has grown, expanded, and evolved, we have seen several barriers to the successful implementation of mixed delivery appear. In Abbott Districts, enrollment in private providers and Head Start programs decreased by 25% from fall 2009 to fall 2022, dropping from 25,121 to 18,704 students. In the fall 2010, 51% of Abbott preschoolers were enrolled in private providers or Head Start programs; by 2022, this had declined to only 38%. In Preschool Expansion Districts, in fall 2022, of the nearly 20,000 preschool students in districts funded through Preschool Expansion, only 3,300 (or 17%) were enrolled in private providers or Head Start programs. Some barriers that are leading to this include:

  • Square footage requirements exceed what our child care infrastructure was built on. Department of Children and Families, Office of Licensing regulations mandate a minimum of 35 square feet per child, or a minimum classroom size of 525 square feet for 15 children.  950 square feet is a stretch, even the minimum, with a waiver, of 700 square feet puts many classrooms out of reach of districts as possible classroom space. As a side note, NJ is only one of two states that does not use their licensing requirement for square footage as a basis for classroom size for state-funded preschool;
  • Educational requirements often exceed those of teaching staff in private child care centers. We recognize the importance of teacher preparation and certification and suggest a pathway and time frame to achieve the proper degree and certification required for preschool teachers in NJ. This was applied successfully in the early days of Abbott implementation, as well as in other states. Knowing that we are in a crisis-level teacher shortage, we need to implement multiple strategies to close the gap and preserve the integrity of our educational system;
  • Even with the “due diligence” language in PEA funding application requirements, there seems to be an unwillingness on the part of some school districts to collaborate with private providers. While there are many success stories (Sayreville, Passaic, Paterson and many more), we hear from Providers weekly that have tried repeatedly to connect with representatives from their local school district only to be ignored, or worse, told that it is only a matter of time before they go out of business because the district will be educating all of the 3- and 4-year olds in the district. I’m sure that this is not in the spirit of collaboration that this Board intended.

The rapid and necessary expansion of preschool programming for younger learners has laid bare some unintended, unfortunate consequences that can no longer continue unchecked, or it will further fracture the system. We must remind ourselves that preschool can be a child and family’s first interaction with the public school system. We must work to create collaborative partnerships between school districts and private providers to educate our children and serve the families they come from. If the relationship starts off positively, it will end with a proud graduate and successful citizen.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Should you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach me at cshields@acnj.org.

Did you know lead testing is crucial for children?

Posted on August 29, 2024

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By Alena Siddiqui
Data Analyst

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

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Background on Lead Use in the U.S.

Lead is a naturally occurring metal known for being malleable, not easily corroded, and has a low melting point. In the past, lead was used extensively in many household items. Some of these include paint, pipes, crystal/glass, and batteries. It was quite common to use lead in paint because it not only helps the paint dry quicker, but also resists moisture, increases durability, and provides pigment. 

During the 1940s to 60s, there were various studies being done on the long-term effects of lead poisoning in children. Dr. Herbert Needleman built upon these studies in the 1970s when he examined the lead content in children's teeth and found a link where children with a higher content of lead in their teeth scored poorly on IQ tests and had behavioral issues. It was due to these studies that the government started to phase out the use of lead, such as in 1978 when the federal government banned the residential use of lead paint.

Lead’s Effect on Health

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) maintains that there is no safe level of lead in a child's blood.

Since a child’s body is still developing, there are many negative effects that can occur in a child with lead poisoning. Some of these effects include, but are not limited to:

      • Developmental delays
      • Behavioral problems
      • Brain damage
      • Nervous system damage

For these reasons, it is most important that parents get their young children tested when they are supposed to. In New Jersey, children must be tested before age two and if they have not been tested by this age, then they must be tested before age six. Children can, of course, be tested at other ages as well if it is suspected that they may be experiencing lead poisoning. In New Jersey, insurance companies are required to cover the costs of blood lead testing in children 17 years and younger. Children can get tested at their doctor's office or their health care provider may provide a prescription to get tested at a lab.

How are Children Getting Exposed to Lead?

