What’s New?

Highlights of State Budget Spending on Children and Families

The State Fiscal Year 2025 Budget was approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Murphy before the June 30th deadline. The state budget, outlined in S2025-A4700, appropriates $56.6 billion in state funds and $27.5 billion in federal funds for resources, programs and services that will benefit New Jersey residents for the next fiscal year.

Advocates for Children of New Jersey engaged in the process, advocating for the need for various investments that benefit children and families. Below are key highlights.

Child Care

• $482.5 million for child care enrollment-based subsidy payments. This enrollment-based payment model provides a stable source of funding for providers who serve families receiving child care assistance.

Public Preschool Expansion

• $124 million to fund existing public pre-K programs
• $20 million in preschool expand aid for new districts
• Requires measures to deliver public preschool through a mixed delivery system including the following:
  • School districts receiving Preschool Education Aid (PEA) for the first time must demonstrate efforts to establish partnerships with all willing and able licensed child care providers and Head Start programs in their communities or neighboring areas to provide preschool programs through mixed-delivery.
  • School districts that demonstrate efforts to partner with licensed child care providers and Head Start programs will be given preference for grant funding.
  • The New Jersey Department of Education, the Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Human Services must post lists of all school districts with state-funded preschool, districts eligible to apply for funding, and licensed child care providers and Head Start programs in each eligible district’s community and neighboring community.

K-12 Education

• $908 million in direct aid to schools, fully funding the school aid formula
• $3 million for the Community Schools Pilot Program Fund
• $7.2 million for literacy initiatives
• $1 million for the High Poverty School District Minority Teacher Recruitment Program
• $5 million for Teachers Loan Redemption Program

Child Tax Credit

• Maintains expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and the Child Tax Credit which enables families with young children to receive up to $1,000 per child.

Hunger and Food Insecurity

• $318 million for the WIC Supplemental Food Program
• $8.2 million for the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program
• $7 million for SNAP and School Meals Dual Enrollment Pilot Program
• $924.5 million for School Breakfast and Lunch Programs

Maternal and Child Health

• $23 million for Statewide Universal Newborn Home Nurse Visitation Program
• $3 million for the Statewide Maternal Health Innovation Program
• $3.2 million for the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority
• Funding for medical coverage for uninsured families

Mental Health

• $30 million to expand the mental health workforce and provide services for children and adolescents

Positive Youth Development and Other Supports

• $43 million for the NJ Statewide Student Support Services Network (NJ4S)
• $8 million for anti-violence out of school youth summer programs
• $1.5 million for Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) - Legal Services for Unaccompanied Minors

ACNJ will continue to provide post-budget updates as additional information becomes available. Stay tuned!