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New Jersey

Last Updated: July 15, 2024

Working families in New Jersey need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children. 

Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in New Jersey. But too many working families in New Jersey are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the New Jersey economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue. 

Facts about New Jersey
1

There are 630k children ages 5 and under in New Jersey – 68% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.

2

The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in New Jersey is around $19,600.

3

The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 9% of eligible families. This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.

4

On average, child care providers in New Jersey earn just $31,040 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.

5

New Jersey’s economy loses $3.6B annually due to child care challenges.

New Jersey: In The Headlines

Opinion: Investing in our Head Start educators is an investment in our students

NorthJersey.com | March 7, 2024

 The importance of these programs cannot be understated. From immunizations to parental support, the benefits that Head Start provides to our communities go far beyond education.

Report: NJ families spending wild amount of income on child care

New Jersey 101.5 | April 8, 2024

Families in New Jersey who pay for child care are coughing up a major chunk of their income in order to afford it, according to a report from LendingTree.

New Jersey Allocates $33 Million for Preschool Facility Expansion

Shore News Network | May 1, 2024

Governor Phil Murphy and Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer announced the allocation of $33 million in federal grant funding to expand preschool facilities across New Jersey.

New Jersey Resources & News

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2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets

July 16, 2024

FFYF’s 2024 State Fact Sheets from 50 states and Washington, D.C. show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. Federal funding and programs benefit …

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2024 CCDBG State Fact Sheets

May 29, 2024

First Five Years Fund released a new collection of fact sheets from all 50 states detailing how the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) helps families and kids in …

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New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements

February 22, 2024

Every day, early childhood educators play a crucial role in nurturing and shaping the minds of our youngest learners. Yet, the qualifications required for this essential workforce vary drastically across …

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FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses

February 14, 2024

Analysis of 2024 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found that child care, early learning, and early childhood received substantial attention across state and party …

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Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022

February 8, 2024

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …

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How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Career Pathways

December 15, 2023

The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve career pathways in their Preschool Development Grant Birth …

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FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets

July 31, 2023

Our new analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that child care and early learning programs have tremendous impacts on young children, their families, and the economy at …

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New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program 

May 11, 2023

New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …

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How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State

May 9, 2023

The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …

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FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets

August 2, 2022

Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …

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New Jersey — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 29, 2022

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

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Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State

June 22, 2022

The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …

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Governors Highlight Child Care As Key To Helping States Recover And Grow

February 14, 2022

For years, Democratic and Republican governors alike have prioritized early learning and care as a smart investment for their states. It’s no surprise, then, that as America faces an ever-worsening child care …

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2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding

August 3, 2021

FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …

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New Jersey — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2021

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

News

FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes

September 16, 2020

This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …

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New Jersey: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

News

Preschool Development Grant Funding Awarded to 26 States for 2020

December 20, 2019

UPDATE: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional three-year renewal grants are being awarded to South Carolina, Nebraska, and …

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Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States

September 16, 2019

On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state.  As in previous years, CAP’s …

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See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care

June 14, 2019

Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …

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New Jersey: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2019

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Resource

Governors Across the Country Celebrate Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding

January 30, 2019

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Education (ED) announced that 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool …

News

46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants

January 4, 2019

Big news! 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), a $250 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ existing early …

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