There are a few ways children may be exposed to lead. Exposure has often occurred from living in an older home that at some point may have been painted with paint including lead. When older paint chips off from the walls, sometimes young children put these paint chips into their mouths. Another way of exposure is simply through breathing toxic dust, which is what lead paint chips become when they break down. Children may also be exposed by way of drinking water if the pipes are made of lead, which can leach into the water as seen in Flint, Michigan and in Newark, New Jersey.

What Does the Data Show?

In 2022, an estimated 39% of N.J. children between six months and 26 months were tested for lead while about 1.6% tested positive for elevated blood lead levels. In the same year, an estimated 23% of N.J. children under age six were tested for lead and of these children, 1.9% had elevated blood lead levels. Counties that have higher percentages of children testing with elevated levels of lead in blood (EBLL) for both age groups are Cumberland, Mercer, and Essex. These counties also have higher estimated children living below the federal poverty level. Children who are in homes built before 1978 and are low-income are more likely to experience lead exposure. In 2022, 20% of Cumberland’s, 21% of Essex’s, and 14% of Mercer’s children were living below the federal poverty level (for full table, see County Pocket Guide 2024). In addition to this, in each of these counties, more than 60% of the homes were built before 1980. Essex has the highest percentage at 75%. 

The Annual Childhood Lead reports released from the Department of Health will lower the EBLL standard from 5 to 3.5 µg/dL to comply with the CDC’s recommendations in future reports. This change is positive because more children with elevated levels of blood will be helped, and to iterate, there is no amount of lead that is safe in blood. Lead-Free NJ is a “collaborative focused on removing lead from New Jersey’s environment.” The group has made recommendations to update New Jersey Administrative Code Section 8:51, which provides guidelines on how to proceed with a child who has been tested with elevated levels of lead in blood. In addition to these recommendations, Lead-Free NJ would also like for New Jersey “to consider updates to case management practices that would clarify clinical recommendations for case management, enable lead hazard assessments and home visits at lower EBLLs, and improve family access to lead risk assessment and lead hazard remediation services offered in their local areas.” If interested in reading more about Lead-Free NJ’s recommendations, click here. 

Lead poisoning can cause a lot of developmental harm to children as their bodies and minds are still developing. Therefore, it is crucial that they get tested for lead at the recommended ages, and additionally, if and when suggested by their doctor.

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Did you know that many students are still not taking advantage of New Jersey’s free or reduced price school breakfast program?

Posted on August 23, 2024

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By Keith Hadad
Staff Writer 

For more information on this topic, contact Keith at khadad@acnj.org.

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Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, especially for growing children. This is why legislators and advocates have worked so hard to ensure that free and reduced-price breakfast is available at school to the state’s underprivileged children. In 2024, Governor Murphy expanded the eligibility range for free and discounted meals through the Federal School Breakfast program and the National School Lunch program to families that have an annual income of up to 224% of the federal poverty level (no more than $67,200 annual household income), which was the second time in just as many years that New Jersey has widened the limits of these qualifications. However, there are still too many students missing this essential start to a healthy, productive school day.

Making a habit of starting the day with a healthy meal can assist students with reaching higher test scores, concentrating better in class, and spending less time out sick or in the nurse’s office, away from their lessons. Ensuring that more students begin their school day with a nutritious breakfast has been a major focus of New Jersey. ACNJ worked with other partners through the  New Jersey Food for Thought Campaign to improve the state’s ranking from 46th in the 2010 fiscal year to 19th nationally in the 2018 fiscal year for its student participation, which led to the state reimbursing districts $105 million in funding. However, despite this positive trend, the school breakfast program is still under-utilized. According to data from the 2024 NJ Kids Count Pocket Guide, in 2023, there was only 58% participation in the free or reduced-price student breakfast program per every 100 kids who also participated in the school’s lunch program. 

In 2019, a state law went into effect requiring schools with at least 70% of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals to serve breakfast during the school day. Again, the eligible yearly income range has expanded since then, and according to Hunger Free NJ, there are 60,000 more kids in the state who are eligible in 2024. Despite this, there are still some major school breakfast underachievers in New Jersey.

One of the reasons for a lack of participation in the breakfast program is when schools serve the meal prior to classes–before many children are able to arrive on campus. This is why several districts in the state have adopted a breakfast after the bell approach, which serves the meal during regular classroom hours. Providing breakfast in class leads to better student participation and a greater chance that a child will have a successful and healthy school day. It’s a popular option that shows real results. According to ACNJ’s 2014 Food for Thought: Annual New Jersey School Breakfast Report, in the first four years of the breakfast after the bell program, the amount of low-income students eating breakfast at school between 2010 and 2014 jumped by 55%.

