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Want to Strengthen New Jersey’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis

Posted on August 31, 2020

Working parents in New Jersey, particularly those with infants and toddlers, know how difficult it is to find child care that’s accessible, affordable, and high-quality. Meanwhile, our state’s ReadyNation members and employers understand the economic impact of these child care challenges.

A national study by ReadyNation examining the economic impacts of the nation’s child care crisis on working parents, employers, and taxpayers describes the consequences: an annual cost of $57 billion in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.

Read NJ Spotlight Op-Ed: High Quality Child Care Must Be a Top Priority in NJ’s COVID-19 Recovery, by Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

New Jersey Households with Children are Hardest Hit by COVID-19

Posted on August 25, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic repercussions continue to resonate throughout New Jersey. However, many traditional data sources for tracking the well-being of households in the Garden State do not update quickly or regularly enough to see trends affecting families now. The Census Household Pulse Survey, which began collecting data weekly in late April 2020, helps provide a snapshot of key economic, health, nutrition, education and housing indicators for families.

Read more.

NJ FY2021 Proposed Budget Includes Investments for Children and Families

Posted on August 25, 2020

In his state budget address today, Governor Murphy announced that his $32.4 billion spending plan, which would cover October 2020 through June 2021, aimed to “protect gains we have made, [and] at the same time move forward.” Despite the huge economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our state, gains were made for families, children and the child care system. The pandemic has shined a spotlight on the importance of child care, and this budget recognizes the need to support the people and businesses that care for young children and help families defray child care costs.

Highlights of proposed investments, which will use both federal and state funding to support children and their families include:

  • $250 million for a joint program of the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Human Services, to support existing child care providers and to provide subsidies and tuition grants to working families;
  • $10 million in preschool expansion funding for new districts, in addition to continuing to support existing programs;
  • Continued incremental increases in the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families;
  • A new “baby bonds” program that would provide approximately 72,000 babies born to qualified New Jersey families in 2021 with a $1,000 nest egg to help narrow the wealth gap.

ACNJ remains concerned about many proposed departmental cuts that may harm programs and services that families depend on, such as family support services, early intervention and lead poisoning prevention.

ACNJ is encouraged by the sustained commitment of the Murphy administration to investments in young children and the people who care for them. As more detailed information becomes available, ACNJ will provide updates and advocate for children throughout this unusual budget process.

Teachable Moments at Home: Educating Our Littlest Learners Recording

Posted on August 25, 2020

Below is the recording of the webinar held on August 19 presented by the Institute for Families at the Rutgers School of Social Work. This webinar provides information on how parents and caregivers can promote and support early learning using common household items and meaningful interactions, especially during this pandemic.

Click here for a list of tools and resources to support parents and caregivers in finding those teachable moments.

We Need to Fund #ChildCare in the Next Stimulus Package!

Posted on July 28, 2020

In a few days, Congress will be identifying funding priorities that will address the economic crisis our nation is facing since the beginning of the pandemic. We need to tell them:

Child care, “the workforce behind the workforce,” must be a Congressional priority and adequately funded.

While the CARES Act provided much-needed assistance to child care programs that were closed and those that were opened to serve children of essential workers during the first few months of the pandemic, that funding dries up at the end of this month. The future of child care will be in danger come August. Centers that are open are facing higher costs linked with ensuring the safety of children and staff, for cleaning supplies, PPE and additional staff. They are also experiencing lower enrollment, because either parents remain unemployed and do not need child care or they are uncomfortable sending their children to group care right now.

Without federal help, the future of child care throughout our state is in jeopardy. And when child care is in jeopardy, so is our economy’s recovery. Parents will not have access to the programs they rely on to care for and educate their children so that they can go to work.

We need to tell the entire New Jersey Congressional Delegation to be child care champions and urge Speaker Pelosi and other Congressional leaders to provide $50 billion to stabilize the child care industry in the next stimulus package so that families can return to work knowing their children are safe!

Click here to sign our petition and send an email to your Congressional representatives.