ECEC Voices Support for Department of Early Childhood (S. 2475)

June 1, 2022

The Honorable Chairman Vin Gopal
Committee Room 4, 1^st Floor, State House Annex
Trenton, New Jersey 08625

Dear Chairman Gopal, Vice Chairwoman Turner, and members of the Senate Education Committee,

Thank you for providing an opportunity for public comment on S.2475. The Early Care & Education Consortium is a nonprofit organization representing high-quality child care providers with a mission to expand access to high-quality child care for all families. In New Jersey, ECEC members operate nearly 350 licensed centers, employ nearly 5,500 educators and staff, and have the capacity to care for over 32,000 children. Together, our programs represent a mix of subsidy, private-pay, and on-site care and services supporting families and children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. With almost 6,000 centers across 48 states, we also have insight into the impact state policies and practices have on child care and early learning.

Over the past few years, states such as Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Missouri, and Virginia have consolidated child care and preschool services into a single office or department. Other states such as Georgia and Massachusetts created these departments decades ago and in doing so are better able to coordinate federal and state funding streams for child care and early learning such as the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Preschool Development Grant (PDG). Moreover, a single department means less red tape for child care providers and parents to navigate.

In New Jersey, early childhood programs remain divided among various departments. This, in turn, leaves providers, parents, and children caught between these departments, and any problems that arise often go unresolved since no department has full responsibility. Meanwhile, early learning funding streams remain uncoordinated, inhibiting their impact and at times leading to harmful consequences. Preschool is a prime example: in New Jersey, preschool funding flows through the Department of Education and separate from child care even though child care providers are often preschool providers themselves, with children placed in their care for both. However, most private providers are excluded from public preschool, and over time this will both harm the child care industry and raise costs for families. What started as well-intended policy will dismantle the state’s child care infrastructure unless this changes soon.

This is likely why a state like Georgia (#8) ranks above New Jersey (#20) in preschool access for 4-year-olds despite New Jersey spending nearly 4 times the amount per child ($19,042 vs $5,432).[1] A new Department of Early Childhood would not only maximize the impact of New Jersey’s early childhood programs but also simplify the administrative process for parents and providers alike. For years, New Jersey has led the nation in higher education and K – 12 public schooling. Now is the time for New Jersey to lead in early childhood as well, and creating a new department with S. 2475 would be a great first step.

Thank you for your time and leadership, and we look forward to working with you to expand access to child care for families and children across New Jersey.

Sincerely,

The Early Care & Education Consortium