Stigma associated with needing a free meal and resistance from school leaders and faculty can also be big contributing factors to districts underperforming in the fight against student hunger. Some teachers and administrators might also not want to adopt this model out of a fear of losing instructional time. However, in 2012, the NJ Department of Education and NJ Department of Agriculture joined forces to mandate that schools should count breakfast in the classroom as instructional time, in recognition of how the meal positively impacts the development and performance of students.

Based on this guidance, some teachers have transformed breakfast time into a way to get students warmed up for a day full of learning and engagement. Many give their children tasks, problems to solve or other prompts to work on as they eat their meal and become more alert and awake. This breakfast not only prepares students for their lessons, it’s a part of them, too. For example, as mentioned in Hunger Free NJ’s Food for Thought:

The State of School Breakfast in New Jersey, 2018-19 School Year report, a 4th grade teacher, Zoe Coleman, states that when classroom breakfast was introduced, she gave her students math and science problems to solve as they ate. She said this made the children more energetic and eager to learn, and she didn’t have to send hungry students to the nurse for a snack to get through the morning anymore.

Schools that do not provide breakfast for their students miss out on beneficial financial support. At schools in high-poverty areas, breakfast can be covered by federal per-meal reimbursements, which transfers supplementary funds into school meals programs that could be used to enhance the food quality, rebuild or upgrade cafeterias and kitchens, hire new staff, and acquire better supplies and equipment. For example, the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that the high needs schools of the state can receive federal reimbursements of $2.84 per free breakfast and $2.54 for each reduced-price breakfast served in the 2024-2025 year. These funds could be instrumental in combating childhood hunger and even paying for the breakfast program itself.

School superintendents are looked up to as the leaders of their districts, so their understanding and valuing of the benefits of free and reduced-price breakfasts is often the key to making after the bell breakfast programs accessible in your area. Reaching out to your local superintendent with your concern for the needs of children who’d otherwise go to school hungry could make a world of a difference.

From reducing stress on families that struggle to put food on the table to tightening relationships between parents and schools, and most importantly, allowing for less students to learn while hungry, an entire community could benefit from this program. Speak to your district’s superintendent about the after the bell free and reduced-price breakfast program today and help disadvantaged kids gain the energy and nutrition they need and deserve to get the best out of their education. 

For more information, please refer to Hunger Free NJ’s School Meals for All.

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Did you know the federal budget and tax policies impact early childhood?

Posted on August 14, 2024

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By Shadaya Bennett
Senior Legislative Analyst

For more information on this topic, contact Shadaya at sbennett@acnj.org.

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Congress is currently developing the Federal Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025) Budget and updating tax policies to meet revenue and expenditure obligations, ensuring the country and programs that serve its citizens continue operating in the years to come. These financial measures dictate how resources are distributed and shape the future of vital programs, including those that support early childhood development. Understanding the evolution of funding policies can equip stakeholders with the necessary information to advocate for measures that lay the foundation for children’s growth and success, ensuring they are sustained and adequately funded.

While “a nation's budget is a reflection of its priorities and values,” it is evident that state and federal investment in early childhood development, particularly for infants and toddlers, remains alarmingly low. Federal spending on children aged 0-3 accounted for only 1.66%, 1.52%, and 1.99% of total spending in fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025 (projected), respectively. The first three years of life are crucial for brain development and foundational for developing skills, yet public investments for provisions that impact children during this period are most lacking. Additionally, most families lack the resources to bridge the gap between public funding and actual needs underscoring the necessity for intentional investment in early childhood development.

Understanding the Federal Budget and Tax Policy Process

The federal budget must be passed by Congress and signed by the President by September 30th each year to ensure annual spending for the next fiscal year can begin on October 1st and avoid a government shutdown. As the process for formulating the FY2025 Budget is underway, there are questions about whether lawmakers will meet this constitutionally mandated deadline. Many predict Congress will pass a temporary spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, to maintain federal programs at current funding levels, allowing the government to continue operating without formal funding legislation.

In addition to the fiscal year budget, federal tax policies dictate tax funding provisions to operate the country and support programs and services that impact citizens. These policies outline how taxes are collected, determine tax rates, define taxable income, and specify tax credits and deductions for individuals and businesses. Each year, the Federal Administration develops tax proposals, which are introduced as a bill in Congress. This bill is reviewed, debated, and modified by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. After Congress agrees on the final bill, it is sent to the President to be signed into law. Throughout the process, stakeholder input, including from advocates, industry representatives, and the general public, ensures a range of perspectives are considered in shaping the nation’s tax policies.

Pending Funding Policies and Early Childhood Development

As Congress negotiates the annual budget and tax policies, several critical early childhood development measures are at stake. Federal support for these programs is essential, as lack of investment would significantly impact children's early learning, health, and access to vital resources necessary for their development and future success.

Examples of programs under consideration in budget and tax policy negotiations, including current or projected funding provisions, include: 

Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG):

  • Currently funded at $8.75 billion for FY2024, an increase of $725 million over FY2023.
  • Proposed amount in the House (of Representatives) FY2025 funding bill = $8.8 billion.
  • Proposed amount in the Senate FY2025 funding bill = $10.35 billion.

Head Start and Early Head Start:

  • Currently funded at $12.27 billion for FY2024, an increase of $275 million over FY2023.
  • Proposed amount in FY2025 funding bill = $12.3 billion.

Preschool Development Grant (PDG):

  • Currently funded at $315 million for FY2024, level funding from FY2023.
  • Proposed amount in FY2025 funding bill = $250 million.

 IDEA Grants for Infants and Toddlers:

  • Currently funded at $540 million for FY2024, level funding from FY2023.
  • Proposed amount in FY2025 funding bill = $540 million.

Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood (MIECHV) Home Visiting

  • Funded for a five-year cycle at $434.7 million in 2023, the highest level of federal investment in over a decade.
  • The next funding reauthorization cycle is scheduled for 2027.

 Tax Credits that Benefit Children

  • The Child Tax Credit (CTC) provides direct funding to parents allowing them to afford expenses that are essential for children’s well-being.
  • The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) is the only tax credit that directly helps working parents offset the cost of child care.
  • There is a proposed Senate tax bill which includes expanding the CTC to help more families.

In closing, the federal budget and tax policy consist of more than just numbers—they signify our nation’s investment priorities and values. As debates and negotiations in Washington, D.C. continue, it is crucial that policy makers keep the needs of our youngest citizens at the forefront. Early childhood development is not merely an expenditure but an investment in our collective future. Nationwide advocacy efforts must persist, to push for funding policies that prioritize the well-being and development of all children, particularly during the critical first years of life.

In late July, advocates for early childhood development gathered at the Alliance For Early Success's State Fed Connects Meeting, gaining key insights from policy experts and congressional leaders. ACNJ brought these strategies to Capitol Hill, advocating for crucial investments in #early learning, #childcare, and family support programs in the #fy25budget.

For information on Congressional activity, including upcoming House and Senate sessions and access to pending legislation, visit https://www.congress.gov/.

Read our latest updates on Budget Advocacy

Join us for the ACNJ’s Annual Breakfast Celebration

Posted on August 13, 2024

We are excited to invite you to our 9th Annual Breakfast Celebration on Thursday, December 5th, at 8:00 a.m. at The Clubhouse at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth, New Jersey. We look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones, and we hope you can join us!

This year's panel discussion, Feeding the Future: Linking Food Security and Wellness for New Jersey's Kids, will explore the connection between food insecurity and children's health. Featured panelists Elizabeth McCarthy, President and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, and Mark Dinglasan, Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate, will emphasize the vital role of proper nutrition in children's development and academic success. This discussion comes as the state has expanded the eligibility requirements for students to receive free school meals for the second time in two years.

Thanks to our many partners, we have much to celebrate. Their invaluable support has been instrumental in securing significant victories for children and families, maintaining ACNJ's independence, and promoting equitable opportunities for all of New Jersey's children. Despite political changes, budget challenges, and competing state priorities, we have remained a consistent and credible advocate for kids, and the contribution of our partners has been a key part of our success.

Please consider becoming an ACNJ Sponsor today. Sponsors will be recognized prominently, both online and in print.

Learn about sponsorship opportunities and purchase tickets.
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